Elakala Falls — United States

About this spectacle

Elakala Falls is a series of cascades tucked within Blackwater Falls State Park in the Allegheny Highlands of West Virginia. The most famous first falls plunges into a narrow, moss-covered sandstone gorge carved by Shays Run, creating a scene of intimate, almost painterly beauty. Visitors walk a short trail from the parking area and arrive at an overlook where the waterfall tumbles perhaps fifteen feet into a dark plunge pool, surrounded by hemlock and rhododendron. In winter, frigid temperatures transform the cascade into a cathedral of ice formations and frozen curtains, while autumn brings a riot of foliage color that frames the dark water dramatically. The sound of rushing water echoes off the slot canyon walls. Spring snowmelt swells the flow to its most powerful. The falls reward photographers at almost any season, offering moody long-exposure compositions in the soft, filtered light of the gorge.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Oct — Feb

Getting there

Nearest city: Elkins.

Booking options

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