Blackwater Falls State Park

Address:
Drawer 490, Davis,
West Virginia 26260.
Ph. (304) 259-5216

Location:

Potomac highlands of West Virginia, just below the southwest tip of Maryland.
Approx. 220 miles West of Baltimore.
Total area about ????

Weather:

Click for current weather forecast (Actually, forecast for Elkins, WV).

Directions:

( From Baltimore ) Take Rt. 70 West. Get on I-68 West.
Take Rt. 219 South to Thomas, then Rt. 32 to the park.

Camping facilities:

Reservations accepted. Call (304) 259-5216 or 1-800-CALL-WVA.
Apart from the forest dept. campground, there is a private campground just outside the park.
Both the campgrounds have drinking water and toilets. A few electic hookups and sewer hookups are also available.
Charges: vary from $10/night to $16/night.

Forest:

Mostly conifers. Has a cliff at the center of the park. Has numerous streams. All the trails are short (less than 2 miles), though one trail leads to another. Most of the trails are very simple and comfortable. Has even logs in the streams to cross!! On some trails, there are marked spots for scenic views, all of them offering a nice view of the valley.

Wildlife seen:

Mammals:

Whitetail deer.

Birds:

All names taken from Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide.
These were seen very easily. No serious birdwatching was done.

Misc notes:

Pick up maps at the information center near Blackwater falls. The maps are quite good.
Nearest town in Davis. Just outside the park. Can rent mountain bikes, rafts for whitewater rafting (Level 3 and 5), and skis. Can go out to Davis for lunch and come back!
Can rent horses in the park.
Monongahela National forest is on its border.
The "black" water is a result of leached tannic acids from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles.

Contributions by:
[*]

Taheri Ali
[*]

Shailendra Gupta
[*]

Sanjay Joshi
[*]

Kartik Patel
[*]

Bipin Salunkhe
[*]

Manish Singh
[*]

Rachael Singh
[*]

Srinivas Rao

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Last updated: April 22, 1998
Sanjay Joshi