This past Sunday, one of the best for weather this Autumn Season, my wife suggested that we take our bikes and visit Lindy Point at Blackwater Falls State Park in Tucker County West Virginia. This point is one of the most photographed areas of the park, probably second behind the falls itself, and an area we enjoy hiking to at least once or twice a year.
Blackwater Falls State Park is located in Tucker County West Virginia, an area that is definitely seeing an uptick in tourism now that the Corridor H highway directly connects it to areas to the East. There are many areas to visit in the mountainous county and the welcome mat has definitely been put out by the county. It can get crowded during peak tourist seasons – it is a year round destination. Sunday was no exception to the rule with good weather and leaves approaching or even a little past peak color in different parts of the county. The county has two weather regions, a high mountain snow skiing area, and a river valley area that has a winter season but not nearly as harsh as the Eastern or mountainous region. Something for everyone here.
Lindy Point is off the beaten path and you have to search the maps for it a bit. It is not near the most visited falls area, but it is a beautiful spot to visit and worth the time to search for. Parking at this area is definitely at a premium, and weekends with good weather makes parking tricky at times, so we loaded up the bikes and parked at the sled running area and biked in. It is around a mile to bike to the trail head. The road to the trail head is paved at this part, but this road continues for many more miles and is a favorite spot for backroad adventures. We biked approximately a half mile past the trail head. The road gets rough and rocky with puddles and water crossings. I would imagine it would be a great trail for mountain bikers but we weren’t up for that this day. We did pull off at one point so about a dozen jeep enthusiasts could pass us on the road. It is a direct route from Blackwater Falls State Park to Canaan Valley State Park so it is not an out and back road. I believe it is about 20 miles long and I can assure you it is off the beaten path (once you get past Lindy Point.)
At the trail head you then have about a half mile trek to the overlook. The trail is not for everyone with lots of roots, rocks, and mud areas, but it is relatively flat and most people can do it if you take your time and watch your footing. We have taken our grandchildren on it with no problems. We saw all ages on this day from infants in backpacks to older folks not used to walking on trails. The trail is narrow and some courtesy is required here to pass each other comfortably, especially since many people are still jumpy about this pandemic. You will never get cleaner or fresher air though, so just do it!
When getting to the overlook, the views are fantastic. On busy days the viewing platform can be overcrowded and you might have to wait your turn for the best photos without visitors in the pictures. Many people also get off the regular path and crawl around on the rock shelves. If you are afraid of heights at all or the rocks are slippery, I would not recommend it. We do limit ourselves to the viewing platform. Don’t trust ourselves nearly as much as we get older.
So, if you are looking for an area to visit with exceptional hiking and biking opportunities, winter snow skiing, or river adventures, Tucker County WV should be on your bucket list for East Coast activities. You can find what you are looking for here. We visit here quite often for the views and the restaurants and do accompany our children and grandchildren here once or twice a year for the sledding trail. It is a lot of fun! The people here are very friendly and accommodating (I can speak from experience, I was a Principal of the High School here for four years.) You won’t regret the trip.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and comments or likes are welcome!
Slow Down Country Pap 