Exactly how many waterfalls are in the state is unknown. Like its neighbor Kentucky, very few of West Virginia's waterfalls are listed in the online USGS data. Large parts of the state are privately owned by coal companies and off limits to the public, so many waterfalls are inaccessible. Another problem with counting waterfalls is that any count will depend on how one defines a waterfall. West Virginia is known as the "Mountain State", which is an apt description. Very little of the state is flat, so any flowing water is bound to fall off of something. During heavy rains ephemeral waterfalls appear everywhere. On the flip side, most of the streams in the hilly parts are rain fed, so in dry times many of the creeks and their waterfalls dry up. The author of Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia estimates there are 275 waterfalls in West Virginia, including some impressive underground ones. This map obviously shows just a tiny fraction.

Some of state's most scenic waterfalls are Blackwater Falls, Lower Hill Creek Falls and Cathedral Falls. The 1500' wide Sandstone Falls on the New River is also very impressive.

West Virginia describes itself as "wild and wonderful". The "wild" part is especially applicable to the state's back roads, which tend to be narrow, twisting and usually unpaved. Even when you know where a waterfall is, reaching it may be a challenge. Peach Tree Falls and Dowdy Creek Falls both eluded me due to the wildness of the roads.

Both times I have visited West Virginia it rained a lot, which is good news when you are looking for waterfalls. Be warned that many of the state's falls usually have a lot less water than seen in the photos here.

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Last Modified: Saturday, 19-Sep-2009 20:27:40 MDT.