Get ready for scenic hiking, a comfortable dog-friendly lodge (and staff!), and nearby artsy small towns at Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia!
History and Location
Blackwater Falls State park is near the West Virginia and Maryland border, and lies about 3 hours south of Pittsburgh between the small towns of Thomas and Davis.
The park spans over 2,300 acres and includes the main 57-foot-high Great Falls, other smaller waterfalls, and a small dammed lake.
While the area was popular for recreation since the 1800s, it became a park in 1937 with land donated from the West Virginia Power and Transmission Company. Later land donations and purchases both made from the Allegheny Power System added to the park in 1953.
Accommodations
You can spend your overnights at Blackwater Falls State Park at the campground, in a cabin, or at the lodge.
The Blackwater Falls State Park Campground is open from May 1 through October 31, and has 65 tent and trailer sites. All of the sites are dog-friendly with electric service. There are two bath houses with hot showers.
Blackwater Falls State Park also has 39 fully-furnished classic cabins and 13 vacation cabins. Classic cabins have 2 bedrooms and are on the lodge side of the river. Vacation cabins have 4 bedrooms on the northern side, closer to the main falls.
Finally, you can also book a room at the highest lodge in West Virginia at Blackwater Falls! The modern lodge has 54 rooms, a conference area, restaurant, pool, fitness room, gift shop, and arcade.
Back when we owned an RV, we stayed in the campground. This time around, we opted for a dog-friendly room at the lodge.
Franklin and Hazel were not disappointed!
The room was large and comfortable with plenty of room for Franklin, Hazel, and hiking gear.
We accidentally forgot the dog bowls, but the kind staff stepped up with these snazzy ones for us to borrow:
Franklin and Hazel were basically in the lap of luxury, eating out of crystal bowls all weekend!
The Lodge has a restaurant called The Smokehouse that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
The breakfast was buffet-style, and we ordered other items to-go for dinner each night. The menu has a bunch of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and main courses to pick from.
The hot pretzels with beer cheese, spinach artichoke dip, roast beef dinner, and spinach salad are all winners!
The Lodge also has a swimming pool, workout room, conference center, and gift shop. Around the back of the Lodge, you can enjoy wild and wonderful views for miles!
Be sure to check the front desk while you are visiting to see if there’s a free nature, community, or crafting program you can attend.
While we visited, they had everything from crows to Christmas crafts!
Another interesting (and FREE!) program that the Friends of Blackwater featured in the conference center on Saturday afternoon was called Early Mining Voices.
The voices were actual recordings of miners from the early 1900s sharing their experiences before there was any kind of machinery or automation. They talked of company housing, long hours, unions, strikes, immigration, and wages.
West Virginia University professors and students along with community actors brought the recordings to life, and I was glad I attended!
You learn something new every day (if you want to!).
Trails and Wildlife
You can trek 20 miles of hiking on the trails at Blackwater Falls State Park.
We completed about 7 miles on Saturday around the Lodge, and another 1-2 on Sunday near the lake area.
For the 7 miles, we first took Yellow Birch Trail from the Lodge to Gentle Trail to see Blackwater Falls, or the main falls.
Along this trail, Hazel got stuck on a tree surrounded by a mud pit, but most of the trail was clear and dry.
Fortunately, she made it out just fine!
There were a lot of leaves, rocks, and roots along the trails.
Franklin was a big fan of the creek crossings!
Once you’ve seen the falls, you can retrace your steps part way on Yellow Birch and make a left onto Red Spruce.
You’ll be able to look down on Elakla Falls, and then make a right onto Balanced Rock Trail to Elakala Trail to return to the Lodge.
If you park at the Nature Center, you can also see the lake and hike 1.5 mile-Balsam Fir Trail.
The nature center has some fun photo ops…
You can also fish or kayak in the small dammed lake in this part of the park.
PIT STOP! Macy Lou's Gourmet Apple Company
Just a few miles before Blackwater Falls State Park, make a quick stop in the town of Thomas.
OK, it might not be so quick, because they have a bunch of fun, quirky shops to peruse and art galleries to explore.
You will DEFINITELY want to make a stop in Macy Lou’s Gourmet Apple Company, where you can grab your very own double-dipped carmel-chocolate apple.
You can even opt for a candy topping, like Reeses, Butterfinger, or M&Ms.
We saved ours for a post-hiking snack on Saturday- but I’ll be surprised if yours lasts that long!
SIDE TRIP! Canaan Valley and MORE!
If you might not make it back to the Blackwater Falls State Park area anytime soon, take an extra day to visit a few other places in the area.
A little further down the road, the town of Davis has a similar vibe to Thomas, with more interesting shops and snacks to try.
Just a few miles further, you can find Canaan Valley, Dolly Sods Wilderness, and Seneca Rocks- all amazing dog-friendly hiking spots.
You can day trip to them, or we have an entire Trip Report dedicated to that area you can read through.
The Last Word
Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia was a dog-friendly hiking spot with comfy accommodations and good food!
We continue to have great experiences at West Virginia state park lodges. Their staff is always so welcoming, friendly, and helpful.
Hazel and I are looking forward (sideways?) to our next West Virginia adventure!
