West Virginia
West Virginia is one of the best states to visit for outdoor activities year round depending on what you are looking for. With incredible skiing, whitewater rafting, hiking, star gazing and more. One of the best times to visit is during autumn for incredible fall foliage. We set out on an epic adventure with our young baby during my maternity leave. This was our first trip with our little man and boy was it different than our typical trips. We often didn’t set out until around noon and our plans had to fit between feeding and diaper changes. If you don’t have a newborn you likely will be able to squeeze in some additional hikes or activities in the area. Overall, we hit majority of the things we wanted to do. You can see our itinerary below to help inspire you.
your visit
Planning your trip
A great source of information is from the West Virginia tourism website which gives you predictions of fall foliage and top areas to check out. Of note their map talks about the START of leaf color changing rather than PEAK. Also another tip is that on the third week of October in New River Gorge there is Bridge Day where they close the New River Gorge Bridge for base jumping and for pedestrians to cross so this could alter your travel route and accommodation availability. We did our trip from October 4 through the 13th and while there was some leaf changes some areas were just starting to change.
When planning your visit, the best way to get around is by car. You can rent a car if you are flying into the area. Having a car gives you the most flexibility to explore these areas.
If you are flying to the area, the most flight availability will likely be to the capital city of Charleston at the Yeager Airport (CRW). Some closer options to where we went include Raleigh County Airport in Beaver, WV (BKW) or the Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) in Lewisburg, WV.
We did this trip from the Baltimore area which was about 3.5 hours from our first destination. This would also be an excellent road trip from Washington DC, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Kentucky.
Day 1 Baltimore, MD to Petersburg, WV
Depending on route this is approximately a 3.5 hour drive. We checked into the hotel and then headed to Seneca Rocks for the hike which was a 26 minute drive from downtown Petersburg. The hike is 3 miles round trip up to a viewing platform. You can proceed on the rocks at your own risk. We did the hike at sunset but I imagine that during the day it would be epic to view the scenery as well. If you arrive earlier in the day you can check out the visitor center and see Seneca Rocks from the base.
Day 2 Blackwater Falls State Park and Canaan Valley State Park
This area is known to have the color change for fall foliage first so we were excited to go here though we had been to Blackwater Falls State Park it was not in the fall. Blackwater Falls itself is an easy walk down wooden platforms and stairs. You can also stop at Pendleton Point which is a short walk from the parking lot. We also stopped at the Pendleton Lake which has a swimming area for during the summer as well as a nature center. After this we drove about 25 minutes down to the Canaan Valley area. There is a resort in this state park and an extensive set of trails you can choose from. There is also a ski resort area with a chair lift, tubing and slopes for the winter. We had decided to hike Bald Knob which is a 2 mile hike that is primarily uphill on the way up and gives views of the valley below. This hike leaves from the tubing area of the ski section of the park. We then drove back to Petersburg for the night.
Day 3 Petersburg, WV to Spruce Knob to Summersville, WV
Today after checking out of the hotel we proceeded to Seneca Rocks Visitor Center. We had climbed up Seneca Rocks but at the visitor center you can see the Seneca Rocks from the base to see how impressive they area. We then proceeded to Spruce Knob. This is the highest point in West Virginia and you can get to the top by driving up a 13 mile winding road. The drive from Petersburg to the top of Spruce Knob is just over 1 hour. Once at the top there is a little observation tower and trail around the top giving views in all directions. We spent the rest of the day heading from there to Summersville where we checked into the next hotel. The drive from Spruce Knob to Summersville takes just over 3 hours. The roads were winding and lined with fall foliage.
Day 4 Babcock State Park, New River Gorge and Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
Today we decided to head down to Babcock State Park which is about a 32 minute drive from Summersville, WV. This state park is known for its iconic Glade Creek Grist Mill which is one of the most photographed mills and even more popular during the autumn. While there we were able to go into the mill to explore and into the small visitor center and gift shop. We also did the Island in the Sky Hike and checked out Boley Lake. After this we headed to the New River Gorge Canyon Rim Visitor Center. There you can go down some steps to get a view of the bridge. We went back to our hotel in Summersville and then later on we headed back out to the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park. This park has the Patterson Trail which is a 2 mile loop that gives some amazing views overlooking the Gauley River. This state park is about 20 minutes from Summersville. On the way there you can stop at the Overlook of Long Point of Summersville Lake and the Summersville Dam.
Day 5 Hawks Nest, Oak Hill and Concho Rim Overlook
Today we checked out of our hotel in Summersville and headed up to Hawks Nest State Park. This state park is about a 30 minute drive from Summersville, WV. Here you can take in some incredible overlooks. Make sure to go down the Lovers Leap Overlook. This is where you can purchase tickets for boat ride on the river. You used to be able to take a tram down but they are repairing that so if you do the boat ride they will shuttle you by vehicle down. After that we went to Cathedral Falls. This waterfall is located right off the roadside. You can cross a small bridge and then are surrounded by cavern-like rocks and the slow trickle of the waterfall. This is likely much more impressive after some rain. From here we headed down to Oak Hill where we would be checking into our hotel. There are tons of dining options around Fayetteville and Oak Hill. There are also a few breweries to check out. We decided to check out Free Folk but there is also Bridge Brew Works. We intended to check out both but then realized they are closed on Tuesdays. We went to the hotel and relaxed for a bit before heading out around sunset for the Concho Rim Overlook. This overlook is not actually a part of the New River Gorge National Park but is worth checking out. It overlooks the town of Thurmond below.
Day 6 Sandstone Falls, Hinton, John Henry Memorial and Grandview
New River Gorge National Park is actually quite large so today we dedicated to go down to the lower section and check out Sandstone Falls. The drive from Oak Hill to the Sandstone Falls Visitor Center is about 42 minutes. Of note, the visitor center is right off the highway but visiting the falls takes a bit of driving from there. You will drive down route 20 toward the town of Hinton, WV and then proceed back north to the boardwalk. The total drive of this 20 mile drive is 33 minutes. We also wanted to check out the iconic John Henry Monument. This is 10 miles about an 18 minute drive to the east of Hinton. This day was raining so after the monument we headed back to Hinton and checked out Market on Courthouse Square to wait out the rain before heading to Sandstone Falls. The boardwalk is a quick 0.4 mile easy walk. You can also add the Island Loop trail which is an additional 0.5 mile and easy. After exploring Sandstone Falls, we headed to the Grandview section of New River Gorge. This section also has a small visitor center open from noon to 5 PM. The drive is 35 miles and 50 minutes. After getting here around sunset, we realized this may be better midday for less harsh sun lines over the viewpoint. Nonetheless it was very beautiful.
Day 7 New River Gorge National Park
Today we decided to do the iconic must do things in New River Gorge National Park. We started the day with the Long Point trail. This trail is 3.2 miles total leading to epic viewpoint of the New River Gorge Bridge. It is fairly easy and bikes can be on the trail. The last bit of the trail includes some rocks and roots and bicycles cannot be ridden in that area. After this we headed to Fayetteville to grab some lunch and then headed to back to the Canyon Rim Visitor center where we downloaded an audio guide and did the Fayette Station Road Scenic Drive. This drive is 7.5 miles and brings you down to the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge. Here you can get epic photos of the bridges and learn about the history of this area. After this we headed to Thurmond. Thurmond was once the biggest revenue generator for the C&O Railway. This historic town has remnants of what used to be a booming coal town. It does have a seasonal visitor center (or you can get your passport stamp at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center).
Day 8 Oak Hill, WV to Staunton, VA
Today was mostly a day of travel between the states. Typically, this drive takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes but we hit some traffic so it took over 3 hours. We checked out the Seven Arrows Brewing Company for dinner and a drink. If you are planning to drive Shenandoah National Park from the most southern aspect to the north staying in Waynesboro is ideal. Staunton is located directly off highway 81 and also great. We chose to stay in Staunton in case the weather was bad we could cut out part of the drive or just drive home. Since the weather was perfect we added a night in Front Royal the town at the northern aspect of the park for the day after. If you do not have an infant you probably could do part of the park and stay half way around Luray on this day.
Day 9 Shenandoah National Park
Today we spent the entire day in Shenandoah National Park. We entered the park from the lower entrance which is the Rockfish Gap Station and proceeded up the entire drive ending in Front Royal. If you look on Google Maps it says it will take about 3.5 hours but that doesn’t include stops at the overlooks, visitor centers, or if you want to do any hikes. The park boasts 76 overlooks and you may just have to pick and choose which ones you want to see. There are several hikes to viewpoints and waterfalls. There are two visitor centers. Harry F. Byrd in the middle section and Dickey Ridge in the northern part near Front Royal. They are open 9 AM to 5 PM. During our trip we did the short hike of Little Stony Man. From end to end, with multiple stops we spent about 6 hours in the park. We spent the night in Front Royal.
Day 10 Return home to Baltimore
We drove home from Front Royal to Baltimore. The drive took 2.5 hours.
final thoughts
Exploring West Virginia and western Virginia makes for great fall foliage peeping. There are certain areas that will peak before others so if leaves are your primary objective check out the current year predictions to maximize your fall colors. We traveled with a newborn so that included multiple stops for feeding and changing which meant we couldn’t cram in as much as we typically do but if you are eager you can condense the days and/or possibly add some additional stops along the way.
