Almost Heaven Photography in West Virginia

West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in America for site seeing and outdoor recreation. Throughout the state, there are many parks and forests that you can visit within a relatively short time. West Virginia is diverse and unique in landscapes and scenery because of the rural areas that continue to be unpopulated and remote from industrial society’s scenery pollution. Anyone who has ever been to West Virginia and explored the vast parks, and forests the state has to offer realize why the state is deemed “Almost Heaven”. All the way from the New River Gorge and Bluestone area in southern West Virginia to the Dolly Sods and Black Water Falls parks in the northern parts of the state West Virginia has anything that the outdoor enthusiast could ever want.

Although there are several other activities throughout the state of West Virginia such as fishing, hunting, white water river rafting, I enjoy just simply exploring and finding the most beautiful areas to photograph. Exploring and Photography is what the good Lord has given me for a new hobby once I was Born Again. You know when you turn your life over to Him He will replace the old corrupt things of the world with the pleasant things that are of Him. Whenever I get away and go up to the mountains it is so relaxing to find a beautiful spot, just relax, and read the Holy Bible. When you get away from all of the hustle and bustle of daily life you can focus more on the presence and love of God almighty. One day there is going to be a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. There will no longer be corruption, death or despair and depression. He has all this prepared for those that love Him and except the precious gift of His son Jesus Christ.

In order to help those that visit this site and have the same interests in photography, I have compiled a list of areas that are very nice to visit and explore when you get a chance to either get away from where you live outside of West Virginia, or if you are a resident of the Mountain State. I am not going to provide website links but simply just the name of the places that you can visit and a link to my favorite photograph of the mentioned area. You can use any search engine such as Google or others to find the official sites and maps of the areas. You can recognize the names of these areas in the following paragraphs by the italicized fonts.

The Monongahela National Forest stretches from the southeastern region of West Virginia all the way to the northeastern panhandle area of the state. The Monongahela National Forest contains several smaller individual parks that have recreational areas, which provide activities for everyone in your family. I highly recommend obtaining a Monongahela National Forest map so you can see all of the individual parks and areas of interest through the areas. We will give some details about my favorites that the Lord has allowed me by His grace to visit in this article however, there are so many areas to visit I could never include them all in an article.

One of the most popular areas is the Cranberry Wilderness area, which is in the lower parts of the Monongahela National Forest . Cranberry Glades is a unique and picturesque area for hiking, camping, fishing and photography. The glades are a type of boggy swampy forest area that usually only exists in areas more northern than West Virginia . Cranberry Glades Botanical Area has a very nice boardwalk that you may walk on to preserve the bog and see the diverse plant life that is in the swampy forest. Some of the unique types of flowers that you may happen across are carnivorous insect eating plants that trap bugs that inadvertently climb into the plants mouth! There is a visitor center just outside of the road that leads to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area that you can stop of and visit to learn about all of the areas wildlife and plant life that exist in the area. If you continue past the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area you will enter into the Cranberry Wilderness Backcountry which is a wonderful area for hiking, exploring, camping and fishing. You should be aware that black bears, bob cats and coyotes live in these areas so if you hike or camp throughout the area make certain to keep your food put away because they can smell your food for a long way. The backcountry is especially a nice area for photographing streams and falls of the runs that come down the mountain into the cranberry river.

Within the Cranberry Wilderness Area is another unique scenic park, which is called The Falls of Hills Creek. This is probably one of my most favorite areas in all of West Virginia . The Falls of Hills Creek is an area that contains 3 distinct and beautiful waterfalls that cascade down the mountain from the swampy bog area that is up above. There is a wooden boardwalk and stairs that lead to all of the falls but some are more beautiful and scenic if you actually rough it and climb down the mountains (at your own risk of course). The first waterfall at The Falls of Hills Creek is 25 feet high and is one of the most beautiful. This fall is not very visible from the boardwalk but it is very beautiful, if you can climb down to see it (again at your own risk, this is very dangerous). Thankfully, the good Lord has allowed me to climb down safely and get some wonderful shots of this fall from the creek side and on a rock in the middle of the creek as well as directly in front of the fall. Next throughout the path of The Falls of Hills Creek is a nice viewing area of the creek and the pools of water that have collected as the water rushes through the area. A nice little trail and a bridge that crosses the creek provide a very comfortable means of getting to the next waterfall. The second waterfall at The Falls of Hills Creek is 45 feet high and is extremely beautiful. The boardwalk and platform provides a convenient viewing area directly in front of the waterfall and even has a little bench that you can set on and relax. Just down the trail, a short ways is the next fall, which is the highest waterfall in the park. This waterfall is an amazing 65 feet high and is absolutely beautiful to see and photograph.

If you continue past The Falls of Hills Creek and the Cranberry Wilderness Area, you will come to another wonderful place of interest. The Highland Scenic Highway is a nice place to drive and even hike out some trails along the way. This road is about 15 miles long and is very scenic along each mile of the road. Several stops along the way provide a nice picnic area and high overlook scenic views from the mountaintop. There is very little traffic on this road and it is a nice scenic drive through the wilderness. The Williams River and Tea Creek are also areas along the Highland Scenic Highway that are great places to fish, camp and hike.

Another part of the Monongahela National Forest is also famous for the Cass Scenic Railroad, which is an old-fashioned steam locomotive that takes you on a ride up the mountain for a trip that lasts several hours. Plan to take a picnic lunch and bring the kids because they will enjoy the ride. The train moves at a slow pace and allows you to openly see and photograph the scenery as you meander up the mountain. It is advisable for you to purchase tickets ahead of time during busy periods of the year so you are not left behind. The little rural town of Cass has old-fashioned logging cottages that you can stay in overnight or through the week.

Beartown State Park is a nice area to visit as well. The pathway out to the rocks and formations is very smooth and gradual. The winding boardwalks and trails provide a nice area that is enjoyable for everyone. This is definitely worth the visit if you are in the area. Do not hesitate to take your camera and get some pictures because you are certain to be fascinated by the scenery Beartown State Park provides.

Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia and is very remote. It is about 12 miles out a rural road, which is very beautiful and scenic. You can see for miles up on Spruce Knob as the park service has provided a nice lookout tower that you can climb up and take in the mountain top view from the highest point in West Virginia . Make certain that you take a little snack or a picnic lunch out to the area because there are absolutely no stores or especially fast food restaurants out there, and I am glad it is that way. The wind blows constantly up on top of Spruce Knob as there are not any hills or trees around to slow the wind down. The Spruce trees that are up there have all of their branches growing on one side, which is the side that the wind does not blow.

Just up the road from Spruce Knob is one of the most notable rock formations in West Virginia . Seneca Rocks is very majestic and beautiful for its grandeur and unique shape. Seneca Rock has a nice visitor’s center that you may go in and take a break from your travels. They have several exhibits in the visitors center that teach you about the area and the culture as well as the history of the area. Rock climbing and repelling is one of the unique attractions that Seneca Rocks offers because of its vertical slope. The park area provides a nice trail that can be hiked up from the base and it approximately 1 and ½ miles up from the bottom of the rock formation. There is also the creek below that offers wonderful fishing and camping areas that provide a nice mountain wilderness experience. There are several places to eat and stay in the area so convenience is not an issue when visiting Seneca Rock. Seneca Caverns is also a nice place to visit that is in the area. These caverns are very beautiful and neat to visit and photograph. The admission is cheap and it is an easy hike through the caverns as you are lead by the guide. Beware of the dark though; they turn the lights out on you!

Germany Valley is a wonderful valley that can be viewed from a roadside pull off and overlook. The valley looks like a Swedish town or area in the Rockies somewhere. It is well worth the trip up the mountain to get a bird’s eye view of the farms and homesteads below. I like to think of how this looked to those who were exploring this area when they first saw the views from the mountaintop.

One of the most unique and remote areas of West Virginia is Dolly Sods. This wonderfully diverse area of nature is a virtual paradise that provides camping and hiking areas galore. This area is very remote and beautiful park area that has wild flowers and berries that scour the landscape. The views from up on the mountaintop are breathtakingly spectacular. Dolly Sods takes a while to get out to and there is no major road that leads to the park, but there is a nice rural route with country homes and farms along the way that give access to the park. Watch closely for the road that leads out there because you will miss it if you are not careful. There are all kinds of nice areas to camp throughout the trails at Dolly Sods as well as a designated campground. Be careful not to get lost out the wilderness trails in Dolly Sods as they are very remote and seldom traveled. There are sign in and sign out sheets at the head of each trail, so make certain you sign these in case someone has to come looking for you. The weather and clouds move extremely fast up here and you should be prepared for anything at a moments notice, the wind blows constantly and in my opinion is responsible for the wonderfully fresh air. The air seems so clean up here and is a refreshing change from the air that you breathe in populated areas. There are wild azaleas and wild rhododendrons that are scattered throughout the mountainsides. The smell of these flowers is so sweet and this adds to the term that West Virginia is “Almost Heaven”.

The last place on our stop for this article is Blackwater Falls State Park . This wonderful park is my favorite place I have stayed overnight so far. This is perfect for the entire family, as there is a petting zoo, horse back riding, swimming and other recreational activities that provide fun and adventure for everyone. Do not get discouraged when you first get there by just going to the main waterfalls and thinking that there is nothing else to explore. Make certain that you travel out to the lodge and take a hike out the Elakala trail where Elakala waterfalls are. As far as I am concerned, the Elakala Falls are even more beautiful than the main Blackwater falls. The Pendleton waterfalls are very nice also and provide a challenge to when hiking down the trail that leads to the waterfalls. Make certain that someone is with you or at least someone knows where you are going. There are also several trails that you can hike out which provide breathtaking views of the Blackwater River Canyon .

Overall, the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is very rugged and beautiful. Make sure you are prepared to visit the area so you can make the most out of your trip.