Blackwater Falls State Park
Davis, West Virginia · State Park
Address: 1584 Blackwater Lodge Rd, Davis WV 26260
Phone: (304) 259-5216
About
Blackwater Falls State Park sits in the Allegheny Mountains of Tucker County, about two miles from the town of Davis, West Virginia. The park's centerpiece is a 62-foot waterfall where the river runs amber, colored by tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The park covers roughly 2,358 acres and includes a 51-room lodge, 39 cabins, and a 65-site campground.
Most visitors come to see the falls and walk a section of trail. The main route to the base is a boardwalk descent from the falls parking lot, roughly 320 feet down a grade to a wooden overlook platform, then back up; plan on 30 to 60 minutes for the round trip. Other activities include fishing at Pendleton Lake and on the river, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing in winter. A restaurant and nature center are on site.
On the opposite side of the river, the Gentle Trail offers a shorter option: a quarter-mile paved path from a parking area to an observation deck with a higher vantage view of the falls, built for visitors who cannot manage the boardwalk's steps and grade. The park gate is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the state park website in 2026.
Davis and the neighboring town of Thomas both have small downtowns with cafes and shops, a short drive from the park entrance. Canaan Valley Resort State Park is nearby for a second stop, and Blackwater Canyon extends south of the falls for hikers looking for a longer route. This is a mountain destination, so weather shifts fast and trail conditions can turn icy or muddy outside summer.
Accessibility
Blackwater Falls State Park is accessible in part: a paved trail reaches an overlook of the falls, but the main route to the base is not. The park has not published details on designated accessible parking spaces, so plan to head for the Gentle Trail parking area on the east side of the river and ask a park employee to point out the closest spot.
The Gentle Trail itself is a quarter-mile paved path leading to an observation deck with a raised view of the falls, according to the state park's accessible-trails page. It works for wheelchairs and scooters. The main trail to the base of the falls is different: it drops about 320 feet from the falls parking lot down a graded boardwalk to a lower overlook, and is not a step-free route. Reaching the closer view of the water means managing that descent and the climb back up.
Restroom accessibility is mixed. A camper reviewing the park's campground in 2022 reported that the designated accessible bathroom was kept locked, with the key held at a maintenance building several miles away, a setup that defeats the point for anyone who cannot use the regular shower house steps. It is worth calling ahead to ask whether that has changed before you plan around it.
The park has not published information on wheelchair or scooter rentals, sign language or captioning services, sensory-friendly hours, or a service animal policy beyond West Virginia's general pet rules for state parks, so treat those as unconfirmed rather than absent. The lodge lists "accessible rooms" on the state park system's accommodations page, without detail on room layout or roll-in showers. For anything beyond the Gentle Trail, call the park office at (304) 259-5216 before you go and ask about the specific feature you need.
Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change
How we checked this
We checked these details against official information from the venue and public agencies:
- wvstateparks.com (2 details, checked 2026-08-28)
More accessible places in West Virginia
- Canaan Valley Resort State Park (Davis)
- Timberline Mountain (Davis)
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (Harpers Ferry)
- Gauley River National Recreation Area (Summersville)
- New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (Glen Jean)
- West Virginia State Museum (Charleston)
Photo credits
- Blackwater Falls tumbles over tiered rock ledges into a wide pool surrounded by forest.: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5 (source)
- Blackwater Falls tumbles over rock ledges into a pool surrounded by forest and cliffs.: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5 (source)
- A wooden viewing platform with railings overlooks a mossy waterfall at Blackwater Falls.: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (source)
- A forested gorge stretches into the distance at Blackwater Falls State Park.: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (source)
