For our anniversary in 2023, @lizadomuch and I spent the weekend staying in a bed and breakfast in Rowlesburg, WV, and we spent Sunday exploring Blackwater Canyon.
After we visited Blackwater Falls, Elizabeth and I stopped by one of the best overlooks called Lindy Point. We trailed the canyon and took stops at several openings.
Lindy point was beautiful but we were starting to get a little hungry. We stopped by the Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge for pork barbecue, but we were told we would have to wait about an hour and a half for the next table.
Luckily, the quiet waterfall, Elakala Falls is located down the trail beside the lodge so we took a little hike while we waited.
One interesting thing about Elakala Falls is the bridge built over the first drop. You can follow the trail atop the falls and review several dropped layers in at least four different waterfalls.
The waters at this branch of the Blackwater canyon, much like the Blackwater River, have a dark color ranging from a warm brown to an appropriately titled black. The secret to this color is tannins.
Upstream, in the Canaan Valley wetlands, the North Branch tributaries carry the hemlock and spruce particles down the river. These tannins make the water like a tea as it flows along the 34.3-mile-long (55.2km) Blackwater River.
The rivers start at 3,594 feet (1,095 m) above sea level, passes through the wetlands. After the river passes the town of Davis, it drops 62ft (19m) at Blackwater Falls and trails along another eight miles (13km) as it passes the town of Thomas. At the end of the Blackwater River, it merges with the Dry Fork to make the Black Fork in Hendricks. The elevation of Hendricks, WV is 1,690ft (520 m) above sea level. In the 34.3-mile-long (55.2m) stretch of the river, it drops 1,904ft (580.3m)
After we spent some time at the first pool under the falls, we received the message that our table was ready, so we went back to the lodge for some food.
