Growing up in the Eastern Kanawha Valley, it’s hard not to love Kanawha Falls, with its draw for fishing, kayaking, and swimming within the Kanawha River. Drive just a little farther and you can take in the majestic Cathedral Falls, cascading gracefully down the mountainside. But even with growing up in this area, it took a little convincing for this beach-loving girl to attempt to take in all 43 West Virginia Waterfalls that are part of the West Virginia Waterfall Trail.
Maybe my hesitation stemmed from memories of the night I spent on a mountain with our high school youth group—when a mosquito somehow found its way into my sleeping bag. Or perhaps my resistance had more to do with the fear of walking face-first into a spider web or unexpectedly crossing paths with a snake. Whatever the reason, I was slow to embrace Larry’s love for hiking. But slowly—and most certainly—I came to love spending time in the mountains and experiencing God’s creation, even with the risk of encountering a few pesky creepy crawlies along the way.
When Larry suggested we take our hiking to a new level by signing up for the West Virginia Waterfall Tour almost two years ago, I was all in. It took a little longer than we expected to complete, but embarking on the journey right in the middle of our busy lives gave us countless opportunities to slow down and truly enjoy our life together, right here in the Mountain State.
There are so many lessons I learned along the way, but these are a few of my biggest takeaways. Embrace the lack of cell service. Chances are, you won’t have much—if any—signal on some of the trails. Plan your route before you leave, then take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy nature without the constant pull of your phone.
It’s okay to get lost. We got turned around looking for trailheads, took wrong turns on the trails, and even missed a few intended stops altogether—but that became part of the adventure and added to the fun.
Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. As is true with so much of life, beauty isn’t found only at the end. Some of the trails themselves were just as stunning as the waterfalls, and if we had rushed straight to the finish, we would have missed so much along the way.
Stop at the local restaurants. Don’t pass up on iconic spots such as the Hinton Dairy Queen or the Custard Stand where you can enjoy a cone of your favorite ice cream. Those and hundreds of other little stops around the state often became some of our sweetest memories. We will never forget some of the adventures we had over the past twenty months. No matter if it was taking turns carrying our dog, Oliver, on hikes that were much longer than he could handle, or hiking the more than eight-mile trail to the High Falls of the Cheat instead of taking the train.
Walking the snowy trail on Bethany’s campus that led us to Parkinson’s Waterfall. And even landing on my bottom in the creek, more than once. No matter what, these are memories we will hold on to for the rest of our lives.
All in all, we loved our time exploring the West Virginia Waterfall Trail and the memories we created along the way. It gave us the chance to slow down, enjoy each other, and truly savor the journey. It pushed us to travel miles of winding dirt roads, get our feet muddy, our legs tired, and our hearts full. Becoming a Waterfall Wanderer has given me a deeper appreciation for the beauty of our state—and for that, I will always be thankful. We encourage you to do the same.
