From the Visitor Center, turn right out of the parking lot and drive two-tenths of a mile. Yet, I’d wager that in a year’s time only a couple dozen ever see the falls up close. It’s quite a sight one I’m sure thousands of travelers have viewed from afar. The waterfall seems to leap out of the gorge.
It’s on the right-hand side about halfway down the canyon. When the leaves are off and the water is high, such as in springtime, the Middle Falls of Fern Creek can be spotted by those traveling north across the New River Bridge. 19, and stop at the NPS Canyon Rim Visitor Center. From the Kaymoor Trailhead, return to Fayetteville, cross the New River Gorge Bridge on U.S. The next two waterfalls, the Upper and Middle Falls of Fern Creek, lie on the opposite side of the gorge.
Linger as long as you please, for it’s only a half-mile hike back to the parking lot.
#DRY CREEK FALLS HIDDEN WATER FALLS SERIES#
Above the crossing, Butcher Branch rolls down a steep, irregular, rock face in a series of picturesque cascades and drops that are well worth a photograph or two. After several switchbacks that descend the cliff and a brief walk through the woods, the trail crosses Butcher Branch. It leads to rock climbing areas beyond Butcher Branch. The right fork is labeled “Climber Access.” Unlike the way to Craig Branch, this is a trail. The Butcher Branch Trail continues on the left fork and in a quarter mile connects to the NPS Long Point Trail. After a switchback or two, the trail forks. The trail runs along the top of the cliffs for a bit before gradually descending into a notch in the cliffs cut by Butcher Branch. From the Kaymoor Top Trailhead, take the Butcher Branch Trail. Though you don’t have to bushwhack to it, I consider the lovely Upper Falls of Butcher Branch to be off the beaten path because it receives little or no mention in tourist guides, maps in print or on the web, or in NPS literature. Opposite the Craig Branch Trail at the far end of the Kaymoor Top parking lot lies another pathway to discovery–the NPS Butcher Branch Trail. Regardless of the difficulty of the journey, seeing the waterfall will lift your spirits. After a few more rocky traverses, you’ll find yourself perched overlooking Upper Craig Branch Falls. The cliffs are unmistakable landmarks pointing the way both forward and back.Īlong the way, you’ll be rewarded with dazzling displays of the Endless Wall, a massive, vertical overhanging cliff of sandstone more than 120 feet high that rims the gorge for many miles upstream and down. Despite some hazards, you need not fear getting lost. When picking your way through these difficult stretches, the chief rule of thumb is “hug the cliffs.” Even if staying close to the cliff means more ups and downs, resist the temptation to strike out on the level across boulder fields. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a rock climber to hike them, but these cliff-hugging trails do demand that you watch your step and keep your wits. Forged by climbers who come to scale the awesome sandstone cliffs of the New River Gorge, there are many such unmarked paths running along the base of the cliffs. As you venture on this course, you truly step off the beaten path and commit yourself to the rugged realm of rock climbers. On this stretch of the trail look for a faintly worn but distinguishable path to the right that crosses the little creek and heads toward the nearby cliffs. As you turn to head directly downhill on some rock steps, you’ll parallel a small stream. The tallest in the New River Gorge, Craig Branch can be reached from Kaymoor Miners Trail. Water wonderland: Butcher Branch Falls is one of many waterfalls nestled in the New River Gorge. Here are five of my favorites, all concentrated within a one-mile radius of the National Park Service (NPS) Trailhead at Kaymoor Top near Fayetteville, and just a mile southeast of the world famous New River Gorge Bridge.
These out-of-the-way waterfalls of the New River Gorge are hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered and admired. This experience confirmed what I have learned over the last 26 years of living in southern West Virginia: when exploring the New River Gorge, both adventure and discovery come standard with every foray off the beaten path. What’s more, this waterfall, rivaling the height of any waterfall in West Virginia and, to be sure, the tallest in the New River Gorge, was not on any trail map. Finally I was face-to-face with a stream of water taking a 70-foot leap off the top ledge of the New River Gorge.
I hugged the cliffs that towered above us, and with each step, the roar of water grew louder. I was accustomed to hiking off-trail along the base of the cliffs that rim the New River Gorge, but this stretch of cliff-line was more than I bargained for. Worn, ragged, a bit bruised, I had just struggled for two hours to cover a mere half-mile.
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