Blackwater Falls 2018 Winter Update
The river stopped in its tracks
As you know by now, Blackwater Falls State Park is just a few miles from our cabin rentals at Golden Anchor Cabins. Blackwater Falls is one of the most beautiful places in the state, especially in the winter. Well when we woke up this morning, it was 10 degrees below. The first thing on our minds was “What would the falls look like?” We decided to see the nearly-frozen-over Blackwater Falls for ourselves. It was a slippery, cold trip down to the falls but totally worth it!
A quick camera lesson
The photos I captured prove that your best camera is the one you have with you. Rather than pack my kit, I opted for just taking a few pictures with my Note 8. I have to say that I’m very pleased with the quality of that phone’s little camera. I’m so glad that I brought it with me!
A word of warning
If you plan to go to the Blackwater Falls overlook during the winter months you need to be careful. The park doesn’t do any kind of snow removal so whatever is on the trail is what you’re going to encounter. Take the paved trail that begins at the gift shop. Avoid the more popular step entrance. They frequently turn to solid ice and become treacherous. Once you get to the park’s open area with the big rock in the center you may hit a snag. The park will occasionally block the entrance at this point if the steps get too dangerous. Obviously from these pictures you can see that we jumped the “do not pass” signs. I’ll tell you now that while it was really cool down there, it was seriously scary. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do that unless they had proper ice walking shoes/equipment.
Our Pit Stop at Trailhead Coffee Shop
After we trekked down to Blackwater Falls last weekend we decided we needed to warm up in style. Luckily, Davis has a new hang out called Trailhead Coffee Shop. They’re doing organic coffee, teas, chocolates plus muffins and the like. We opted for their hot chocolate. Let me just say BEST EVER! No mixes here. We watched her from start to finish make these babies from scratch.
Next time you’re in Tucker County stop by and try some of their tasty treats!
Original post from 2015
Blackwater Falls in the Winter
Blackwater Falls State Park has lots to offer no matter what time of year it is. Our family took an afternoon and traveled 13 miles north on Rt 32 through Davis to the park to see what the falls looks like in the winter. As you can see from the pictures, we chose a day where the conditions were especially snowy. The park does not seem to keep the path cleared so be prepared for very careful stepping as you weave your way down the paths and staircases to the observation deck. While the falls are amazing any time of year, in our opinion the snow and ice buildup around the raging waterfall make this natural wonder that much more impressive.
We found each vantage point better than the last on the path. On our way back up to our cars we discovered the park’s access road that runs from the highest lookout point to the parking lot. Given the weather conditions, this was a much safer option and was just as pretty as the pedestrian path. A brief stop at the park’s gift shop where we purchased a few puzzles of local destinations (now available for your assembly in our cabins) capped off our excursion. This is a must-see!
-Daniel
