Valley Falls State Park

About:

Once the site of a lumber and grist mill community, the scenic treasure of Valley Falls State Park is located only a short drive from Fairmont and Grafton. This 1,145 acre day use park hosts a variety of outdoor recreation including fishing, picnicking, kayaking, and 18 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.

The beauty of the park is enhanced by the spectacular series of foaming falls which were created by the dark, rushing waters of the Tygart Valley River and provides a boundary between Marion and Taylor counties. The prevalent rock formation known as Connoquenessing Sandstone, forms the cap of the falls over which the river plunges and swirls and appears both as ledges and huge room size boulders for over a mile down the narrow canyon floor.

Before Valley Falls became a state park, this section of the Tygart Valley River in the 1800s was a thriving railroad community and a popular recreation area. During this "boom" period, Valley Falls had a B&O Railroad Depot Station, grist mill, post office, sawmills, shops and a ferry. Between 1886 and 1888, a fire and flood swept through the community. Some repairs were made but the town never fully recovered. In 1964, the state park system acquired the falls and the surrounding land. This picturesque river gorge became Valley Falls State Park.