Babcock State Park
Perhaps the most photogenic state park in the United States (after Niagara Falls), the Glad Creek Grist Mill looks like it was plucked straight from a storybook. The wood sided mill, the stone abutments of the bridge over the creek, the rusted water wheel, and the burbling rapids make it nearly impossible to take a bad picture. Merely 100ft away is a set of cascading waterfalls. Besides being your typical state park with camping, fishing, hiking, and boating, there isn’t a lot to do here, besides enjoy the sights of the mill and Glade Creek. The park itself isn’t necessarily worth a trip to (Nearest city is Charleston, WV, 67miles away) but a myriad of attractions along the way make this a great addition to a Saturday getaway.
SCENIC DRIVE
US-60 runs right along the scenic New River nearly fifty miles from Charleston to Ansted, passing a number of quaint West Virginian towns. The winding country road is flanked by the river on one side and a lush forest on the other, all framed by the tapered New River Gorge. One mile South-East of Gauley Bridge is Cathedral Falls, a delicate 60ft cascade that glides into a natural amphitheater right along the road. Take this drive in the fall to experience the mind-blowing colors of changing leaves.
NEW RIVER GORGE BRIDGE
Right as US-60 leaves the meandering bank of the New River, the walls of the New River Gorge steepen drastically. Seven miles South-West of Hico, WV, the New River Gorge Bridge spans this enormous chasm. Built in 1977, at 1700ft long it was the longest arch bridge in the world for twenty-six years. It is the second highest vehicular bridge in the United States, towering 876ft. above the river. Local weather conditions often produce a thick layer of fog that sits in the valley below, enhancing the dramatic height of the bridge. A visitor’s center and gift shop offers a variety of views of the bridge and gorge as well as information and history of the bridge and area. A winding one lane road leads from the visitor’s center to the river below via a number of switchbacks, taking you under the bridge multiple times. At the river level you cross the rustic one lane Fayette Station Bridge, with the New River Gorge Bridge soaring nearly 900 ft over your shoulder, before you weave your way back up the other side of the gorge. The bridge is a popular destination for BASE jumpers, and is on the West Virginia state quarter.
