Blackwater Falls
Blackwater Canyon, West Virginia · 2,980 ft
A 57-foot curtain of tannin-stained water drops over sandstone with hemlock and birch closing both canyon walls. The lower deck stands level with the plunge pool, so the falls fill the frame with canyon color stacked behind them.
Typical peak
Oct 8 – Oct 16
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Classic view faces N (350°)
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Turn off WV 32 in Davis onto Blackwater Falls Road, park at the Trading Post lot, and take the boardwalk and roughly 200 steps down to the lower deck.
What turns here
- eastern hemlock
- red maple
- yellow birch
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 12Typical color progression for Blackwater Falls. No change from Sep 4 to Sep 21. First color from Sep 21 to Sep 30. Approaching peak from Sep 30 to Oct 8. Peak from Oct 8 to Oct 16. Past peak from Oct 16 to Oct 26. Bare from Oct 26 to Nov 9.
Color starts around Sep 21.
Light at peak
Blackwater Falls on October 12, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:57 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 7:24 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 8:00 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:04 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:08 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 261° | 6:44 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:11 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 20m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Both ends of the day: side-lit
Side light. Best for texture and depth across a ridge, and the safest bet for contrast.
Based on the classic composition here facing N (350°).
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.