Valley Falls

Downstream several miles from the Tygart Dam, the Tygart Valley River flows through over some small, yet picturesque waterfalls. This series of falls is called Valley Falls, and is located about halfway between the towns of Grafton and Fairmont off of WV Highway 310. I got out this morning to get some photos, even though it was overcast. It was definitely very cold outside, and later in the day we got some snow, but not enough to stick to the ground.

This first shot shows the largest falls in the foreground, and another just a bit further upstream. The Tygart Valley River flows into the Monongahela River, which ends at the Ohio River, which in turn drains into the Mississippi and on to the Gulf of Mexico. This part of West Virginia is just west of the Eastern Continental Divide, which separates the drainage areas that end up in the Gulf of Mexico, primarily via the Mississippi/Missouri River System; from the water that flows eastward from the Appalachian Mountains directly into the Atlantic Ocean.


Valley Falls, WV

The next view is the same set of falls from a little further downstream.


Valley Falls, WV

You really can't top Mother Nature for arranging a scene. Sometimes, she has it laying on the ground right in front of you. This red maple leaf lying among the other colors of autumn caught my attention as I walked by.


Red Maple Leaf at Valley Falls, WV

Finally, on the way into and out of the falls area lies Rock Lake. The next scene popped out at me as I drove by, so of course, I had to stop and capture it.


Rock Lake near Valley Falls, WV