Kid-friendly adventures abound in the Mountain State, and hiking is certainly at the top of the list for making sure the kiddos are all tuckered out at the end of the day. The following waterfall hike just may succeed in having the same effect upon everyone in the family. It’s filled with the sights and sounds of three major waterfalls – and more stairs than you’ll care to count; but the waterfalls found along this trail are definitely worth it!
The Falls of Hills Creek trail is located in the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, several winding miles to the southeast of North Bend and approximately an hour north of Lewisburg.
From the parking area on Hills Creek Falls Road (just off the Highland Scenic Highway and near Hillsboro), the trail travels into the woods for just under a mile each way. It's filled with gorgeous scenery and includes footbridges, boardwalks, and — steps. Lots of stairs.
The second falls, called Middle Falls, is a magnificent sight. Water spills 45 feet over the stacked rocks and right by the observation deck. The view (and the sound!) is absolutely mesmerizing!
And if you happen to take this trail in the winter... the frozen Falls of Hills Creek are spellbinding. This is the same second waterfall as seen above... and it looks completely different.
The trail is well-maintained, and while some people do choose to tackle the boardwalks and the stairs in the wintertime, we advise using extra caution, especially with small children.
Outside of a recent snowfall, the stairs are easy to navigate and the trail is well maintained. If you have bad knees, you'll want to bring hiking sticks. And in every case, you'll want to take your time going back up and bring a bottle of water.
The trail is also found inside the Monongahela National Forest. This accounts for the great maintenance and the wonderful condition of the stairs, boardwalks, and observation decks. An information kiosk about the trail is found at the trail head. You may want to snap a photo so you can refer to the image to know what sights are ahead as you hike.
This kid-friendly trail in the mountains of West Virginia is perfect for the entire family and features three incredible waterfalls ranging from 25-feet to 63-feet high.
Have you hiked on the Falls of Hills Creek trail yet? We’d love to know! If not, then here’s a Google Maps link to the parking area and the trailhead located just off the Highlands Scenic Highway. Learn more from this link at alltrails.com.
