"This scenic 20-foot cascade can be found where Shays Run drops off Canaan Mountain into the canyon of the Blackwater River. Here, a short trail leads from Blackwater Falls State Park lodge to a bridge over Shays Run just above Elakala Falls. The path then curves down along Shays Run, where a user-created track takes you to the bottom of this fall. Elakala Falls will always play a secondary role to Blackwater Falls here at Blackwater Falls State Park. However, this cataract on Shays Run is a fine sight to see and can be easily tacked onto your waterfall adventure if coming to see Blackwater Falls. Though of much lesser flow, Elakala Falls makes a scenic drop while diving over a shelf into a pool bordered by sharp-edged rocks and broken-o ff layers of stone strata. When looking up at the falls, you see the hiker bridge above the precipice of Elakala Falls. This is one of but four falls stretched out along Shays Run as it courses into the Blackwater River Canyon." Read more

"The first rule of real estate is location, location, location—and Blackwater Falls State Park is hard to beat in that department. Its centerpiece is the state’s most well- known cascade, Blackwater Falls, and the 1,000-foot-deep Blackwater River Canyon. To the south spreads the rest of the Canaan Valley, an alpine valley that’s home to vast freshwater wetlands and boreal forest plant and animal communities more commonly found in Canada. This loop hike allows you to experience a little bit of everything the area has to offer: upland hardwoods and lush marshy bogs in addition to views of the Falls of Elakala, Balanced Rock, and Blackwater Canyon. At the end of the day, there are nearby lodging, food, and drinking options to satisfy the tastes of everyone from the devoted penny-pincher to the comfort seeker." Read more