Valley Falls State Park is a 1,145-acre day-use park along both banks of the Tygart Valley River near Fairmont, West Virginia. Its central feature is Valley Falls, a half-mile stretch of cascades that marks the boundary between Marion and Taylor counties. Local tradition holds that early settler Jonathan Nixon Sr. was the first white man to see the falls. In the 19th century, a small river community developed here, and ruins of a sawmill and gristmill still remain. The area is valued for scenery and recreation, with trails, fishing, picnic areas, and kayaking, though the water at the falls is hazardous and swimming is prohibited.