Elakala Falls

Elakala Falls is a series of four waterfalls on Shays Run where it descends into Blackwater Canyon in Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia. The first and best known cascade is the most accessible, dropping 35 feet and drawing many visitors and photographers from the Elakala Trail and bridge above it. The lower falls become increasingly difficult to reach: the second is smaller but still approachable, the third is the tallest, and the fourth is considered dangerous to access. Because the gorge here is deep and unmarked beyond the second falls, the lower route is generally suited only to experienced hikers. The name is associated with local folklore in more than one unverified form.

West Virginia · United States