Autumn unveils its true colors in October

Embrace our unparalleled small-town charm and untouched wilderness brimming with tranquility this October. Take in vibrant hues and experience an unforgettable mountain getaway in Tucker County. To make this your very best fall ever, we are going to lay out the when’s and where’s, as well as how’s, to see fall in prime color.

The first order of business is a review of Tucker County’s extensive peak color timeline.  Because of the county’s extreme change in elevation from 1,650 feet to 4,440 feet, prime colors can be viewed for three solid weeks.  Beginning October 1 in Dolly Sods Wilderness and ending late October along the Cheat River Valley around Parsons, WV.

BEST OF THE BEST

Fall color surrounds Tucker County with abundant forests, quintessential farms, and inescapable river valleys.  But where is the best of the best?

Bear Rocks Nature Preserve is located off Forest Service Road 75 next to Dolly Sods Wilderness.  Not only is the view remarkable to the east with epic sunrises’, but this is also where you come to see fields of low shrub brush set afire in crimson red.  From this location hike Blackbird Knob Trail for a genuine wilderness experience typically found in Canada.  Peak color:  Sept 29 – Oct. 7

Canaan Valley is surrounded by 1,000 ft. mountain sides and at 25,000 acres, the largest valley floor of its kind east of the Mississippi River, is chalk full of fun and beauty.  Explore the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuges extensive trail system form the Beall Track Trailhead.  View fall color unobscured from the seat of a scenic chairlift ride or manicured fairway golfing at Canaan Valley Resort State Park.  Peak color:  Oct. 3 – 10

Thomas, Davis, and Blackwater Falls State Park can all be lumped together as peak colors make their way down mountain.  Spend the day exploring small mountain towns while taking in the sights sounds of Blackwater Falls only a few miles away, as water rushes over the face of West Virginia most famous waterfall.  Peak color:  Oct. 5 – 12

The show wraps up with an interesting twist, fall color linger within the Blackwater Canyon because of its protected landscape holding on to warm weather.  Lindy Point in Blackwater Falls State Park is THE place to see amazing sunsets and the last of upper-Tucker County’s peak.  Finally, autumn color arrives all around Parsons, the Cheat River Valley, and particularly Otter Creek Wilderness.  The very best in backcountry hiking is complimented by one of the state’s best trout streams, Otter Creek.  Peak Color Oct. 8 – Oct. 18