Elakala Falls Trail

The Elakala Falls Trail descends steeply into the Shays Run canyon to reveal a series of four cascading waterfalls whose intimate scale, tannic-stained water, and canyon setting make them among the most artistically photographed waterfalls in West Virginia. The trail drops quickly via switchbacks and wooden steps into the narrow Shays Run gorge, where the canyon walls are draped in dense rhododendron and the air temperature drops noticeably as you descend below the plateau rim. The name Elakala comes from a Delaware Native American word attributed to one of the original park's early promotional materials, and the falls themselves cascade through a series of closely-spaced drops over Pottsville sandstone ledges that have been sculpted into smooth channels and plunge pools by the constant flow of Shays Run. The water's distinctive dark color comes from tannic acid leached from the extensive Sphagnum moss bogs and decaying organic matter in the Shays Run watershed above the falls, giving the cascades a richly toned quality that makes them exceptionally photogenic at any time of year. The second and third falls are reached by scrambling carefully along the canyon floor, where the walls close in to create a dramatic narrow chute. Winter ice formations build around the falls from December through February, when the spray zone creates elaborate ice columns and frozen curtains that draw photographers willing to navigate icy trails. Lichens and mosses color every available rock surface in the permanent spray zone.