Falling Spring Falls

Wayyyyy back in September of last year, I went back to West Virginia over Labor Day weekend because I actually had a long weekend(!).Ā It was a 7-hour solo drive, so I scheduled in a couple pit stops so I wouldn’t fall asleep on the road. One such pit stop was to…you guessed it–Falling Spring Falls!

I’d seen a gorgeous picture of it on a friend’s instagram and she told me it was only about an hour away from our med school. How I never knew of this, I’ll never know (well, I do know because…well, med school), but better late than never!

Falling Spring Falls in Covington, VA

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Falling Spring Falls is a gorgeous 80-foot waterfall located in Alleghany County near Covington, Virginia.Ā Stuff Route 220,Ā Covington, VA 24426 into your GPS and it should get you there!

If you’re going down 220 N, it’ll be on your left (you can’t miss it). Just be aware that if you’re heading there from Covington, you need to disregard a sign that says, “Falling Spring” that tells you to make a sharp-ish left turn. It’s full of lies and a kind gas station owner sent me back up the hill I drove down and told me keep going down 220 N for another 4-5 miles.

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If you go to the right of the sign and past the black fence, you can walk around to follow a fairly self-explanatory “trail” into the woods…

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Make sure you bring a swimsuit and towel, because there are rope swings to swing off of! :]! I did in fact bring both, but didn’t get on the rope because as per usual, I was traveling alone and my phone is not waterproof. (I could’ve left it in the car, but I wanted it for the waterfall, so…yeah.)

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Keep walking and veer to the left a bit and you’ll end up at the top of the falls!

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Thomas Jefferson apparently once wrote about this waterfall back in 1781: ā€œThe only remarkable cascade in this country is that of the Falling Spring in Augustaā€¦it falls over a rock 200 feet into the valley below.ā€

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I wanted to get a better view, so I waded out to the very edge. The water actually wasn’t very cold! It was a pretty comfortable temperature that I acclimated to almost instantly. (I came here in very early September, in case you’re wondering.)

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For the record, it’s about an 80 foot drop to the bottom, so if you are in fact wading out here, be reallyĀ careful about it! I felt like I was sitting on the edge of the world. <3

 

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For the record, it’s pretty darn difficult to take pictures when you’re perched on the ledge of an 80 foot waterfall without a waterproof camera, but…I tried to make it work!

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If I ever get to come back here, I wanna hike to the bottom of this waterfall! :] (I was in flip flops this time around, so I decided against it.)

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Falling Spring Falls in Covington, VA | fairyburger.com #waterfalls #fallingspring #covingtonva #virginia #travel

If you want to visit a couple other nearby places, Falling Spring Falls is also located near the Jackson River Trail as well as the Humpback Bridge! :]


  • Are you afraid of heights?
  • Would you sit at the edge of a waterfall?

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39 comments

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  1. Oh gosh, I’m so scared of heights. haha These are great photos though and the IDEA of sitting atop a waterfall is pretty cool.
    ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Final Girls by Mira GrantMy Profile

    1. hehehe, I was kindasorta scared I’d slip and fall up there too but thankfully, I did not!!

  2. I seriously do not give the US enough credit. There really is so much beauty in this country!

    1. There really is! :] I need to explore it all! *-*

  3. So beautiful!
    I was in this area once, but did not know about the falls, that is a bummer… Guess it just means I need to go back!!!
    Thanks for showing us this place!! Stunning!

    1. I guess that definitely means you gotta go back there someday! ;P It’s so pretty!!

  4. That’s gorgeous! Like a little oasis. I love finding hidden gems like that.

    1. Same here! :] They’re always a welcome surprise!

  5. How lovely! What a great idea for a break on a long road trip. Much better than a fast food stop!
    Coco recently posted…Yay For RainMy Profile

    1. Agreed! Definitely a lot more energizing! ;P

  6. Gorgeous! This reminds me of NC! We took our kids hiking in North Carolina last summer and they lived all of the waterfalls! It was one of their favorite trips! I must admit I got rather anxious with the kids around some of the waterfalls!

    1. North Carolina has so, so many beautiful waterfalls! I went there with my friend last year and we went to 3 different ones that were all gorgeous! (If you ever bring em’ back to NC for hikes, make sure you take them to Sliding Rock if you haven’t already! :D It’s a super fun natural waterslide!)

  7. This just looks lovely and very serene!
    Kimberly G recently posted…Benefits of Group Fitness ClassesMy Profile

    1. It was such a pretty place to stop by! :]

  8. Wow! How lovely and blue are those pools? Or do you call them lakes/rivers/I was never good at geography so I have no clue, haha!
    Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recent Things: Coffee, Pirates and Autumn ViewsMy Profile

    1. Oh wait…. you probably call them springs…

      Duhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
      Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recent Things: Coffee, Pirates and Autumn ViewsMy Profile

      1. hahaha, I never knew what the true distinction was either so you’re not alone! :P

  9. I love places like this! So beautiful and so much nature to enjoy and lose yourself in. Taking photos perched on the edge of a waterfall is even better! Great photos and post.

    1. Thank you! It was so pretty–I wish I’d known earlier that it was so close by from where I was at school!

  10. I’m not too far from this, but I had no idea it existed! I love when I find new places to explore, especially when they’re not far from home! Beautiful waterfall. I just wanna dive right in!

    1. Ooo, I hope you get to see it sometime! It was so pretty there! :]

  11. What a cool place! Sitting on a waterfall sounds so romantic, haha. Was the hike very strenuous? I really appreciated that you added a bit of history in, too. I’m definitely pinning this for later. Thanks for sharing!

    1. It wasn’t strenuous at all! :D! More like “a walk in the woods” and I wish I’d brought a towel, because the pool I found along the way looked like it would’ve been fun to swim in. *-*

    • Ashley on August 23, 2020 at 12:05 am
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    Ahh Iā€™m so afraid of heights! Thatā€™s made for an awesome photo though. Looks like a really fun hike.

    1. Oh no! I have two great friends who are also afraid of heights that I’ve unfortunately unknowingly dragged into hikes involving heights. :( Still feeling guilty about this. Yay for photos though? :D…

  12. I hope you can come to Canada at some point so I can take photos of you near waterfalls! I feel like we (your blogging friends) may have to get you a selfie stick or a waterproof phone case in the mean time.

    You did a great job though. I think Marc would get mad at me if I dangled my legs off the ledge like that. I’m glad you were okay!
    Josy A recently posted…Three Brothers Mountain ā€“ Manning ParkMy Profile

    1. Me toooo! It’d be so cool to meet you + go on hiking adventures! (This is of course assuming that the “Cheeto in office” stops being an idiot/we get a new president and get stuff under control, because it is highly doubtful [understandably] that any country’s gonna want any of us around right now. :'( )

      Thank you!! I did get talked to by concerned friends/family members about that too, heh heh heh. Glad to be okay as well! :D..

  13. What a great waterfall to visit! I’ve never heard of this place but it looks awesome!

    1. I hadn’t either! Yay for random hidden gems/IG discoveries! :P

  14. This looks really nice, what a great stop on your road trip. I always look for nice little stops like this when I have a long drive, especially when I’m on my own. That’s quite the drop too! It looks really easy to get to and doesn’t look as busy as I would have thought it would be around a long weekend. Great place to watch out for if I make it over that way

    1. Me too! I look throwing in little stops every here and there to break up the trip so it’s not a continuously longggg stretch of driving. There were a few other people there when I went, but definitely not crowded at all–always a plus! :]
      Farrah recently posted…ē‰›äø¼ (Gyudon / Japanese Beef Bowl)My Profile

  15. The views and the waterfalls look incredible. I’ve never given much thought to West Virginia, but it’s definitely on my radar now.

    1. This is super close to WV and I’m definitely with you there–I didn’t know anything about WV before I went there for school but it is an absolutely gorgeous state!

  16. Wow, I’ve driven through this area a dozen times and had no idea this waterfall was there! It looks beautiful. George Washington Natl’ Forest is one of my favorite spots in VA for hiking so I’ll have to add this to the list next time I’m there.
    Carrie recently posted…Easy hikes near Asheville NC: A localā€™s guide to the best short trailsMy Profile

    1. I wish I’d done more exploring of the national forests while I was living on the other side of the country! I hope you get to check this place out sometime! :]

  17. Wow…what a beautiful waterfall! Love the views from the top and would love to hike down to the bottom. And I love that there are rope swings…how fun!

    1. I’d love to hike down to the bottom someday too! :D Hoping to go back sometime if I get over to that part of the country again!

    • Francesca on August 25, 2020 at 6:55 pm
    • Reply

    Falling Spring Falls looks like such a fun place to relax. I would love to spend a day there.

    1. It definitely was! I’d love to go back! :]

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