2018 Vacation Day 10: Babcock State Park
West Virginia!
Babcock State Park started off with a lot of promise.
As soon as we stepped foot onto the parking lot, we saw this guy:
How's that for a welcoming committee?
The falls and the mill were beautiful and are considered the most photographed location in West Virginia.
After taking pictures, we made our way to a trail that boasted unique views and a swinging bridge.
[caption id="attachment_4507" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Stone steps leading down to the bridge[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4496" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Swinging bridge[/caption]
Unfortunately, due to recent rains, the trail quickly became impassible.
We decided to try another trail only to find that the road to that trail was closed. We drove through the rest of the park, hoping to see some views but nothing was well maintained.
I remembered, from trip planning research, that there was a huge bridge nearby over the New River. So we decided to try our luck there.
First stop was the Visitor's Center where we looked around a bit and picked up a map. Since everyone was hungry, we decided to grab lunch before starting down the scenic drive.
The nearby town of Fayetteville was really cute! We found a sandwich place that served gf bread. Then we popped inside a local coffee shop that also sold books. The boys found a candy/ice cream parlor and had a treat. Then we were ready to proceed.
The scenic route follows the river and has several picturesque stopping points. We drove the entire length and stopped along the way to take pictures and hike a bit. It was so fun and gorgeous!
The hike was fun. Lots of bouldering and Ben found a place to climb a rope and get up on top of the cliffs.
[caption id="attachment_4505" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
The road less traveled[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_4500" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Ben was waaaaay up there. You can just barely see his head peeking over the edge at us.[/caption]
Some of the lookouts were pretty impressive.
[caption id="attachment_4498" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Safety first![/caption]
Pedestrian bridge lower in the valley:
Funny story about this bridge. Everyone but Ben got out of the van and walked across. We'd walked across and he was stopped, for whatever reason, so we started walking back toward him.
As I saw the van getting closer, I decided to goof off. I leaned over the side, waggled my hips, and gave my best "Heeeeey baby" look. Winked my eyes, etc, etc.
Only to realize, as the van slowly came to a halt in front of me, that it. wasn't. Ben.
I came face to face with a van load of college kids for about 3 seconds before I turned and fled.
Dead.
The rest of the scenic tour was uneventful. We wound our way down the valley where we found yet another small bridge and access to the river itself. It was beautiful and so peaceful.
Despite the disappointment of Babcock, I'm glad we had the chance to visit the bridge and surrounding area. The pictures really don't do the bridge justice. It's a marvel, really.
Babcock State Park started off with a lot of promise.
As soon as we stepped foot onto the parking lot, we saw this guy:
How's that for a welcoming committee?
The falls and the mill were beautiful and are considered the most photographed location in West Virginia.
After taking pictures, we made our way to a trail that boasted unique views and a swinging bridge.[caption id="attachment_4507" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Stone steps leading down to the bridge[/caption][caption id="attachment_4496" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Swinging bridge[/caption]Unfortunately, due to recent rains, the trail quickly became impassible.
We decided to try another trail only to find that the road to that trail was closed. We drove through the rest of the park, hoping to see some views but nothing was well maintained.
I remembered, from trip planning research, that there was a huge bridge nearby over the New River. So we decided to try our luck there.
First stop was the Visitor's Center where we looked around a bit and picked up a map. Since everyone was hungry, we decided to grab lunch before starting down the scenic drive.
The nearby town of Fayetteville was really cute! We found a sandwich place that served gf bread. Then we popped inside a local coffee shop that also sold books. The boys found a candy/ice cream parlor and had a treat. Then we were ready to proceed.
The scenic route follows the river and has several picturesque stopping points. We drove the entire length and stopped along the way to take pictures and hike a bit. It was so fun and gorgeous!
The hike was fun. Lots of bouldering and Ben found a place to climb a rope and get up on top of the cliffs.[caption id="attachment_4505" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
The road less traveled[/caption][caption id="attachment_4500" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
Ben was waaaaay up there. You can just barely see his head peeking over the edge at us.[/caption]
Some of the lookouts were pretty impressive.[caption id="attachment_4498" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Safety first![/caption]Pedestrian bridge lower in the valley:
Funny story about this bridge. Everyone but Ben got out of the van and walked across. We'd walked across and he was stopped, for whatever reason, so we started walking back toward him.
As I saw the van getting closer, I decided to goof off. I leaned over the side, waggled my hips, and gave my best "Heeeeey baby" look. Winked my eyes, etc, etc.
Only to realize, as the van slowly came to a halt in front of me, that it. wasn't. Ben.
I came face to face with a van load of college kids for about 3 seconds before I turned and fled.
Dead.
The rest of the scenic tour was uneventful. We wound our way down the valley where we found yet another small bridge and access to the river itself. It was beautiful and so peaceful.
Despite the disappointment of Babcock, I'm glad we had the chance to visit the bridge and surrounding area. The pictures really don't do the bridge justice. It's a marvel, really.
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