13 things to do this weekend (April 10th – April 12th)

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(WOWK) – Due to the current pandemic, there aren’t any events going on this weekend. So this week, we’ll be bringing you 13 different places in West Virginia that you can enjoy through videos captured by our own, Stormtracker 13 Meteorologist Joe Fitzwater!

1.) Lower Elk River

Of the 172 miles that the Elk River flows from Pocahontas to Kanawha counties, the lower portion of the Elk River between Big Chimney and Kanawha County has some of the deepest portions of the river. Nonetheless, there are still some wonderful shallow channels that make for some excellent fishing! Have you checked this area out?

2.) Beauty Mountain

Our region is among the most beautiful in the country in the fall, and there’s hardly a better place to take in the season than at Beauty Mountain in Fayette County! You can see Diamond Point off in the distance, as well as the ‘Endless Wall’ that lines the lower end of the New River near the New River Gorge. 

3.) Dunloup Creek Falls

One of the most photogenic waterfalls in our region is located along Dunloup Creek in Fayette County near the rail town of Thurmond. It’s here that Dunloup Creek cascades down a series of lopsided steps in a beautiful waterfall display! This area is especially beautiful during the fall!

4.) Grandview State Park

Grandview State Park has one of the most popular views in the entire state, a “grand view” of the New River, which spans an entire turn of a river bend. The view is even more breathtaking in the fall during foliage season, as you can experience the New River’s glimmer from several hundred feet above.

5.) Lower Falls of Hills Creek

At 63 feet, this is the second-highest waterfall in the state of West Virginia, and it sure doesn’t disappoint! Enjoy this wonderful drop as it flows along a near peak foliage backdrop in the Monongahela National Forest!

6.) Middle Falls of Hills Creek

At 45 feet tall, the Middle Falls of Hills Creek doesn’t get the credit that it deserves thanks to its brother downstream, but this beautiful waterfall surely does not disappoint!

7.) Sandstone Falls

Covering the entire width of the New River downstream, Sandstone Falls is perhaps the most spectacular set of waterfalls in the Mountain State, as water flows and roars over a river-width drop that has smoothed and eroded rock over millions of years!

8.) Coonskin Grotto

The Coonskin Grotto is a small waterfall located less than a 10-minute drive and a 10-minute walk from downtown Charleston! Its simplicity is what makes it beautiful, and the cave-like surrounding of the chute makes for a very photogenic shot and a relaxing place for lunch! 

9.) Westlake Falls

Westlake Falls, which is within viewing distance of Upper Mill Creek Falls on the Ansted Rail Trail, is the calmer cousin to the aforementioned waterfall, yet the silhouette of an old building makes for a quaint and rustic view. 

10.) Boone County Waterfalls

There are two wonderful waterfalls located within minutes of each other in Boone County! One is Drawdy Falls, which provides a couple of nice drops for you to explore, and the other, White Oak Creek Falls, is a splendid drop that has a very beautiful angle of drop, as it splashes into a deep pool.

11.) Beauty Mountain Sunset

On a frigid cold evening that had wind chills in the teens thanks to a strong breeze, the last sunset of the 2010s was captured atop Beauty Mountain in Fayette County just a few minutes before a front brought in thick clouds and eventually, some showers into the region! 

12.) Kanawha Falls

It is almost impossible to drive by US-60 in Fayette County and not be mesmerized by the massive water flows coming off of Kanawha Falls as it continues into the Kanawha River, which is formed just up river in Gauley Bridge, where the Gauley and New rivers meet!

13.) Coonskin Park Squirrels

Here’s an up-close look at a grey squirrel eating some sunflower seeds at Coonskin Park in Kanawha County! Thought it would be a cute way to end this weeks edition of 13 things to do this weekend!