West Virginia Photography

Last Light
Wildwood
Lighting The Path
West Virginia's Grist Mill
Elkala Falls
Field of Red
Mist on the Mountain
Dusk At Lindy Point
Morning Glory
Mountain Overlook At Dolly Sods
Spruce Knob Mist
Sunrise At Bear Rocks
Herns Mill  Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge at Herns Mill
Then Comes The Night
The River Guide
Coopers Rock
Glow
The Farmstead
Autumn Mountain
First Light on Shavers Fork
The Grist Mill at Babcock
The Endless Wall At New River Gorge
Mineral Wells Frost
Red Spruce At Bear Rocks
Babcock In Autumn
Snowbound at Audra
The Mountains Beyond
Blackwater Falls
Standing Alone
Winter Red
Whisper
Appalachian Blue
Whispers of  Cottongrass
Day Is Done
Douglas Falls’ Glowing Rocks
Gaining Character With Age
Elkala Icicles
Glade Creek Grist Mill
Elkala’s Mossy Steps
Indian Tree
Pendleton Point Overlook
Soaring
South Branch of the Potomac
Stillness In The Storm
West Virginia Capitol
Winter on Cheat Mountain
Woodland Gold
Winter on Shays Run
Barn at Edray
Bear Rocks Preserve
Cranberry Bog
Crawdad At Tea Creek
Last Light

Last Light

Blueberry bushes and cranberry bogs catch the last glimpse of sunlight as it sets over Bear Rocks Nature Preserve in West Virginia. This preserve was once timbered clean and then caught fire which burnt to the bedrock. Only the toughest plants and trees learned to grow here. As they encounter turbulent winds daily spruce trees tend to lean with the wind and grow needles on the side away from the wind streams. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Categories: West Virginia Photography, Dolly Sods Photography, Bear Rocks Photography

Wildwood

Wildwood

“Enjoy your journey while heading to your destination” proved to be wise advice as we climbed up to the rim of the Eastern Continental Divide. Around 3,000 feet we became mesmerized by the fog, glow of sunlight and never ending wildwoods. The fog became so thick it seemed to drizzle rain as we were within the clouds. Traveling downward was more of a challenge during this night as our flashlights barely made out the path back to civilization. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Lighting The Path

Lighting The Path

On this particularly cloudy day, about every 30 minutes, just a bit of sunlight would filter through the canopy of trees at Red Spruce Knob sprinkling the path with gold as we composed our shots and patiently waited for some brief light to appear. The wait was well worth our efforts. West Virginia Scenic Byway, Pocahontas County West Virginia Photography. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack's Juried Exhibition Natural Wonders of West Virginia; Juried Allied Artists of West Virginia Annual Show

West Virginia's Grist Mill

West Virginia's Grist Mill

Nothing is more iconic fall in West Virginia than the Glade Creek Grist Mill nestled between towering mountains at Babcock State Park. This rustic mill is still operational certain weekends during the year. It is always a challenge to get fall photos with a nice amount of water flower over the rocks.

Elkala Falls

Elkala Falls

This is the first of several descending falls down Shays Run along the Elkala Trail in Tucker County, West Virginia. On top of the upper falls you may view the first drop from the bridge which crosses over Elkala. From there downward it gets much more treacherous as Shays Run tumbles three more times over extremely rugged terrain into the Blackwater River Gorge. We recommend this excursion for the most agile footed and experienced hikers. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Field of Red

Field of Red

Tundra-like windswept open meadows at Nature Conservancy's Bear Rocks Preserve in West Virginia have subalpine heath barrens of blueberry, cranberry, huckleberry, rose azalea, and rosebay rhododendron. Fall weather brightens this regions’ glowing red fields of color against formations of white sandstone and quartz. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition Color Wheel; WV Art & Craft Guild’s Juried 10th Annual Show; PAC Annual Regional; Cover WV Medical Journal

Mist on the Mountain

Mist on the Mountain

You never know what kind of weather you will get on the Dolly Sods mountains, this mist rolled in, softening the evening light and obscuring the path in the distance. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest.

Dusk At Lindy Point

Dusk At Lindy Point

Lindy Point overlooks the rugged Blackwater River Canyon. Enthusiasts enjoy waterfalls, hiking and biking trails, and Class IV - VI kayaking for the brave at heart. This shot was captured after a sprint down the hiking path with fading hopes of catching some sunset. Blackwater State Park, West Virginia. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition Emerging Artists

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

The sun rises and casts its warm golden light over the distant mountains of the Eastern Continental Divide. From our vantage point on the white sandstone and quartz cliffs of Bear Rocks Nature Preserve, we captured the untouched beauty of this spot of West Virginia wilderness.

Mountain Overlook At Dolly Sods

Mountain Overlook at Dolly Sods

West Virginia's Dolly Sods Wilderness provides one of the most unique views in West Virginia and is the highest plateau of its type east of the Mississippi River with an altitude ranging from around 4,000 feet. Views across the tundra-like windswept open meadows in the northern section of Dolly Sods are reminiscent of Alaskan landscapes. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Spruce Knob Mist

Spruce Knob Mist

Spruce Knob, West Virginia. At the highest point in West Virginia we often found extreme weather conditions from a pouring rain to a cool misty fog that shrouded the distant mountains from view. Spruce trees here tend to grow towards one side due to the steady wind conditions present at this elevation. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: PAC Annual Regional Show

Sunrise At Bear Rocks

Sunrise At Bear Rocks

Nature Conservancy's Bear Rocks Preserve is a remarkably scenic, windswept summit atop one of West Virginia’s highest mountains. It is perched on a ridge of white sandstone and quartz cliffs and is a rock outcropping on the Allegheny Front with a 2,000 to 3,000-foot drop below that forms the Eastern Continental Divide. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Annual Open Juried Exhibition The Best of West Virginia

Herns Mill  Covered Bridge

Herns Mill Covered Bridge

The Herns Mill Bridge is located near Lewisburg, WV in Greenbrier County. Built in 1884, this rustic covered bridge crosses Milligans Creek and is still in use today. It is fifty-four feet long and features queen post trusses, board-and-batten siding, and a galvanized metal sheeting roof.

Covered Bridge at Herns Mill

Covered Bridge at Herns Mill

The Herns Mill Bridge is located near Lewisburg, WV in Greenbrier County. Built in 1884, this rustic covered bridge crosses Milligans Creek and is still in use today. It is fifty-four feet long and features queen post trusses, board-and-batten siding, and a galvanized metal sheeting roof.

Then Comes The Night

Then Comes The Night

As sun sets the last vivid colors soften and fade, like a final gentle breath as the sun slips away. The day transitions to dark. A quiet settles on the Sods, and we marvel at the passing of another beautiful day. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest. It is known for expanses of sphagnum bog, heath shrubs and stunted red spruce.

The River Guide

The River Guide

On a beautiful October day, we came across this unusually placed rock cairn in the middle of a remote area of the Cheat River in West Virginia. The builders would have had to wade into the cold mountain stream and select rocks from its bed to mark their trail. It made an interesting foreground view for our photo of this popular fly fishing river during that colorful fall afternoon.

Categories: West Virginia Photography, Cheat River Photography

Coopers Rock

Coopers Rock

This magnificent overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest near Morgantown, WV, was named after an outlaw who hid from authorities in the area for many years. A cooper by trade, he continued making barrels at his new mountain hideout, selling them to people in nearby communities. These rock cliffs overlook the Cheat River Gorge as it winds through the mountains in Monongalia County.

Glow

Glow

Fall is always a beautiful time on top of the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia. The sun sings its final hurrah as it paints the sky, the distant mountains, and the field of wild blueberry bushes with a warm glow. What a breathtaking sight! View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

The Farmstead

The Farmstead

Those days when grandma held dinner a bit longer because grandpa was still in the field or finishing up a fix on the tractor will long be remembered. Farmsteads which remain are icons of their communities and reminders of what may be known as “simpler times.” Then a family was all that mattered as they worked hard together to produce enough to meet their needs.

Autumn Mountain

Autumn Mountain

The coming of Autumn at Dolly Sods brings wild blueberry and huckleberry bushes alive with color, becoming more vibrant when backlit by the beautiful pallet of sunset. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest. It is known for expanses of sphagnum bog, heath shrubs and stunted red spruce.

First Light on Shavers Fork

First Light on Shavers Fork

Shavers Fork of the Cheat River is situated in the mountains of eastern West Virginia. Its upper reaches are the highest river in the eastern United States. Shavers Fork is well known throughout the region for its excellent fishing and beautiful surroundings. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

The Grist Mill at Babcock

The Grist Mill at Babcock

Babcock State Park, located in southern West Virginia, boasts this beautiful working grist mill nestled between the rugged Appalachian mountains. It is powered by Glade Creek, which is sometimes a roaring stream and other times a peaceful reflecting pool.

The Endless Wall At New River Gorge

The Endless Wall At New River Gorge

A hike out The Endless Wall trail at the New River Gorge is full of jutting rock outcrops and scenic vantage points of the New River almost 1,000 feet below. The New River Gorge steel arch bridge, one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world, spans the mountains in the distance. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Mineral Wells Frost

Mineral Wells Frost

West Virginia barn. This unique hoar frost covered everything during the night but lasted for only a few morning hours. We quickly scurried around the area capturing the sparkling ice crystals in the misty morning light. This is one of Becky’s favorites as it depicts her childhood walk to elementary school. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Wonderful West Virginia Magazine; Cover WV Medical Journal

Red Spruce At Bear Rocks

Red Spruce At Bear Rocks

Known for its open expanses of sphagnum bog, heath shrubs and stunted red spruce, Bear Rocks Preserve creates impressions of areas much farther north than its location in eastern West Virginia. Fall is especially colorful with blueberry bushes, cranberries and huckleberries showing their glowing beauty. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Babcock In Autumn

Babcock In Autumn

This site is the most photographed scene in West Virginia, and with good reason. The Glade Creek Grist Mill, framed by autumn color is reflected in the still pool of Glade Creek that flows below. The grist mill operates during certain hours each day and you may watch them grind corn meal and buckwheat flour.

Snowbound at Audra

Snowbound at Audra

A heavy, wet snowfall coated the trees in a blanket of white along the banks of the Middle Fork River at Audra State Park, West Virginia. We were blessed to capture this scene, for within a half hour of the sun appearing, the snow melted off trees and fell like snowballs raining. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition Natural Wonders of West Virginia; Featured gallery Wonderful West Virginia Magazine; Cover WV Medical Journal

The Mountains Beyond

The Mountains Beyond

As you stand on Bear Rocks and take in the scenes of the vast fields strewn with rock, hearty laurel and berry bushes, swaying pines, and mountains rising in the distance. The sun beckons you to follow as it dips below the horizon inviting you to see the what wonders lie beyond. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest.

Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls

The Blackwater River in West Virginia makes a spectacular 62 foot drop at Blackwater Falls. We have tried to find this view again for years but trees have grown and made it no longer available. The falls launch the river into the rugged canyon for some of America’s best Class IV - VI kayaking rides. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Juried back cover We Live Here: Music of Tucker County, West Virginia

Standing Alone

Standing Alone

As we hiked through the fields of The Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia, this craggy old tree captured our eye as it stood out in the meadow of vibrant ferns. It was so misty that day, it felt like we were encased in a beautiful, silent snow globe. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

**Honors: **Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition Emerging Artists; PAC Annual Regional Show

Winter Red

Winter Red

West Virginia barn. This beautiful old red barn stood out as a beacon of color on a winter white day. We captured this shot roaming the snowy backroads near Parkersburg, West Virginia. We have noticed that the number of old barns is diminishing rapidly. They fall down and are not replaced, or are now being sided with aluminum which doesn’t have the character of wood. Many of the barns we have shot over the years now only exist in our prints or in our memories. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Whisper

Whisper

Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia. When the fog settles this thick, everything is muted — the colors, the scents, the sounds. The world around us is blanketed in such a peaceful mist that we don’t want to disturb it with words, and so, we whisper. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Appalachian Blue

Appalachian Blue

Overlapping hues of blue soften the distant mountains as dusk transitions to night at the Bear Rocks Preserve in Tucker County, West Virginia. On evenings after sunset, we tend to wait much longer to see how the sky transforms into night. If we are lucky, the glow which develops makes the wait worthwhile. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition Our Appalachia

Whispers of  Cottongrass

Whispers of Cottongrass

Cottongrass may be found near wetlands of Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, West Virginia. These acid bog habitats are vibrant with color from ferns, berries, and changing leaves beginning in the late summer and staying through the fall. Tufts of cottongrass seed heads speckle the area. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition West Virginia Wildflowers; Featured gallery Wonderful West Virginia Magazine

Day Is Done

Day Is Done

Sunset settles on this farm near Lewisburg, West Virginia signaling the end of the workday. The animals have been fed and bedded down, the fields tended and harvest gathered. Now is the quiet time — time for thanking God for all his many blessings. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Douglas Falls’ Glowing Rocks

Douglas Falls’ Glowing Rocks

Douglas Falls is located near Thomas, West Virginia. The North Fork of the Blackwater River flows over the falls and the rocks are a vivid shade of burnt orange due to runoff from old mines and coke ovens. Depending on recent rainfall, the rocks may be easily crossed or may not be visible due to the turbulence of raging rapids. Railroad ties line the bank where the Davis Coal & Coke Co. trains accessed the mine and tipple at the now abandoned town of Coketon. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Gaining Character With Age

Gaining Character With Age

Amongst ourselves we refer to this region of the Dolly Sods Wilderness of West Virginia as “The Boneyard.“ In contrast to the vibrant colors of the blueberry bushes, cinnamon fern and cranberries that sparkle the area during fall, this family of like trees display unique remnants of once proud limbs and towering statures now with bleached age. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Elkala Icicles

Elkala Icicles

This first fall of Elkala Falls on Shays Run is located in the Blackwater Falls State Park of West Virginia. Venturing down the steep bank to get to the base of Elkala Falls was a very slow team effort over icy rocks with no clues what might be under our boots. Being very cold, -2° with a -18° wind chill, the falls were almost frozen over to match our fingers on shutters. The icicles on the right are not part of the falls so we were amazed that the natural forest run-off created such huge icicles. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Glade Creek Grist Mill

Glade Creek Grist Mill

The perfect blend of natural beauty and man-made architecture makes this mill in Babcock State Park, West Virginia one of the most spectacular sites in the state and most photographed in the world. Constructed from parts of three original mills, this fully operational structure was completed in 1976. The mill daily grinds and sells fresh cornmeal and buckwheat flour to visitors. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Elkala’s Mossy Steps

Elkala’s Mossy Steps

This is the second falls on Shays Run, often referred to as Elkala Falls #2, located in the Blackwater Falls State Park of West Virginia. The dense canopy overhead creates a shaded retreat full of ferns and vivid green moss which lines cascading steps. Water trickles and then plummets down to the Blackwater Canyon — a flow which begins with a sheer drop off Elkala #3 just below these peaceful steps and rages hundreds of bushwhacking feet below into The Blackwater River.

Indian Tree

Indian Tree

Indians once gathered nuts and berries as they roamed the region which is now the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia. That was long before the Europeans came, timbered, and burned the area. Now a restored wilderness, scenes like this lone tree at sunset, bring to mind the Indian heritage of this area. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Pendleton Point Overlook

Pendleton Point Overlook

Located in the Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia, Pendleton Point Overlook gives you spectacular views of the Blackwater Canyon at its deepest and widest part. On this day, the sun was playing peek-a-boo with us during heavy cloud cover. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Soaring

Soaring

Beautiful Lindy Point, with its trademark rock formations, overlooks the rugged Blackwater River Canyon in West Virginia’s Blackwater Falls State Park. Lindy Point features several rock outcroppings which makes it a wonderful final destination after traversing the spruce forests and craggy roots one must hike to arrive here. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

South Branch of the Potomac

South Branch of the Potomac

Well known for its fishing, this part of the South Branch of the Potomac River lies within the Smoke Hole Canyon in Grant County, West Virginia. The river offers excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, some largemouth bass, trout (rainbow, brook, brown and golden rainbow), channel catfish, eels and carp. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Stillness In The Storm

Stillness In The Storm

About 16 inches of snow fell this day while we were at the Blackwater Falls State Park, located in Davis, Tucker County, West Virginia. In the midst of the storm, we ventured down the Elkala Trail. The woods blocked the extreme wind and heavy snowfall and we found ourselves at this serene spot just below Elkala Falls. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

West Virginia Capitol

West Virginia Capitol

Stonewall Jackson‘s regal silhouette is set against the backdrop of the gold dome of West Virginia‘s state capitol in Charleston, WV. June 20, 2013 marked the state’s 150th Sesquicentennial birthday since it began as a state in 1863 during the Civil War. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Winter on Cheat Mountain

Winter on Cheat Mountain

This spectacular view from the top of Cheat Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, shows a winter wonderland. These forests were shot just after a winter storm. Cheat Mountain receives an average of 180 inches (457 cm) of snowfall each winter and is the home of Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Feature Cover Southern Living Magazine, Cover WV Medical Journal

Woodland Gold

Woodland Gold

We wandered into these woods at Canaan Valley, West Virginia which is the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains. The lighting was perfect, and the forest’s ferns glowed in the afternoon sunlight. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Winter on Shays Run

Winter on Shays Run

During a blizzard, Shays Run was freezing just above the first cascade of Elkala Falls outside of Davis, WV. On this handicap accessible trail beside the Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge, the stream drops steeply over several cascades just below this peaceful spot to the Blackwater Canyon and its raging waters. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Barn at Edray

Barn at Edray

After a day of searching for scenic shots in the mountains, this West Virginia meadow appeared just before we entered Edray, WV. The barn from a previous era was the perfect background for such vibrant colors. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Tamarack’s Juried Exhibition West Virginia Wildflowers

Bear Rocks Preserve

Bear Rocks Preserve

Bear Rocks Preserve in West Virginia has stunted red spruce which are trying to make a tortured comeback here and there in the wind and cold heath barrens (also called “huckleberry plains” or “roaring plains”) which give way to natural balds of mountain oat grass that predate the devastation wrought by logging and fires during the late 19th century. Bear Rocks Preserve is part of the Dolly Sods Wilderness. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Cranberry Bog

Cranberry Bog

Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia. Sometimes sloshing our way through the bogs really pays off! While capturing this photo of the bright red blueberry and huckleberry bushes in The Dolly Sods wilderness, we happened to look down and see red berries littering the moss covered bog at our feet — our first encounter with wild cranberries. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Crawdad At Tea Creek

Crawdad At Tea Creek

We had focused on the brightly colored leaf and mossy rock, when to our surprise, there was some movement below the water - a crawdad. Located in West Virginia‘s Monongahela National Forest‘s mountainous terrain, Tea Creek is so named for its unique tea-stained color. View OPTIONS to see framing options and the location of the hidden state.

Honors: Wonderful West Virginia Magazine cover

West Virginia Photography

As West Virginia photographers, we love to travel our home state capturing images of rugged mountains, hidden meadows, and rushing waterfalls. The natural wonders and raw beauty constantly take our breath away. The people who live here and those who visit, and make an effort to really see what our state has to offer, fall in love. We are proud of our state and proud to show it off through vivid scenic West Virginia photography of a place we always have and always will call home. We hope you enjoy seeing West Virginia through our eyes.” - WV Photographers Becky Anderson and Jeff Morehead of Morehead Photography.