Falls of Hills Creek

The Falls of Hills Creek is the glittering jewel in the crown of the Monongahela National Forest. The 114 acre area sits just south of Highway 39 – 5 miles west of the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center - and is marked with a Monongahela National Forest Recreation sign. Turn down the gravel road and park in the small lot where rest rooms are also available. The Hills Creek is rated as one of West Virginia’s cleanest streams by the Department of Natural Resources. Lack of building construction along the area, as well as minimal animal grazing adjacent to the stream, make it a good candidate for the designation. The handicap accessible boardwalk is 1,700 feet long and allows all to see the majesty of the first waterfall. The rhododendrons and laurel flourish under the shade canopy. The first fall drops 25 feet, crashing to the rocks below. Continue on to the second waterfall via a dirt path and set of wooden steps. At 45 feet tall and much wider than the first fall, you begin to appreciate the natural beauty of Hills Creek as the creek cascades and rolls over moss covered boulders. For wildflower enthusiasts, the forest carpet is alive with over 40 species of blooms, mostly in the spring through early summer.