High Falls
One for the list
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Shavers Fork.
The details
- Watercourse
- Shavers Fork
- Coordinates
- 38.7725, -79.77732
About High Falls
High Falls is a waterfall in West Virginia, on Shavers Fork.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates High Falls 3.5/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
A hundred-foot-wide horseshoe on Shavers Fork, deep enough in the Monongahela that you earn it one of two ways: a seven-mile round-trip hike over Shavers Mountain, or a seat on the New Tygart Flyer excursion train that steams to the falls from Elkins. 'High' refers to the 2,800-foot elevation — the drop is a broad 15 to 20 feet.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- High Falls Trail off Forest Road 44, south of Glady
- Parking
- Small pull-off at the FR-44 trailhead
- Road
- Gravel forest road
- Hike
- 7 mi round trip (strenuous — a real mountain between you and the falls)
- Heads up
- The train (May–October, from about $85) is the no-sweat alternative; swimming holes dot Shavers Fork along the hike.
When to go
Summer for the swimming holes, fall for the train through color; the road access fades with the first snow.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Hike free; train ticketed
- Dogs
- Under control (national forest)
- Camping
- Dispersed camping along the trail under forest rules
- Warnings
- An active tourist rail line shares the river corridor — stay off the tracks. Remote, no cell service.
Researched from Mountain Rail WV — New Tygart Flyer · Elkins-Randolph County Tourism — High Falls of Cheat. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to High Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
High Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is High Falls?
High Falls is a waterfall in West Virginia, at 38.7725, -79.77732.
Is High Falls worth visiting?
One for the list — Plungeworthy rates it 3.5/10.
Gear for the trip
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