A Willawisps Guide to Douglas Falls
West Virginia has at least 275 waterfalls. I often tell newcomers the best first waterfall experience is the iconic Blackwater Falls. While this one is beautiful and a staple of the area, I have another that is my favorite, and I try to swing over to it any time we visit Tucker County.
Five miles (eight kilometers) from Blackwater Falls, along the North Fork of the Blackwater River and about a mile from the town of Thomas, lies Douglas Falls. This waterfall drops a beautiful 35 ft (10.6m) and spills onto copper-rich red stones at the bottom. There is a small space tucked behind the falls, and so many photogenic shots downstream.
Every time I've visited this waterfall, it has been its own unique experience.
Directions
The route to the falls is not good for vehicles with lower clearance. There are a lot of deep puddles and rougher terrain. If your car is lower, and you're willing to try it at your own discretion, go slow and swerve hard to avoid the puddles. I would suggest 4WD or AWD clearance.
Start in Thomas, WV, in Tucker County. Look for Douglas Road (Route 27), the next turn South of the Thomas Post Office. Follow this route for about a mile (1.6 km). You'll pass the historic Davis Coal and Coke Company Administrative Building and the Buxton & Landstreet Gallery and Studios. Take a slight left onto the Rail Falls Road.
The North Fork of the Blackwater River will be on your left, and the falls are about 1.4 miles from the entrance. You'll see Albert Falls first, followed by the Blackwater Canyon Trail Bridge.
In March 2018, I visited the location for the first time. I went with my wife and some friends. I was so excited that I spent the evening before we left compiling LEGO minifigures to match us. I took a little boat and took a few little shots of them enjoying a trip of their own.
When we followed the route, we explored the little dens of stone called coke ovens. This stretch was once a railroad cutting through these old coke ovens in the town of Coketon. Mines handling coal used these ovens to create a separate product called coke, which was used in iron furnaces. This coke was made by baking the coal with a regulated air flow in the sealed ovens. After the coal baked for several days, it burnt away the impurities or volatiles, and the coke was removed from the bottom. This coke was high-carbon, so it burnt much hotter than standard coal.
When we made it to the waterfall, the lighting was perfect. I got great portrait shots of my wife, Liz, and my friend. I have an ongoing bit with this friend about hopeful shots over her shoulder.
This trip was also the first time I was able to catch a long-exposure shot of the waterfall. The way this waterfall tumbles through the boulders offers endless photogenic places to set up a tripod and capture the soft long-exposure flow, showing the cloud of statistical average locations of water throughout the time my shutter was open.
In the art world, there is an Italian term for painting from dark to light. From a literal translation, chiaroscuro means "light-dark." Often, oil-painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt, and later Gentileschi, would compose paintings lit like on-stage performances. The sharp contrast between dark backgrounds and shimmering bright subjects and warm skin tones made the works pop and strengthened the depth of the painting. Chiaroscuro started in the Renaissance but flourished in the Baroque period.
In the first week of December 2021, Liz and I planned a trip for some good coffee at TipTop Thomas and the best lighting at Douglas Falls. At the end of the day, before it passes behind the mountain lining the valley, the sunlight spotlights the waterfall and the smaller drops downstream. We planned to be there at just the right time within that window.
The light at this time of day reminds me of chiaroscuro painting. This style of lighting was on my mind with the shots this day. I wanted to show the beautiful spotlight on the waterfall as though it was the subject of a painting. I also included some of Liz in the light against the drier drop by the falls.
At the end of April 2024, on our first weekend with good weather for a while, Liz and I made a day trip to the area around Douglas Falls. We went to Blackwater Falls and Elakala Falls, but we started at Douglas Falls. We happened to be there at the perfect time to see the apple tree blooms.
As we worked our way down the fall, I set up to take long-exposure shots of the falls, but there was a couple who sat to enjoy the rush of the falls. They sat together and enjoyed the rush of the waterfall in the spring sunlight. I spoke with them after I took some photos, and I sent the shots to them. I managed to get a few soft long exposure shots of the falls before we left.
In Summer 2024, one of my more recent friends expressed interest in seeing some of my favorite West Virginia places. I took him to the Tucker County area, where we explored Blackwater Falls and went to Davis for lunch. After we ate, we noticed there was a fishing event. We spent some time at the Appalachian Fly Fishing Festival, and then I showed him my favorite spot. The weather was good and the lighting was perfect. I enjoyed including him in the shots to tell the story of his experience at Douglas Falls.
In April 2025, we spent a weekend with another friend who ran the Canaan Valley Half Marathon. We rented a room at the Bright Morning Inn in Davis, and Liz and I spent the morning at Douglas Falls. On our way back to Thomas, Liz and I saw a little beaver swimming along the pools below the coke ovens, and I joked that these swelled puddles were likely his handiwork.
Douglas Falls, compared to Blackwater Falls, is off the beaten trail. The road there is rough, and parking is what you make of it. But watching the cascades and taking photos in the perfect light makes this a perfect place for photographers. I'll visit this place as often as possible, and we hope you'll find time to visit Douglass Falls as well.
If you’re looking for more information about what you can do in the Davis/Thomas area, check out our post on Things to Do in Blackwater Falls!
Happy travels!
