Elakala Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elakala Falls |
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Elakala Waterfall #1, the most popular and well-known of the series of falls.
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| Location | Blackwater Falls State Park, Tucker County, West Virginia, United States |
| Type | Segmented block |
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| Watercourse | Shays Run |
The Elakala Falls are a group of four beautiful waterfalls in West Virginia. They are found in Blackwater Falls State Park. These waterfalls are on a stream called Shays Run, which flows down into the Blackwater Canyon. Many photographers love to visit them. The first waterfall is easy to get to, but the others are harder to reach.
Discovering Elakala Falls
The first waterfall in the series is about 35 feet (11 m) tall. It is easy to find from the park's walking paths. You can even find a bridge over the top of this first waterfall. This bridge gives you great views! It is the second most visited waterfall in the whole park.
Exploring the Other Waterfalls
The second waterfall is about 15 feet (4.6 m) tall. It is the smallest of the four. There is a path that leads to it from the first waterfall.
The third waterfall is the tallest, at about 40 feet (12 m) high. It is much harder to reach. The path to it is very steep and rocky. Because of the danger, only experienced hikers should try to go past the second waterfall. The canyon here is almost 200 feet deep!
The fourth and last waterfall is the most difficult and dangerous to get to. There are no official paths leading to it. It is not safe for people who are not very experienced hikers.
Legends of the Falls
The name Elakala comes from old Native American stories. There are a few different versions of these legends.
One story tells of a princess named Elakala. She was very sad because her true love left her. The legend says she jumped over the edge of the first waterfall.
Another story is about a brave Massawomee warrior, also named Elakala. He was very shy around girls. One day, two women from his tribe were chasing him. He accidentally fell to his death from the falls while trying to get away.
These kinds of legends are common for many waterfalls in the eastern United States. It is not possible to know if these stories are true. But they add a special mystery to the beautiful Elakala Falls.
