West Virginia's Smoke Hole Canyon is one of the lesser known canyons in the state. Even lesser known than that are the myriad of caves and rock formations peppered along the canyon's edge.
Smoke Hole Canyon is located in eastern West Virginia. This ancient canyon was created by the movement of the Potomac River's south branch. Its only access point is a water gap between Big Mountain and Cave Mountain, a location about 2 miles north of the unincorporated community of Upper Tract.
Along the canyon are many caves and rock formations. Most don't have names, except for Smoke Hole Cave.
Most of the canyon is covered in dense forest land, but several parts of the canyon have stony outcroppings that emerge from the woods, bare and exposed, like emerging bone from the skin of the forest.
Many of these spots are located in fairly serene surroundings, excellent for fly fishing, picnics or just some exploration.
Others are devoid of any foliage at all; gorges through which the rapids of the Potomac River come crashing, rolling over boulders and cascading over shallow falls.
Other spots are a bit more well known, such as Eagle Rock (pictured below), a massive stone formation jutting out from the green landscape.
And the caves, numerous as they are, are tunneled deep inside the rocky formations that line this 20 mile gorge, leaving so much to explore and providing so many discoveries to be made among the nooks and crannies of this remote location.
Have you explored Smoke Hole Canyon? What portions of the canyon have you visited? Feel free to comment below and join the discussion.
To learn more about West Virginia, check out these 11 enchanting spots you never knew existed.
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