If there’s one place you’ll visit this fall, make it Randolph County…
Crisp, early frosts begin painting the leaves of the tress in brilliant reds, oranges, maroons, and golds from late-September to mid-October in Randolph County. Apple cider, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, and sweater-weather are what makes fall one of the best times to visit us. Here are some of the top ways to experience fall in #RandolphWV.
Drive or ride through the mountains:
If you’ve never experienced Randolph County in the fall, then you are in for a real special treat. Randolph County is home to some incredible scenic drives and rides! Our mountains range in elevation from the lowest spots at around 900 feet to the highest of elevations at over 4,800 feet which end up being the perfect equation of a longer fall leaf season. In early fall, drive to the higher elevations like Dolly Sods or Roaring Plains Wilderness. In mid-fall check out the elevations in the 3,000 to 4,000-foot range like Spruce Knob Lake, Kumbrabow State Forest, or Rich Mountain Battlefield. During the late-fall, the lower elevations spots at around 2,000 feet or less, are your best bet to see fall foliage such as the Allegheny Highlands Trail or the West Fork Rail Trail. Whether you are in a car, SUV, on a motorcycle, or relaxing on one of our passenger excursion trains, a ride through our curvy mountains is exactly what is calling your name.
Taste the apples of the local harvest at one of the many Farmers Markets:
With our many farms and farmers markets around the county, being able to take a huge bite out of a sweet, crunchy, juicy apple is one of the best tastes that really says fall is here. Every Saturday the Elkins Farmers Market located in Elkins Town Square and the Beverly Farmers Market located on Beverly Main Street has an array of fruits and vegetables available for purchase grown by our local farmers. Most of our non-chain, unique style restaurants create farm-to-table fall dishes to appease your appetite that include fried apples, delightful homemade peach cobbler, or your grandma’s style pumpkin pie.
Go for a hike with family and friends:
There’s no better time to take a hike than in the fall, when your feet crunch on crisp autumn leaves and the mountains are bathed in brilliant warm hues. The nearby 921,000 acre Monongahela National Forest provides visitors with scenic views, 500 miles of hiking trails, mountain streams, and seclusion. Looking for an easy family fall hike? Stuart Recreation Area offers an easy 2-mile loop showcasing the Shavers Fork River. Spectacular sunsets, sunrises, and easy to get to, Bickle Knob is a mountain summit located nearby. At Bickle Knob Observation Tower you’ll get treated with some of the best fall foliage mountain vista views in the state. If you are in the southern part of our county, we recommend hiking at Guadineer Scenic area which also provides some spectacular valley views and is sure to please in the fall.
Spend a night under the stars:
The hot, summer nights are behind us and the cool, refreshing autumn air is upon us. Pitch a tent under the night sky at one of our isolated campgrounds. Leave the city behind and immerse yourself in the forest where the only lights you can see for miles is your campsite and the stars. Wake up surrounded by the beauty of our vibrant natural landscape and take in the last gasp of summer.
Take a picture with a scarecrow:
Scarecrows line the streets in downtown Elkins during this fall annual festival. Entertainment, games, and fun always happen throughout downtown Elkins during the Scarecrow Festival. Organizations all over Randolph County participate and decorate their very own scarecrows to be entered into a friendly contest. Be the judge and pick your favorite scarecrow in downtown Elkins!
Order a seasonal locally crafted beer:
The cooler weather in Randolph County calls for a warm up at one of our local breweries. You have to try the Big Timber Brewing, Forest Fest, named after the Mountain State Forest Festival or the fulfilling Logger Lager. If those brews don’t suit your palette, try a taste of the strong and dark Senator Stout at Brewstel. There are plenty of rounds to go around.
If a stronger drink is more of your style, you must take a drive through our mountains to the distillery. Still Hollow Spirits is a farm to bottle distillery located high in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia specializing in traditional mountain style whiskeys and unique botanical infusions. The maple syrup barrel rested corn whiskey is worth the drive and is the perfect remedy for warmth in the coming months.
Listen to the sounds of the season:
Fall brings so many fairs, festivals, and music to Randolph County. Almost every single festival features our very own musicians. The Mountain State Forest Festival has live entertainment every single night at the Rotary Amphitheatre in Elkins Town Square drawing in hundreds of people listening to music way into the night. Pickin’ in the Park is a weekly acoustic bluegrass and old-time jam session sponsored by the Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College. Pickin’ is held most Wednesday evenings in the Elkins City Park during warm weather, and is moved indoors to the Joni & Buck Smith Arts Forum in Myles Center for the Arts on the campus of Davis & Elkins College for the winter season. Join in a jam, start one of your own, or just bring a chair and listen to the sounds of the season. And the rhythm goes on all over the county as musicians and performers of all types hit the stages of local music venues almost every single night of the week.
Experience our history at night with a lantern tour:
In a town like Beverly with more than 200 years of history, eerie but true stories have found their way down the line through the generations. The Beverly Heritage Center actors guide the public with only a lantern walking through the historic district of Beverly. Along the way, costumed interpreters will bring to life uncanny tales from the town’s past including frontier tragedies, Civil War stories and unanswered questions from a long-ago murder case. The Beverly Heritage Center Lantern tours will definitely get you in the Halloween spirit.
Get lost in a corn maze:
Every weekend in October, Snyder Farms in Huttonsville celebrate the season of fall with their corn maze and pumpkin patch. Meander through the acres of the twisty passages of this corn maze puzzle. You will get lost. We promise you that. Once you make it out, pick your pumpkins and gourds in the pumpkin patch to take home and make jack-o-lanterns.
Dare to maneuver through the corn maze at night? Bring your flashlight because it is about to get spooky. Ghosts, goblins, zombies, creepy-crawlies, and witches emerge from their hiding spots to haunt those who wander through the corn maze. See if you can escape without being scared.