Two falls , one preserve in Beckley ’ s backyard
By Josephine E . Moore , The Register-Herald
Asection of Beckley , which many pass through without giving it a second thought , attracted the attention of local , state and federal officials last fall for a special unveiling .
Located at the end of Stanaford Mine Road in Beckley , members from the city of Beckley and the West Virginia Land Trust unveiled the first completed section of trail in the Piney Creek Preserve in Beckley .
The new trail , which snakes along a coal seam for about a quarter of a mile before splitting off into two directions that both end at waterfalls , has been named the Waterfall Hollow Trail .
Branching off the right side of the trail and following the flow of Cranberry Creek is Cranberry Creek Cascades . To the left of the trail split is Little White Stick Falls , which also gets its name from the creek that flows through it .
The Waterfall Hollow Trail is just a tiny piece of the nearly 20 miles of trail planned for the Piney Creek Preserve , which is owned and managed by the West Virginia Land Trust ( WVLT ) and is cared for in partnership with the city of Beckley .
“ This is just a taste ,” said Jesse Cecil , operations manager for the WVLT . “ This is just to get people to realize that we have 613 acres , which has now been officially annexed within the city limits of Beckley . So 613 acres within the preserve , this is 50 acres – there ’ s a lot more to come .”
Both of the waterfalls along the Waterfall Hollow Trail have been added to the West Virginia Waterfall Trail , which includes 43 waterfalls across the state . To develop the Waterfall Hollow Trail , which is about half a mile , Cecil said they relied on local donations and support from local groups , including a Boy Scout troop , West Virginia University Institute of Technology and others who volunteered their time to make the trail traversable .
He added that those same partners , as well as others on the local , state and federal level , will play a cru-
An easy hike along Piney Creek Preserve Waterfall Hollow Trail takes the curious to two waterfalls , the Little Whitestick Falls and the Cranberry Creek Cascades , above , both listed on the state ’ s Waterfall Trail .
Rick Barbero , The Register-Herald
A signs points the way to the two falls along the Piney Creek Preserve Waterfall Hollow Trail .
14 � DESTINATIONS � JUNE ’ 24