Smoke Hole above is a canyon formed by the South Fork of the Potomac River in West Virginia. Excursion trains take visitors on various trips through the area, but there are also country roads. I drove about 10 miles along the canyon admiring the views with fall foliage, and I never saw another person. The C&O Canal and Potomac Heritage NST are also in this NHA, which extends into the mountains of western Maryland. This is a rare, beautiful, underrated spot in the US to hike and enjoy nature.

This is also part of the Spruce Knob / Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia and has an observation tower. Seneca Rocks is a cliff known for technical rock climbing. Here are my visits to all parks in Maryland and West Virginia.