No special access issues
🔴 Climbing at Hawk's Nest is water level dependent! Look at the website linked below. The lowest possible water level has raised in the past few years due to an environmental study done to determine if raising the minimum flow would be better for the flora and fauna. It used to be below 4ft, but now the minimum level is 4.38ft.
-If you ever catch the water level is BELOW 4ft, everything will be climbable.
-At 4.38ft many problems will need a landing build for them, as they now sit in a few inches of water. Some notable problems that are no longer accessible due to this minimum flow raise are the Black Pocket Problem Boulder, Orange at Lower Hawk's Nest, and the wade across the river to The Other Side becomes substantially harder, and.
-If it's above 8ft, it's probably not worth going to this area.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/380649081083301/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D
🚗 Driving Directions:
The parking area is listed as "Cotton Hill Fishing Access Area Parking" on Google Maps.
From Fayetteville, drive north on WV-16 heading straight through the intersection with US-19. Drive about 6.5 miles, cross over the bridge over the New River, and park in the paved lot immediately on your right.
From Summersville:
Head South on US-19 for about 25 miles. Turn RIGHT onto WV-16/Beckwidth Rd. After 6.5 miles you will cross the bridge over the New River and the parking area is immediately on your right.
🚶♂️Hiking Directions:
For Hawk's Nest Proper: From the parking lot, walk down the gated-off road heading away from WV-16. Follow this road with the New River on your right for 0.7 miles until you see a small sign that says Hawk's Nest Trail #3 (about 100ft past Hawk's Nest Trail #2). Follow the indicated single track trail to its end on a wide rock platform. The trail is flat most of the way with elevation change at the end. Transfering between the trail and the rocky platform usually involves a bit of scrambling. The rock platform is slightly uneven but flat and wet sections are slippery. Some boulders must be accessed by scrambling over rocky sections. Total hiking time: 15-20 minutes.
For Lower Hawk's Nest: From the parking lot, walk down the gated-off road heading away from WV-16. Follow this road with the New River on your right for 0.7 miles until you see a small sign that says Hawk's Nest Trail #3 (about 100ft past Hawk's Nest Trail #2). Follow the indicated single track trail as it switchbacks down toward the river. After 2 minutes and with your right side the downhill side, take the obvious cutoff straight down the hill toward the towering boulder and the river. Most of the trail is a flat gravel road with a singletrack trail with elevation change at the end. Once you leave this trail, the approach has a steep and poorly maintained section, and there are often rocky scrambles once you are at river level. Total hiking time: 15-25 minutes.