List of West Virginia state parks
There are 37 state parks in the U.S. state of West Virginia as of 2017. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Section is the governing body for all 37 state parks and directly operates all but one of them. In addition to state parks, the WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section governs eight state forests.
The first West Virginia state park, Droop Mountain Battlefield, was acquired in 1928 and dedicated in 1929; and the newest state parks, Stonewall Jackson Lake and North Bend Rail Trail, were opened in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Four parks that later joined the state park system were established prior to Droop Mountain, the earliest being the Point Pleasant Monument in 1901. There are seven former West Virginia state parks: one state park was transferred to the National Park Service, one to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, one to the West Virginia Division of Highways, and one to a municipality, and three have ceased to exist entirely.
This list provides an overview of West Virginia state parks and a brief history of their development and governance since the first state park was dedicated in 1929. State parks range in size from to. Of the 37 state parks governed by the WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section, 10 are lodge/resort state parks, 25 are cabin, camping, and day-use state parks, and 2 are rail trails.
Overview
West Virginia's state parks are governed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Section, which is under the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Department of Commerce. The WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section manages a system of 37 state parks and eight state forests totaling around of land, which consists of nearly of developed lands with recreational facilities and nearly of undeveloped land. In total, West Virginia has over of state and federal protected lands. State parks and forests also feature more than of hiking trails across 45 areas.There are state parks in 30 of West Virginia's 55 counties with Pocahontas County having the most at five. WVDNR divides the state into six regional districts to administer its state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas. The largest state park by area is Watoga at, and Fairfax Stone and Tu-Endie-Wei are the smallest at. Four state parks have U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams or reservoirs: Beech Fork, Bluestone, Stonewall Jackson Lake, and Tygart Lake. Nine state parks feature New Deal-era buildings and structures completed between 1933 and 1942; Lost River has the most with 78. Cathedral is the only state park designated a National Natural Landmark, and Grave Creek Mound is the only state park to have ever been designated a National Historic Landmark. Stonewall Jackson Lake is the first and only West Virginia state park to be developed, constructed, financed, and operated through a public–private partnership.
, the WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section directly employed more than 400 full-time and around 1,000 seasonal and summer employees who serviced approximately 7.1million visitors. WVDNR Parks and Recreation Section personnel maintain over of indoor space in more than 1,500 buildings in West Virginia state parks and forests, which have an inventory of 818 lodge rooms, 369 cabins, 1,522 campsites, 144 picnic shelters, and 549 playground units. The total economic impact of West Virginia state parks and forests annually is between and $189.5 million and for every $1 of general tax revenue provided to state parks and forests in 2016, $13.15 on average was generated in fresh revenue for the state. In 2016, visitors to state parks and forests spent $226.5million throughout the state, of which 46% was spent by out-of-state visitors. The total economic activity attributed to visitors of state parks and forests in 2016 totaled between $213.4million and $248.7million.
History
West Virginia's lumber and mineral exploitation had caused tremendous damage to much of its natural environment by the early 20thcentury. The state recognized the need to designate and protect lands worthy of conservation, and in 1925 the West Virginia Legislature established the West Virginia State Forest, Park and Conservation Commission to assess the state's opportunities and needs for forests, parks, game preserves, and recreational areas. West Virginia's state park system began to take shape in January of that year, when the Commission purchased land in Pocahontas County for a wildlife and timber preserve that later developed into Watoga.In their report to the Legislature in 1927, the Commission recommended that scenic natural areas be acquired and administered by a State Park System under the State Game and Fish Commission and that historical monuments be administered by a State Monuments System. They also identified a list of potential scenic and historic state park sites. One of these recommended sites became West Virginia's first state park, Droop Mountain Battlefield, also in Pocahontas County. The park was acquired in 1928 and dedicated on July4, 1929, to commemorate one of the largest battles in West Virginia during the American Civil War. Four other historic locations recommended by the Commission had already been established and would later become state parks; the earliest of these was the Point Pleasant Monument, which had been acquired by the state in 1901 and dedicated in 1909.
The Legislature established the West Virginia Conservation Commission Division of State Parks in 1933 to manage the state's growing park system, and to leverage the resources and expertise of the National Park Service, Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration, and other New Deal-era programs for further park development. By 1945, the Division of State Parks had expanded to 13 state parks with the addition of its first USACE reservoir park at Tygart Lake. Because African Americans were denied access to West Virginia's state parks and forests, the Division of State Parks created the only state park on the basis of racial segregation, Booker T. Washington State Park, in 1949. African Americans were restricted from the remainder of the state park and forest systems until the park and forest systems' integration following the Brown v. Board of Education decision by the United States Supreme Court in May 1954.
By 1950, the Division of State Parks was operating 16 state parks totaling and by 1954, the state had expanded to 20 state parks totaling. That year, the NPS noted that West Virginia had made "large percentage gains" in adding refreshments facilities to its park system, which totaled 11. Revenue bonds allowed the park system to expand and upgrade recreational facilities and lodging throughout the 1950s, and by 1960, the Division of State Parks was operating 24 state parks consisting of. During the 1960s, the Economic Development Administration federal loan program allowed the state to add three new parks to its system: Canaan Valley Resort, Pipestem Resort, and Twin Falls Resort. Visitors to West Virginia state parks and forests totaled 4.3million by 1968 and almost 5million in 1971. Following the Legislature's passing of the Economic Development Act of 1985, the West Virginia Division of Parks and Recreation was transferred from the West Virginia Conservation Commission to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, where it remains today. The most recent additions to the West Virginia state park system, Stonewall Jackson Lake and North Bend Rail Trail, were added in 1990 and 1991, respectively.
Current state parks
| Park name | Image | County and location | Area in acres | Date of establishment | Streams and/or lakes | Remarks |
| Audra | Barbour and Upshur | 355 acres | 1950 | Middle Fork River | Former site of the commercial logging town of Audra and of Barbour County's first 4-H camp. The park's Alum Cave is formed at the base of a sandstone formation, where it makes contact with pyritiferous shale. | |
| Babcock | Fayette | acres | 1934 | Glade Creek Manns Creek | Named for previous owner Edward V. Babcock, the park contains two architectural landmarks: its administration building, one of the major Civilian Conservation Corps accomplishments in West Virginia, and Glade Creek Grist Mill, one of the most photographed structures in West Virginia. Completed in 1976, the mill is a working monument to the more than 500 mills formerly located in the state. | |
| Beartown | Greenbrier and Pocahontas | 110 acres | 1970 | - | Trails wind through a network of crevices between massive fragmented boulders, which are a part of the "Droop Sandstone" formation. Large elephant ear lichens in the "Big Beartown" section of the park are more than 500 years old. | |
| Beech Fork | Cabell and Wayne | acres | 1978 | Beech Fork Lake | Includes the Beech Fork Lake, a reservoir created by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam. | |
| Berkeley Springs | Morgan | 7 acres | 1970 | Warm Spring Run | Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The park's springs, held in trust for the public since 1776, were known by European settlers as early as 1736 and were frequented by Lord Fairfax and George Washington. The temperature of the spring water remains at a constant. | |
| Blackwater Falls | Tucker | acres | 1937 | Blackwater River North Fork Blackwater River Pendleton Lake | Major attractions include Blackwater Falls, Blackwater Canyon, Elakala Falls on Shays Run, and Pendleton Falls on Pendleton Run. The park's original forests were completely lumbered by 1924, and the current secondary forests were spurred by a CCC reforestation program in the 1930s. | |
| Blennerhassett Island Historical | Wood | 511 acres | 1989 | Ohio River | The park is divided between two facilities: a museum in Parkersburg and Blennerhassett Island, which contains the reconstructed Palladian-style Blennerhassett Mansion, originally completed in 1800. The island is accessible by paddle steamers May through October and is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Bluestone | Summers | acres | 1950 | Bluestone River Bluestone Lake New River | Named for the bluish-gray shale between sandstone deposits. Adjoins Bluestone Lake, the state's second largest body of water, which was formed as a result of Bluestone Dam, completed by the USACE in 1948. | |
| Cacapon Resort | Morgan | acres | 1937 | Cacapon Lake | Initially constructed by the CCC beginning in 1937, with facility expansions in the 1950s and the addition of a Robert Trent Jones golf course in 1973, the park is considered a showcase of the state park system due its proximity to the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The state park system’s first wobble clay shooting range was opened here in 2007. | |
| Camp Creek | Mercer | 500 acres | 1987 | Camp Creek | Formed from Camp Creek State Forest in 1987, when a tract of was set aside to create this recreation area. It is administered with Camp Creek State Forest. | |
| Canaan Valley Resort | Tucker | acres | 1957 | Blackwater River | One of three state parks, along with Pipestem Resort and Twin Falls Resort, planned in the 1960s with funds from the Economic Development Administration. Contains the first ski facility in West Virginia, opened in 1971. | |
| Carnifex Ferry Battlefield | Nicholas | 165 acres | 1931 | Gauley River | Site of 1861 American Civil War Battle of Carnifex Ferry, which secured Union control of western Virginia and eventually led to the formation of West Virginia. The park, which includes Patteson House, a restored mid-19th-century farmhouse, is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Cass Scenic Railroad | Pocahontas | 940 acres | 1961 | Greenbrier River Leatherbark Run | A former logging spur, the park's scenic railroad climbs West Virginia's second-tallest peak, Bald Knob. In addition to the railroad, the state acquired the town of Cass and restored 13 of its former company houses as rental units for park visitors, creating West Virginia's only restored company town complete with the Cass Country Store. The park is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Cathedral | Preston | 133 acres | 1942 | Rhine Creek | Formerly known as Brookside Woods, the park is a stand of uncut old-growth forest and contains the only remaining stand of virgin Eastern hemlock in West Virginia. The park is entirely contained within the Brookside Historic District, which is listed on the NRHP. It was also designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. | |
| Cedar Creek | Gilmer | acres | 1953 | Cedar Creek | Contains two relocated structures of historic significance: the Log Cabin Service Station, which now serves as the park office and nature center, and Pine Run School, a one-room country schoolhouse with period furnishings. | |
| Chief Logan | Logan | acres | 1961 | Buffalo Creek | Formerly a part of the Merrill Coal Company camp, now minus the camp's houses, mining equipment, and tipple. Performed at the park is The Aracoma Story, a historical drama about Aracoma, the daughter of Cornstalk, and the Shawnee tribespeople who lived at the present-day location. | |
| Droop Mountain Battlefield | Pocahontas | 287 acres | 1928 | - | Site of the one of West Virginia's largest engagements during the American Civil War, and listed on the NRHP. Dedicated on July 4, 1929, it was the first state park established in West Virginia. In 1935, the CCC built the park's iconic wooden observation tower and a rental cabin that now serves as a museum. | |
| Fairfax Stone Historical Monument | Grant, Preston, and Tucker | 4 acres | 1957 | North Branch Potomac River headwaters | The park contains the Fairfax Stone historic marker, which traditionally marked the western boundary of Lord Fairfax's Northern Neck Proprietary and is responsible for the present-day boundary between Maryland and West Virginia. The park is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Greenbrier River Trail | Greenbrier and Pocahontas | 936 acres | 1980 | Greenbrier River | The trail is a section of a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway line between North Caldwell and Cass. | |
| Hawks Nest | Fayette | 370 acres | 1935 | Hawks Nest Lake Mill Creek New River Turkey Creek | Planned by the NPS and built by the CCC, the park features an aerial tramway to a marina on the New River, and its overlook allows for panoramic views of New River Gorge. Its lodge was designed by The Architects Collaborative. A historic district containing the park's CCC resources is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Holly River | Webster | acres | 1938 | Laurel Fork of Holly River | The park's land was salvaged in 1937 following its purchase by the Farm Security Administration for the purposes of reforestation and stream reclamation following extensive logging operations in the area. The park's historic district containing 93 Works Progress Administration resources was listed on the NRHP. | |
| Little Beaver | Raleigh | 562 acres | 1971 | Little Beaver Creek Little Beaver Lake | Originally developed as a Raleigh County recreation area by the CCC in the late 1930s. Used as a county 4-H camp from 1941 to 1965. The park's lake was created in 1941 when the CCC and WPA constructed the Little Beaver Dam on Little Beaver Creek. | |
| Lost River | Hardy | acres | 1934 | Howards Lick Run | Henry Lee III received this land in 1796 for his American Revolutionary War service. His son Charles Carter Lee founded Hardy White Sulphur Springs resort here in 1852. Later renamed Lee White Sulphur Springs, it burned down in 1910. The state acquired the land in 1934, and the NPS and CCC developed the park and its recreational facilities. The park's 142 CCC resources and its Lighthorse Harry Lee Cabin are listed on the NRHP. | |
| Moncove Lake | Monroe | 896 acres | 1991 | Devil Creek Moncove Lake | The park's Moncove Lake was created in 1960 by the 1959 impoundment of Devil Creek. Formerly a wildlife management area, the park is located under an autumn flyway for migrating raptors, including broad-winged hawks. | |
| North Bend | Ritchie | acres | 1951 | North Bend Lake North Fork Hughes River | Named through a contest sponsored by the Ritchie Gazette in the 1950s, the park features the "Extra Mile Trail" for the disabled and hosts the annual International Sports Jamboree for physically or visually challenged athletes. The park's North Bend Lake was created by an impoundment on the North Fork Hughes River in 2002. | |
| North Bend Rail Trail | Doddridge, Harrison, Ritchie, and Wood | Not applicable | 1991 | Goose Creek Hushers Run Little Kanawha River Middle Island Creek North Fork Hughes River Walker Creek | Consists of a section of an abandoned spur of the CSX Transportation system between Parkersburg and Wolf Summit. Passes through 13 tunnels and over 36 bridges, and is part of the American Discovery Trail. The longest tunnel is the Tunnel No.6 between West Union and Central Station. | |
| Pinnacle Rock | Mercer | 374 acres | 1938 | Jimmy Lewis Lake | Named for the tall Pinnacle Rock sandstone formation. Its rustic park facilities were built by the CCC in 1938 and the Jimmy Lewis Lake was built between 1965 and 1968. | |
| Pipestem Resort | Mercer and Summers | acres | 1963 | Bluestone River Long Branch Creek Long Branch Lake Mountain Creek | Named for the pipestem bush. Considered the "crown jewel" of the state park system upon its completion in 1971, it is one of three state parks, along with Twin Falls Resort and Canaan Valley Resort, to receive funding from the EDA. The park has a seasonal aerial tramway between the rim and floor of Bluestone Canyon, which features a vertical drop of approximately. | |
| Prickett's Fort | Marion | 188 acres | 1975 | Monongahela River Pricketts Creek | Features a reconstruction of Prickett's Fort, an 18th-century fortification built to defend settlers against Native American attacks. Includes the Prickett cemetery, the area's oldest burial ground. The park's Prickett's Fort and Jacob Prickett Jr. Log House are listed on the NRHP. | |
| Stonewall Jackson Lake | Lewis | acres | 1990 | Stonewall Jackson Lake West Fork River | Located along the USACE Stonewall Jackson Lake, the park was developed, constructed, financed, and operated through a public–private partnership between McCabe-Henley LP and WVDNR. | |
| Tomlinson Run | Hancock | acres | 1935 | Tomlinson Run Tomlinson Run Lake | Developed by the West Virginia Conservation Commission with support from the NPS, the park features the Tomlinson Run Lake, completed by the WPA in 1942. | |
| Tu-Endie-Wei | Mason | 4 acres | 1956 | Kanawha River Ohio River | Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. Site of the only major action during Lord Dunmore's War, the Battle of Point Pleasant. Acquired by the state in 1901. The granite obelisk monument commemorating the battle was dedicated in 1909, and they were added to the state park system in 1956. The park features the Mansion House Museum and a monument to Cornstalk who is buried there. The park is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Twin Falls Resort | Wyoming | acres | 1964 | Black Fork Marsh Fork | Named for two waterfalls about apart: one on the Marsh Fork and one on the Black Fork of Cabin Creek. One of three resort state parks funded by the EDA along with Canaan Valley Resort and Pipestem Resort. Contains a golf course, a reconstructed pioneer homestead serving as a living museum, and a lodge designed by TAC. Its diverse species of flora reflect an overlap of northern and southern ecosystems. | |
| Tygart Lake | Barbour and Taylor | acres | 1945 | Tygart Lake Tygart Valley River | Contains the USACE Tygart Lake, created as a result of the Public Works Administration's Tygart Dam in 1938. The dam, designed by Charles M. Wellons and Paul Philippe Cret, is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Valley Falls | Marion and Taylor | acres | 1964 | Tygart Valley River | Named for two fast-moving waterfalls of and in height on the Tygart Valley River. During the 19th century, a milling and industrial town flourished at this site. | |
| Watoga | Pocahontas | acres | 1934 | Greenbrier River Island Lick Run Watoga Lake | Initially developed as a state forest in 1926. One of West Virginia's first CCC camps was established here in 1933. The largest of West Virginia's state parks, it contains the Watoga Lake. A historic district containing the park's 103 CCC resources is listed on the NRHP. | |
| Watters Smith Memorial | Harrison | 532 acres | 1949 | Duck Creek | Consists of the pioneer homestead of Watters Smith who moved here with his wife Elizabeth in 1796. A log cabin similar to the original was reconstructed at the park along with period farm buildings. The Smith family home has also been restored as a museum. The park is listed on the NRHP. |
Former state parks
| Park name | Image | County and location | Area in acres | Date of establishment | Date of disestablishment | Streams and/or lakes | Remarks |
| Booker T. Washington | Kanawha | acres | 1949 | By 1959 | Near Finney Branch | It was the only state park that allowed admission to African Americans until the park system were integrated in 1954. The park consisted of day-use picnicking facilities, but lacked a pool, hiking trails, campsites, and other amenities. Prior to the park's opening in 1949, African Americans were denied access to the state park system and were limited to the African American 4-H Camp at Camp Washington-Carver which was funded by the West Virginia State College extension service. | |
| Grandview | Raleigh | 877 acres | 1939 | 1990 | New River | Initially constructed by the CCC, the park was named for its views of New River Gorge and the river's Horseshoe Bend. It was transferred to the NPS in 1990, and is managed as part of the New River Gorge National River. Grandview remains the home of Theatre West Virginia, which performs Hatfields and McCoys and Kermit Hunter's Honey in the Rock at Cliffside Amphitheater. | |
| Grave Creek Mound | Marshall | 7 acres | 1970 | 1996 | - | The Grave Creek Mound measures tall and in diameter. Built BCE, it is the largest Adena culture mound. It was purchased by the state in 1909 and maintained by the West Virginia State Penitentiary warden until 1970, when it became a state park. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. In 1996, the mound was transferred to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, which maintains the mound and the Delf Norona Museum as the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex. | |
| James Rumsey Monument | Jefferson | acres | 1956 | 1978 | Potomac River | The Rumseyan Society built the tall granite column as a memorial to local inventor James Rumsey in 1914 and dedicated it in 1915. The state park system operated the monument from 1956 until 1978, when operation of the monument was returned to the society and the adjoining park transferred to the Corporation of Shepherdstown. The monument provides a panoramic view of the Potomac River valley and is a contributing property to the NRHP Shepherdstown Historic District. | |
| Mingo Oak | Mingo | acres | 1931 | 1938 | Near Trace Fork | The park was leased to the state of West Virginia for the maintenance and conservation of the Mingo Oak, the oldest and largest living white oak, until its felling in 1938. | |
| Mont Chateau | Monongalia | acres | 1955 | 1977 | Cheat Lake | Located along Cheat Lake, the park and its 54-room lodge failed to develop as a tourist attraction. The lodge and were leased to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey in 1977. The remainder of the park went to a private owner in 1985 as part of a land swap for an added tract to Holly River State Park. | |
| Morgan Morgan Monument | Berkeley | acres | 1956 | 1970 | Mill Creek | Erected in 1924, the monument honors Morgan Morgan who is credited as the first permanent European settler in present-day West Virginia. Morgan settled in the Bunker Hill area around 1731 and is interred in a nearby cemetery. The monument and its roadside park were added to the park system in 1956 and transferred to the West Virginia Road Commission in 1970. The park is a contributing property of the NRHP Mill Creek Historic District. |