Ranger to guide evening hikes to secluded cliff on Summersville Lake

Long Point extends into Summersville Lake in south-central West Virginia. Photo courtesy Anne Johnson

Beginning April 24, a ranger will guide Monday evening hikes to the secluded Long Point overlook at Summersville Lake in south-central West Virginia, offering visitors a chance to encounter a singular clifftop ecosystem with a naturalist in tow.

The moderate, two-hour hike to and from cliffs along the largest lake in West Virginia is ideally suited to evening exploration, according to Garrett R. Leggett, a ranger for the lake, an impoundment of the Gauley River managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

In addition to a breathtaking view of the cliff-lined upper end of the lake, participants will be able to explore the rocks and thickets of laurel that flourish there.

The 3.8-mile hikes are scheduled to depart each Monday at 6 p.m. from the Long Point trail-head near the entrance to the Nicholas County airport, and will continue through June 5, though Leggett says times and routes may change as the new program adjusts to accommodate visitors.

The Long Point formation at Summersville Lake is similar to the like-named Long Point formation that overlooks the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville, some 20 minutes to the south.

Both landmarks have been eroded from the same massive sandstone by the action of water, and both are popular hiking destinations, though the Summersville formation has been uniquely isolated by the lake.

The Long Point hikes are being hosted by Active Southern West Virginia, a non-profit initiative established to help encourage active living in southern West Virginia. Leggett is a community captain for the organization.

For more information, contact Active Southern W.Va. at info@activeswv.com or 304-254-8488.

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