State Parks, Forests

Visitors to six West Virginia state parks and a state forest will be charged entrance fees this year, according to Stephen McDaniel, director of the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. The new fees are part of a pilot project designed to support the state parks system’s maintenance costs, which McDaniel said could generate an additional $1 million … Read more

High in the Alleghenies of northeastern West Virginia, Canaan Valley Resort State Park is welcoming the arrival of warm weather by releasing its calendar of events for spring, summer, and autumn 2017. Though perhaps best known for its ski area in winter, this centerpiece of the high-elevation Canaan Valley grows busy in the warm months … Read more

Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park will begin accommodating growing number of guests who drive electric vehicles this month, opening a series of charging stations at its resort lodge near Weston in north-central West Virginia. Three stations will be installed at parking spaces in the resort’s circle drive —  two dedicated to Tesla vehicles and a … Read more

Amateur and professional photographers are invited to attend West Virginia’s annual spring photography workshop April 7-9 at Twin Falls State Park, which offers some of the best opportunities for nature photography in the state park system. Led by instructors Steve Shaluta and Steven Wayne Rotsch, the 2017 workshop will cover an array of subjects, including … Read more

Few parks in West Virginia enjoy the status North Bend has attained for hiking and biking, so it’s little surprise that 500 guests are expected to visit this weekend for National Trails Day, celebrated June 7. The park has added two additional programs to its schedule this yeat to expand its promotion of outdoor recreation, according … Read more

DUNBAR, W.Va. — More than 40 Frisbee enthusiasts helped inaugurate the new disc-golf course at Wine Cellar Park today on the first leg of a three-course tournament in Kanawha County. The nine-hole course, which begins and ends near the historic Dutch Hollow Wine Cellars, opened today with a ceremony over which Dunbar mayor Terry Greenlee … Read more

The Southeast Tourism Society has named the annual “Mansion by Candlelight” tour hosted at Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park near Parkersburg, West Virginia, as a Top 20 event to attend in October. The two-evening fete held in the island’s replica mansion welcomes more than 1,400 guests to witness an evening as it might have been in … Read more

Fans of Pipestem Resort State Park and outdoor entertainment may wish to invest in a season-long amphitheater pass being provided for the first time. Sixteen varied engagements are scheduled on the stage in the Summers County highlands from May 24 until August 23, and officials expect the package to appeal to frequent guests, according to Kim Hawkins, … Read more

The July 1 transfer of management of Canaan Valley Resort State Park to a second hospitality-management company won’t likely result in obvious changes, according to officials at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The new management company, which operates lodges and resorts in Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, and South Dakota, is not anticipated to significantly … Read more

Three state park golf courses in West Virginia are providing guests full-season 2014 passes that include lodge stays, meal discounts, and access to other park courses.  According to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, passes are now available at Twin Falls, Pipestem, and Cacapon resorts and include two rounds of golf at other state park courses, … Read more