State Parks, Forests

Summer officially starts June 21, but Canaan Valley Resort marks the season Memorial Day with an eventful long weekend that includes hikes, wagon rides, dinner theater, and a golf tournament. General manager Steve Drumheller said the staff has designed the weekend to introduce or re-familiarize visitors with the resort and Canaan Valley Resort State Park … Read more

At the peak of woodland wildflower season in West Virginia, Babcock State Park is offering midweek discounts at its rustic and classic cabins. Guests who rent a cabin for two-or-more consecutive nights will receive a 20-percent discount through May 24, 2017. Each year visitors from throughout the U.S. visit the park to photograph its landmark … Read more

May is a magical month in the Canaan Valley, where visitors may stroll fields of Allegheny wildflowers while being serenaded by songbirds. Officials at its premier state park, Canaan Valley Resort, have scheduled a line-up of programs designed to enhance the appeal of spring in the highland valley. “I’ve lived and worked in Canaan Valley for more than … Read more

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced late Tuesday that he is ending a plan proposed by the the Division of Natural Resources to charge visitors an entrance fee at several state parks and a state forest. The Governor called the division’s announcement an error and ordered the pilot program canceled. The initiative was put in motion without the … Read more

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