PIPESTEM, W.Va. — A West Virginia mountain resort overlooking a federally protected river gorge will host its first Oktoberfest in October, when fall color typically peaks along the Bluestone River.
Pipestem Resort State Park has scheduled its inaugural Oktoberfest for Oct. 16–18, with events spread across the resort and into the Bluestone Gorge. On Saturday, visitors will descend via aerial tramway to a biergarten, live entertainment, and dining at Mountain Creek Lodge near the river.
The timing could place visitors at Pipestem during one of the year’s most colorful periods. National Park Service officials say peak fall foliage at the adjoining Bluestone National Scenic River usually occurs in mid-October.
“When the weather begins to cool, and the leaves change, there is no better time to celebrate the season with a festival at Pipestem Resort State Park,” said Dillard Price, acting chief of West Virginia State Parks.
“From the iconic Mountain Creek Lodge and aerial tramway to the great food and entertainment, this is the perfect opportunity to get out and experience what Pipestem has to offer.”
Oktoberfest descends into the Bluestone Gorge
Part of the celebration will take place at the bottom of the gorge, making the trip there an attraction in itself.
Pipestem’s aerial tramway carries passengers more than 1,000 feet down from the rim toward the Bluestone River. The new tram opened in 2025, replacing the park’s original aerial system and restoring one of Pipestem’s signature experiences.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, visitors can ride the tram to Mountain Creek Lodge for the Pipestem Bier Garten, where live music, games, Bavarian food, giant pretzels, and draft beer will be offered throughout the day.
Performers include JJ Robinson, Dave Runyon, and David Hurley. A separate ticketed dinner prepared by Chef Marion Ohlinger is planned at Mountain Creek Appalachian Cuisine.
Mountain Creek Lodge stands near the Bluestone River at the base of the tram, where visitors can also reach trails extending into the surrounding gorge.
Autumn along a national scenic river
Far below Pipestem, the Bluestone River winds through a steep, forested gorge protected as the Bluestone National Scenic River before joining the New River near Hinton, upstream from New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The National Park Service administers the Bluestone through nearby New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Congress established the national scenic river in 1988, protecting 10.5 miles of the free-flowing Bluestone and its Southern Appalachian gorge.
One of the main ways to explore the protected corridor is the Bluestone Turnpike Trail, a 9.5-mile route that follows an old riverbank road between the Pipestem and Bluestone state park areas.
The forested landscape also preserves evidence of an earlier era. National Park Service officials say the area was farmed and timbered until the 1940s, and remnants of earlier settlement remain along the river corridor, including the former community of Lilly near the confluence of the Bluestone and Little Bluestone rivers.
Visitors don’t have to undertake the long turnpike hike to experience the landscape. Pipestem provides trails and overlooks above the gorge, while the tram provides access to the river level below.
Festival begins Friday evening
Oktoberfest will begin Friday, Oct. 16, with a German buffet from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Bluestone Dining Room at McKeever Lodge.
Games and contests are planned that evening at the Black Bear Grill & Lounge, followed by a free concert featuring Reed and Walker.
Most activities are scheduled for Saturday. The Marktplatz will open at 10 a.m. at the headquarters grounds with handcrafted items from juried artisans, food trucks, and merchandise from state park gift shops. A cruise-in car show is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m.
Activities will continue throughout the day at Mountain Creek Lodge, while Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys will perform during a separate ticketed event at the Faulconer Room at McKeever Lodge.
Sunday turns to the outdoors
The weekend will conclude Sunday, Oct. 18, with special breakfast and brunch offerings and a women’s hike recognizing the first all-female spacewalk, which occurred in October 2019.
Many festival activities and performances will be free, while food, beverages, and several special events will be available for purchase or require tickets.
For visitors arriving during the usual mid-October foliage peak, reaching part of West Virginia’s newest Oktoberfest will involve an experience uncommon at a fall festival: descending more than 1,000 feet from a mountain resort into a forested Appalachian gorge.