One of Nitro's best kept secrets, conveniently close to town but far enough out to be the perfect…read moreway to escape the hustle and bustle for a little while. Beautiful and peaceful place to relax, spend time with the family (including the canine members of the family), fish, hike (with a mix of clear gravel trails or rougher dirt trails), or even take a canoe or kayak out on the lake. Also great for group picnics, community events, weddings, birthday parties, or just gathering with friends for a relaxing day by the lake.

Nice walk around the lake and (if you like) through the woods. Picnic areas. Gazebo. Dog run. I go…read morethere in all seasons.

OK we went here in the fall, but I bet this place is hopping in the summer. It has everything a…read moresummer RV-er could want. Beautiful campgrounds kept very clean. Playgrounds for the kids. A swimming pool (no swimming in the lake). A gorgeous lake that you can take a boat out on. Trails to hike. Camper's paradise. There were no real campers there when we stopped by, probably because it was late October and it gets pretty cold in WV that time of year. It's pretty "off the beaten path" too. Oh, but what a place to go camping.

I wish I could do multiple rankings. I would give this place 5 stars based on our first two nights…read morethere (we were alone in the tent campground), but a group of men with ~15 bear hunting dogs showed up the third day, and their incessant howling (and the campground host's refusal to do anything about it) caused us to leave early. Another camping couple who had just arrived was equally concerned. If we'd arrived that day, I'd be giving this place 1 star. Here is a link to our full experience of Moncove Lake State Park and surrounds (some of which was quite magical): http://www.melissarooneywriting.com/blog/2021/10/covid-camping-and-bear-hounding/

I had a great time on the Little Coal River thanks to Jim at Oars or Ours. I was visiting from…read moreSouthern California, and gave Jim an idea of what I was looking for, and he hit the nail on the head. I had called several times and picked his brain prior to booking, and he was very gracious with his time. He went out of his way to ensure that I had a great time. Had a great conversation with him to and from the drop-off/pick-up points. I highly recommend these guys! Thanks to Jim, and the rest of his team, what a great family owned business!

From the owner: We are a Kayak and SUP rental company. We have Grab N Go as well as extended rentals (up to 5 days)…read morewith optional delivery. We are adding new pricing and new options all the time so check back.

Tony Vanoy and I stopped at Stephens Lake in Beckley WV area. It's free to go to park no admission…read morefees and the Swing is free to Enjoy! It's located near the Frisbee Course! Lisa Diane Boyce-Vanoy #wvswings #2025endofsummerroadtrip #AlmostHeaven

Very clean and well run again this year. Snack bar surprisingly had good food and reasonable in…read morethere prices

This park is one of those ones that feels like a private to public site; the majestic house at the…read morelakefront has been turned into a visitor center. The visitor center has a room or two of exhibitions on hydrology and wildlife but is not anything big. I came seeking a New Year's hike and expecting some scenery while being unsure if the amount of trails available would be enough. I managed to spend a solid two hours circumnavigating the place. In summer, swimming and boating are more likely the activities du jour, and it appears to be an excellent place for such activities. While the park looks close to the highway on the map, it feels like being at a park and there isn't any road noise. Like most VA state parks, they do charge for parking (waived for New Year's Day).

Don't let all my NJ posts fool you. I was born and raised in southwest Virginia and most of my…read morefamily still lives there. Although I am forever grateful that my parents moved us out of the area when we were younger - especially when I get a peek at the local electoral maps - my heart remains in the mountains. Can't say my brains remain here though because it took until today to realize Claytor Lake was 1) a state park and 2) gorgeous and amazing. All these years I just thought it was nowhere special that my cousins would go fishing. And to think I road trip all the way to NH and Maine every year and could have just driven 7 miles from my grandmother's for an equally rewarding experience. I had cabin fever today at my granny's and caught the local Outdoors magazine write up about Claytor Lake. There's camping?? Swimming?? Trails?? I watched a few videos on YouTube then got in the car to see for myself. Need to know: -There's a booth at the entrance - closed after 4pm. $7 parking fee for most paid by the honor system with cash or check or by card through the QR code during after hours. There are 4 campgrounds - I only saw Campground D open and it was overwhelmingly being used by those with RVs, teardrops, and campers. These are NOT wooded lots, rather gravel pull-ins and you'll likely be very close to your neighbor. A lil too close for me but I can see it not being a huge deal since everyone had campers to sleep in. I took a drive through this campground to see if I would feel comfortable and I didn't see any displays that would make me think I wouldn't (you picking up what I'm putting down?) Trails and paved paths galore. I saw one trail today but didn't get to explore much. Apparently the only shoes I packed for this trip were Crocs. Paved paths snake through the park and are accessible for those with mobility devices. The "lake" was created by damming the river. The water is clear by the shore. We love clean river water! Tons of shelters, grills, benches. There is something for everyone! Not sure if shelters are first come first serve or if you need to book them in high season - check the website. There's a gift shop but it was closed. I was bummed because you know I love stickers! I am counting down the days until I can return in the warmer weather. I would not be opposed to camping here or swimming once they reopen the beach for the season. I also look forward to exploring the trails. Fantastic solo outing. What a gem in my little country corner of the world.

We were in West Virginia for my husband's work and made it a little leaf peeping Excursion. Babcock…read moreis on the top of the list of places I like to go the mill and the lake plus the colors around the area are just gorgeous lots of Reds oranges and yellows. No fee to enter they have restrooms that are easy to access and flushy bathrooms. There is a Almost Heaven swing by the mill. But what the pictures don't show is the sound of the Rushing Water it's just all so beautiful. Recommend bringing snacks in a beverage have a little picnic. Fall is the prettiest time but I'm sure it's beautiful anytime of year I'm sure with some snow would be gorgeous but I'd be a little scared to tackle all the West Virginia curvy roads with some ice and snow. This year we had such a dry drought year that no one thought the fall was going to be worth seeing so we didn't make any Leaf peeping vacations. If he hadn't had this work trip we would have missed out on on this for the year. Considering the dryness the colors were doing pretty good around here we had went to other areas where the leaves were already down around black around Blackwater and Seneca Rock. But the bugs were quite annoying mainly lots of gnats that if you stopped moving they were really annoying. We've been here a few other times in other years and this is the only time that was an issue. At the lake they have porta potties and the moved them to block the lake view Which is unfortunate. Please move them. !!

Did a quick stopover on the way to Hawk's Nest SP, and wow, this place is beautiful! One of the…read moremost frequently visited state parks in WV and it's easy to see why! The grist mill is absolutely iconic, sitting atop a picturesque waterfall. The park has a mountain lake for water activities, plenty of trails, and even cabins for longer stays! There's an Almost Heaven swing right by the mill and visitor's center, and the CCC stonework is stunning. The New River Gorge bridge is about 20-30 minutes away depending on how well you drive on mountain roads, and there's plenty to do in the area for a fun weekend or even longer! I will definitely be back myself!

We found Mountain 2 Island Paddleboarding through Claytor Lake State Park (exit 101 off I-81)and…read morechecked out their website. They offer lessons and paddleboard rentals. Lessons are cheaper when you bring more people with you. When we gave them a call no one answered, but someone called right back. The man was extremely nice and answered all of my questions. They were also pretty flexible with reservations days and times which I thought was great. Mtn2Island is next to the Claytor Lake State Park visitor center. You have to pay the $5 dollar Park entrance fee (for park maintenance people, totally worth it!) Transactions were completed through Square using iPads (love that). They fitted us for a paddle, gave us a lifejacket (he said VA law requires you have one with you), and then we got to it. They had the paddleboards down by the dock, and the Mtn2Island people put them in the water for us. The instructor, Issac, was very calm and extremely patient while my younger sister (who is in her 30s by the way) was in hysterics about getting in the water. Another young lady, Rachel, came down to help coax her into giving it a try. It took them about 30 minutes to get her to get in the water, but she did. It was definitely harder than I thought it would be and I don't recommend doing squats the day before because my legs were killing me after, but it was a lot of fun and I would do it again. The waves from the nearby boat made it difficult for me to keep my balance and about that time my sister fell in (she was wearing her life jacket and was totally fine), but she got back on her board and we made it back to the docks.

We got lucky with our experience with Mountain 2 Island. We were camping at Claytor Lake and…read morewanted to rent a pontoon. We were lucky enough to be able to rent one of the last boats. We were expecting something that was run down but works. To our amazement we were given a brand new Bentley pontoon. It literally had 1 hr on the engine. Service was great. We were able to take our two pups on the water with us. We will be back and hope to use them again. Beautiful lake that we were able to explore thanks to Mountain 2 Island.

Very nice little park. Has a pretty lake for fishing. Stuff for kids and mini golf in good…read moreweather. The disc golf course is very nice but could use better signage. There are tennis courts and looks like a new amphitheater

This was a surprise find while I was traveling the area...even more surprising was that the park…read morewas larger than what appeared to be. If you take the narrow road it keeps going and there are many spots on the lake and picnic shelters back beyond initial view.

There's good spots for sightseeing at both the top and bottom of the dam. We stopped here on a road…read moretrip to stretch our legs and this was a good spot to get some fresh air. There are bathrooms and water fountains, but they were off for the winter. :( There's also a playground, picnic tables, and a pavilion that you can rent to reserve.

Sutton, WV was first settled in 1792 in what was then Bath County, Virginia. It served as a…read morecrucial spot in the Civil War for the Union. In the mid 1800's Confederates burned most of the town to the ground. We rebuilt. This review comes from my memoirs. Wait, I haven't written them, but, if I did, I would give at least one chapter to my teenage years spent partying and hanging out at Sutton Lake. I went to high school in Sutton, and, we often skipped school and headed for the lake for a day of fun filled drankin' and smokin' and, well, you know. The early 80's were for socializing and partying with my gang of peeps. It's amazing I graduated. That any of us did, for that matter. Everytime I go home, I always visit the lake. When I was going there in my teens, it was simply a beautiful lake enveloped by the beautiful Appalachian Mtns, with picnic areas. Sometimes it felt as if those mountains were hugging you. Today, there is much more recreation to be had, but, this review is about my memories. All through high school, this was the spot. I had a music (Jazz Chorus) teacher who knew what was going on, so he would sometimes show up and stay with us. I didn't realize what he was doing until I became a mature adult. He was our protector, not, enabler. In the 80's, where I was from, kids would be kids. No matter what ma' and pa' said. I lived 40 miles from the school. If I missed the bus, which I often did, I had to hoof it home on my thumb. Many a time I would arrive home at 2100 or later, drunk, high, sober, hungover and famished and tired, only to be met at the door with my very angry grandmother (God love her, she raised me) and a fist full of brier switches! Let me tell you, that is the best time to take a beating because you are so numb you feel nothing. It's like, "Hey! You missed a spot!" I miss those years. I like to refer to them as my "rebel without a clue years", and, I have not one regret! Thanks for letting me share my personal story!

Very beautiful falls about 1hour and 30 minutes from Fayetteville, WV. But worth the drive. Decent…read moreparking available. Unless you are planning to do trail or jump in water, enjoying the falls shouldn't take more than 30 mins. A short video to see what kind of falls are those - Sandstone Falls | New River Gorge National Park | waterfall | West Virginia https://youtube.com/shorts/rmWsuQsRkjQ?feature=share

I highly recommend visiting Sandstone Falls if you are in the area. It has a handicapped accessible…read moreboardwalk trail and also an optional trail that while slightly rocky, is doable for most people. It's also pet friendly. Beautiful views of the New River.