If you are an admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt, this is definitely a place to add to your bucket list…read more ER's presence still permeates this small village which she supported and visited regularly not only while she was First Lady, but throughout the rest of her life. Kudos to the dedicated staff members who share the story of "Eleanor's Little Village" in WV!

This place was great, I'm surprised there are not more reviews…read more First thing, you need to take the tour, if you don't you will not get much of an experience because it is not the village it was when the community was built as part of the New Deal program. They seems to have low visitation so if you get to the visitors center and no one is in the office just wait a bit because they are probably giving a tour. There is a cute little shop right there too. We got a private tour from a former resident who grew up here, including the community center, admission building (filled with great artifacts, new paper clippings, photos, and items made in the CO-OPs), the iron shop, one of the houses (and got to see the goats our back which my little ones loved) fruit cellar, and gas station garage. There is a little co-op store (with local Preston County foods and items) next to the gas station that is in operation. I was rather disappointed that it was closed on Sunday. In addition In The visitors center you can get the brochure for the self guided driving tour, which points out original houses, the church, the old school buildings (which are closed), former health clinic etc... The website has a good documentary by WV public television which is helpful to watch for more background information (might be nice if they had a spot on site to play it) It's a cool spot to visit about 14 miles from Morgantown, some interested historical information about how The governments attempt to help during the depression. It is not government supported and depends on fundraising and volunteers to stay operating. It is worth the trip, plan 2 hours for up it visit (if you take the tour)

I have visited other universities' arboretums, and this one is not even close to being as good…read more This arboretum had few pretty plants to look at. It was mostly a walk among trees.

First class experience! Lots of fun, happy to say the teens (daughter & her cousin) had a blast…read moretoo. Cloudy with scattered rain turned out to be perfect weather- we had the river to ourselves! Water & air temps in the 70's, comfortable for the teens to take a nice swim during a calm stretch between rapids. Our guide Meghan was awesome and calm; and her love of the river really showed. (She's rafted our western rivers, and rivers all over the U.S.) Rapids were fun, Class 3's on the Cheat Narrows were nicely run, we would definitely do the higher classes or the single rafts for more adrenaline... this was a fun afternoon and with our capable guide a good experience for the kids! If you already enjoy rafting consider the longer course and bigger Rapids :) Because of the weather, folks must have stayed home, but that allowed us a personal experience with the whole crew focused on us: The Saftey Boater was JC. The Photographer was Bootsie with Kevin. Great photos. Kudos to the bus driver to the site, and the office staff on the logistics. Office dogs were a hit too! Helmets and gear all looked new & well maintained. A few helmets have GoPro mount bases on them already, bring your connectors. (I just tied mine to my vest)

The owners and staff are incredible. They all made this experience a trip of a lifetime. Everyone…read morewas very knowledgeable about their craft, the area and eager to show off their river. Safety was top notch. I've told my friends about this gem and now I can't wait to come back and bring them along!

One of the things that I love about my children is that they are so much braver than I ever was as…read morea child. I stand in awe at the risks they are willing to take. Even though the things they do make my hands sweaty, I don't want to stifle their spirit or curiosity, so we often do adventurous things that I would never do when I was a young girl. One of those things was going on a zipline canopy tour in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. You're probably thinking, "That's nothing! Ziplining is perfectly safe!" And I'm sure it is, somewhat. But sometimes, I'm still that timid little girl who is afraid to get hurt. And I try to avoid doing anything that requires me to sign a waiver, wear a helmet, be strapped in by trained personnel, be high up off the ground, etc. So, yes, I was being a good mom and taking my kids to do adventurous things, but I let them have all of the adventure while I waited safely on the ground. Kids can zipline and traverse the canopy tour by themselves as long as they weigh at least 70 pounds. They also have to be able to make it the whole two hours of the tour. When we visited, it was very cold, and even colder once you get high up in the trees. If you visit on a cold day, bring some thin gloves and a beanie! The people who do the tours are students at West Virginia University. The three students we encountered on our tour were super knowledgeable and good with kids. They made sure my kids had all of their safety gear on correctly, showed them the basics, made sure they understood how to zipline safely, showed them what to do if they got stuck in the middle of a zipline (ay, dios mio!) and checked in with them throughout the tour. I felt like safety was of the utmost importance to them, which I appreciated. The canopy tour consisted of four zip-lines, seven platforms up in the trees, an aerial bridge, aerial ladder and a rappel station to exit the course. It was a fun time! No one died or fell and became paralyzed. (I mean, what kind of paranoid sicko would even think that sort of thing?!) The only thing I would do differently is visit on a warmer day. At the end, my oldest child said he couldn't feel his fingers and he was actively shivering. So, visiting on a warm day would probably make the experience a lot more enjoyable.

My family and I ziplined here today. It is a first class operation all the way! The guides are…read moreprofessional and informative. The course is great. Before we embarked on the ziplines, we did a small, low-to-the-ground practice course. The guides made sure we all knew their hand signals and how to brake. Then, we did three ziplines, each one a little more adventurous than the last. We ended by stepping off a 45-foot platform, with the guides lowering us down on a cable. My kids (ages 12 and 14) had a blast. My husband and I loved it too. It was a great family adventure.

I attended the soft opening of the aquatics center today. It's a beautiful facility and the event…read morewas well attended. This will be the go to place for swimming, diving, indoor and outdoor water park, a place for fabulous birthday parties, training and wellness. Lots of activities are planned. What great community and university collaboration!

Loved this campground! I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because they need some trees on the tent…read moresites. They get full sun and there's no shade. Other than that this place was perfect. The camp store was really neat too! They had just about everything you could need and more. I'd definitely stay here again.

I will never forget my experience at Tygart Lake State Park. What could have been a frightening and…read moredangerous situation instead became one of the safest and most welcoming places I have ever been in my life. Special, heartfelt thanks to Park Ranger Patrick Miller -- truly a power ranger in every sense of the word. Ranger Miller immediately understood that it would have been far more dangerous to turn me away from an RV site. I was a first-time RV driver, snow was coming in, and I am from Louisiana, with no experience driving in winter conditions. His judgment, compassion, and leadership quite literally kept me safe. He tried to help me reverse the camper himself, assessed the situation carefully, and made sure I was secure -- recognizing that I had a winterized vehicle with its own bathroom and that staying put was the safest option. Under his leadership, his team -- JR, John, JJ, and others -- checked on me repeatedly, helped me make a fire, and even jumped my car when it stalled, despite the fact that roadside assistance never showed up when it should have. When my car stalled again later at The Lodge, they were there for me again. People like Jason from Tygart Lake and everyone associated with this park showed up every single time I needed help -- calmly, professionally, and with genuine care. What stood out most was that they didn't just "do their jobs." They cared. Every person I encountered at Tygart Lake State Park made me feel protected, respected, and welcomed. Under the leadership of Park Ranger Patrick Miller, this team embodies what public service is supposed to be. I truly felt like I was meant to be here, and I have never felt safer anywhere. This park -- and the people who run it -- are a treasure. I am deeply grateful. Update: 12/18/25 Horrible Customer Service at GIFT SHOP I bought a one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass ornament from the lodge gift shop that was supposed to light up. No one tested it at purchase, and when I got back to my room it didn't work. A staff member told me to bring it back for a battery replacement, but when I returned a different staff member was condescending and treated me like I was trying to get away with something over a $2 battery. I've spent close to $1,000 at the lodge in about a week, and this experience left me feeling accused instead of helped. By the time anyone tried to make it right, the tone had already done the damage, and I ended up canceling my New Year's Eve booking and taking my business elsewhere. This wasn't about the battery--it was about how I was treated.

Tygart Lake State Park, Grafton, WV. Mon-Tues, Sept 8-9, 2025. This state park, in the foothills…read moreof the Allegheny mountains in scenic north-central West Virginia, features a 10-mile long, 1,750 acre lake. The lake offers the usual water activities (swimming, boating, scuba diving, fishing (bass!), but also Adventure Lake with inflatables (closed when we visited). There are also trails for family-friendly hiking or biking, as well as options for staying overnight (a lodge and campground). There are also playgrounds for the kiddos. Our activities included: *Stopped at the PARK OFFICE to pick up a map. The ranger was friendly and helpful. The NATURE CENTER in the same building was closed. *Checked out the overlook near the DAM which regulates the waters of the Tygart Valley River. This is a tourist-friendly area with a visitors center/restrooms, informational signs, covered picnic tables, outdoor tables with phone charging stations, a WV photo-op at an "Almost Heaven" swing, free parking, and more. The U.S. Corps of Engineers also offers free tours of the dam every Friday in June, July, and August; pre-registration is required. *HIKED the easy Tygart Dam Trail (1.7 miles out-and-back, 160' elevation gain) that connects the Tygart Lake Dam to the Tygart Lodge. The trail was mostly flat, except for a steep paved section at the very beginning/ending on the dam side. There were limited views of the lake from the trail due to foliage, except near the lodge. Our turn around point was the lodge. We sat on a bench on the stairwell going up to the lodge to drink some water and eat a snack; a minor concern was that wasn't a bench in the shade. *Finally, we CAMPED overnight in our Class-B (van-sized) RV in the campground. There are 36 well-maintained sites, of which 26 are non-electric sites ($29.99/night) and 10 that offer 50-amp electric and water for $39.99. While the office on-site was closed when we arrived (Mon, 3:45 pm), there was a sign outlining ways to pay either by calling or online. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring. The restrooms/showers, about 50 yards from our site, were clean. We were one of only two campers on the night that we visited so it was very peaceful, and we enjoyed being able to see the dark night sky. We noted, however, that the sites are close together and campers wouldn't have much privacy at busier times. Also, wi-fi was unstable at our (but not all) sites. Overall, we had a very peaceful stay. While we encountered occasional people in the park office, on the trails, in the dam area, and in the campground, it was mostly a solitary experience on a Monday-Tuesday in early September. Also, some of the attractions (Adventure Lake, kayak rental, the Nature Center, campground office) were closed. We didn't have any security concerns. We hope to return one day.

Great resource for the local community. Work of local artists on display and some for sale, and…read morehoused in a historic old post office (ask for the tour!)

Upon arriving you come across a sign that says to find an open spot and they will catch up with you…read morefor payment. Most of the sites are seasonal, and unlevel. Although, it rained the week before the grass around our site was very high and obivously needed mowed and weed eated. It is a quite campground, again, most being seasonal. Once we wee able to level off and open up the quite atmosphere was refreshing. Nice thing, there is no check in check out rules, you can arrive and leave when you wish. Owner stopped in to say hi. Very nice person!!!!! Give it a try ya might like it...