It's true even if it's cliché. Spending time in the great outdoors can really change your…read moreperspective and give you a hopefulness that things will be alright. We decided to check out Paul's place because it was fairly close and he was so friendly on the phone when I called for more specific info. It's definitely a laid back and rustic environment but I was all in. Paul takes care of his customers and he was very adamant in teaching us the rules of the river before letting us launch. I had $60 in cash and he would only take $40 even thought the price was listed as $50. It's a great deal for you to kayak, paddle board and tube on the gorgeous river. We had it basically to ourselves that day and it was a revelation. The only thing I'd say is there needs to be upgrades to the life jackets. Most of them were child sized. However, all of the other equipment was well maintained. Please go and support this business!

Mr. Paul is just as good a person you would ever meet..... This is great for all ages and skill…read morelevels.... God Bless you Mr. Moody.

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.

Good food from Cascade Cafe Friendly service…read moreNice Wifi Interesting things to shop for and look at. Outdoor services available. Fishing, boating etc.

We're from northern VA and to some in other parts of VA, we might as well be from DC. That being…read moresaid, lifestyles vary greatly throughout regions. I called and made reservations through Tangent Outfitters a month ahead of our stay in Pearisburg and when we neared the time of our arrival our plans changed and I called to change dates. In northern VA, we call, we text... maybe I left one too many messages; it's just the way I think the world works- but I could be wrong. Unfortunately, when the day arrived for our kayaking trip, we had immense rain and as city folks, we didn't feel comfortable and called to cancel our reservations, again, maybe that was the one too many calls. Shawn's response was, "ah, I'm over it. If you want to come great; if you don't..." at first I wanted to believe that he was referring to the rain- 'being over" one of the rainiest springs we've experienced in VA, but after some thought, I'm pretty sure he was referring to my calls. Being patient is important, especially in business. The Pearisburg/Pembroke/Blacksburg area is beautiful and we hope to be back soon, but I'm not sure if I'd make another call to Tangent Outfitters.

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.

We called one day ahead (on a Thursday) and asked about kayak rentals. The girl who answered said…read moreyes the river levels were appropriate and we could rent kayaks on Friday -- "just call us around 10am tomorrow and we will let you know when we can get you out" she said. We drove across the state, bought a hotel, and called on Friday at 10am; the girl on the phone immediately said "hold on" and handed the phone to a gentleman who informed me that she is "new" and was mistaking and that for the last couple weeks they had only been running on weekends. I attempted to complain but only response from gentleman was "I don't know what to say, she's new and got it wrong." Needless to say, we were beyond furious at the expense we had put into a wasted trip. Will NEVER use this company (or try to use them) again!

No obvious etymology for this fancifully named park appeared during my visit. It isn't among the…read moretop VA state parks in terms of natural splendor, but it has several trails, a lake, abundant camping facilities, and plenty to offer for one who is in the area. Like most VA state parks, they do a cash self-pay entrance, so you would either want to have an annual pass or some small bills. Cell reception was quite limited for me in this remote area, which may be what you want out of coming to a park.

What a beautiful tucked away nature spot. We came just for the day to wrap up the summer. Parking…read moreis $7 and it gets you into the park where there is a swimming beach, playgrounds, hiking trails and picnic shelters. The park was exceptionally clean. The beach was immaculate and we were the only ones there. None of the shops were open but that was fine. The beach is a short walk from the parking lot downhill, if bringing chairs and other supplies I would recommend bringing a wagon. It is shallow and roped off so perfect for my small children who are inexperienced swimmers. No lifeguard on duty so keep a watchful eye. There are sand showers for when you leave your shower off the sand. The area is beautiful and it is private. Two playgrounds, cabins and yurts for rent. A perfect way to spend the last day of summer.

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.

My local West Virginia friend started out the day by driving north from Princeton to Beckley. Along…read morethe way, I mentioned the abandoned theme park attraction and we made a pitstop. I saw that this was a theme park in a West Virginia tourism video on YouTube, but the property fell into disrepair over the years and itself became a tourist attraction in its own right. Some say it's haunted as well. Entrance into the property is by appointment only. When we arrived at the property, we saw the gate locked up with an aged sign posted with a phone number. We assumed that it would be open for tourists, but ended up disappointed. We wandered around the property for a bit and peeked inside the fencing and saw a lot of stuff were in disrepair and felt like it was a bit more than unusual. Too bad they don't fix it up to be a reputable theme park for the local West Virginians who want to come to visit again. With that said, we spent 10 minutes touring around outside the fencing until we decided to call the number on the signage. We did not receive anything. It kept ringing for a minute or so and then we just hung up. After that, we just got back in the car and made our way northward to Beckley. The drive to get us here was exciting as it could be but as it turned out, it was anything but. The disappointment factor was off the charts that day but we assumed it was going to be open and not chained up. We should have called ahead but we didn't. Lesson learned to call ahead to make arrangements. The overall experience here at the abandoned theme park at Lake Shawnee was very interesting and quite off to be in path for sure. It is not something that you would want to see in everyday travels, whether you're visiting or are on business. Since I did not have any history on the theme, park itself, I resorted to finding any information online and it was quite a learning experience to hear that the theme park was in need of desperate face left. But nobody seemed to care over the years and decades, so it just sat there like this and it tends to be a tourist attraction all by itself, willingly or unwillingly. For the most part though, the abandoned theme park at Lake Shawnee is pretty much haunted. As far as I was concerned at least. Even the signature Ferris wheel looked like it seen better days for sure, even though it was relatively brand new in the 1980's. And so, if you decide to venture into the abandoned amusement park in southern West Virginia, consider making arrangements first to get access to the grounds ahead of your arrival. Maybe 10-14 days beforehand so you get full confirmation prior to arrival. Don't be a bonehead like i was. Well, maybe. And so, if you enjoy this kind of thing, consider making a road trip and come out to the abandoned theme park. While there is a lot of dark history surrounding the theme park and definitely is haunted, the park is generally okay during the day like many places out there. Just don't venture at night unless you don't want to get spooked easily. Unless you enjoy that kind of thing like ghost hunters do. The abandoned theme park at Lake Shawnee is located in the outskirts of Princeton, West Virginia. I learned about the cost of admission when I was writing this review and it was sizable. There is an official website where you can book tours online. There's a day time tour and a ghostly overnight tour too. Do so at your own risk with either that you do. I assume major credit cards are accepted if you pay online. They probably accept cash in person too. As far as parking goes, I'm sure there's parking options available when you get to the site itself. As long as they know you are confirmed and are coming, there's plenty of parking here for your benefit. I doubt that there is any viable public transportation that would be readily available for anybody and everybody to come from Princeton or anywhere in between. You would have to have your own personal vehicle or rent one for the most convenient experience. Then there's always Uber or Lyft at your disposal, but best believe that it could be a very expensive ride because of the remote location that you're trying to reach. With that said, if you're really into ghost stories and theme parks that have seen better days, you're more than welcome to enjoy this place. Too bad it's not in-use anymore. Otherwise, it would have been something to look forward to share memories with family or friends. 3.0 stars for the overall experience. Too bad I didn't get a chance to check out the tour. On the flip side, I don't want to scare myself to sleep either. Support local! C

This location was listed in the Paranormal Trail for West Virginia. Like many others, we tried to…read moreschedule a tour but had no luck. We did end up driving by to try and check it out but you can't really see anything but overgrowth. There is a locked chain length fence with a sign and what looks like a dilipadated trailer home, but after seeing the location for myself I'm glad no one responded because there is no way a tour here could possibly be worth what they are asking.

We had an incredible time with Brian on the Smith River. He took the time to teach the beginners…read morehow to navigate their kayaks and educated us on wildlife along the way. Our crew had a blast! Professional, knowledgeable, and patient!

Spent a few days last week with Brian from Smith River Outfitters on the Smith River. This guy know…read morefly fishing and the Smith River. I was impressed with his knowledge of where to fish, what to use, and the habits of the wildlife on the river. Also find out the his company also does float trips and rental several different types of water craft for river use. It's not often one that a client gets the owner of the business as a guide, I was fortunate. If you decide to fish the Smith call his company and ask for him. He will put you on fish, keep you entertained and provide memories for a lifetime. Check out his web site the pictures are the real deal. I will fish with him again.

called ahead day of and Mike said he would take us. made reservation for 1:30. showed up at 1:30…read moreand Mike told us they were closing and couldn't take us. drove over an hour to get there with no warning. waste of time

Good outfit! We rented kayaks, and they drove us to the launch point and picked us up without…read moreissue. Pretty stretch of river. Made for a pleasant day.