Close to a college town, this rail to trail is long, relatively unimpeded, and offers river views…read more There were multiple parking lots at what is currently the south end of the trail, as well as signage indicating that some of the railway had been sold to buyers who were not part of the trail, so it kind of starts midway along the rail line. Regardless, it is a longer trail than I had time for and the part I completed was easily worthwhile.

Southern end -…read more Good surface. RR wide. Some restrooms Only problem is trail maps are mis-leading. Caldwell is beginning but is MP 3, not 1 Easy access - well signed Few road crossings

I absolutely loved walking along the boardwalk and seeing all of the cool stone and rocky views a…read morelong the way. So cool! Would love to explore more of the park someday. Unfortunately, the rest room needs attention. I couldn't even use it with the amount of flies in there. It was unbelievable. However, go before you get there because the boardwalk is worth the trip. In the area, check it out!

I had no idea what to expect from this park when I put it on my list of things to visit in WV, and…read morewas amazed! The sandstone rock formations are some of the most unusual and unique geological structures I have ever seen. To protect the flora and the stones, the path is via raised wooden walkway. There are loads of stairs and at one point I felt like I was in an Escher painting. It's not a long hike, and the stairs are rarely more than 6 in a row, so unless you just cannot navigate stairs at all you shouldn't have any problems. Highly recommend this hidden gem!

I didn't get to spend a lot of time in the park, basically I drove up to the Lookout Tower and took…read moresome photos. From what I could see driving through, it has a lot of history and would be a good place to spend some time if you have an interest in the Civil War. Regardless of your bent on history, the Lookout Tower is worth the time to visit. You get some great views of the surrounding country side. Worth the trip!

First of all, someone give Sam Parker a raise!!…read more He was great! Not only did he grab a bunch of maps and brochures for our huge crowd, once he realized what we were looking to do, he grabbed a bunch of flashlights and joined us. He was very informative, not only about the events that took place here, but also about the land itself. Everything from edible mushrooms to salamanders, all sorts of wildlife and plants. And lots of fun stories! He joked around with us and the 16 kiddos we brought along, had fun conversations, and we even made sure to snap a photo or two of and with him. As for the mountain, it's very historical for the civil war period. Every family vacation we go on we find a place that's not only historical but also dubbed as being haunted. A little two for one deal. Caught lots of fun things on pic and recording. Had a nice hike around. Went through the trenches, explored a cave, looked out over the landscape, found the horse burial grounds, toured the tiny little museum, found lots of little critters. It was a fun day for our group that ranged from ages 2 to 40. After our hike we did drive up to the lookout as well, and let the little one play on the playground. They do have bathrooms there. Well, a hole in the ground, but it does the job! Everyone had a good time! Would love to go back again one day!

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/

What a wonderful place and great staff We visited this…read morelocation in the offseason. It is situated at the intersection of WV 39 and WV 150. Driving through the intersection off of WV 150 takes you into the entrance of the park. The street is called Cranberry Vista and winds up the hill and into a couple of fair-sized parking lots. The challenge with visiting on the off-season is that it may be closed. Please check your dates and whether it is open when you visit. We were very lucky because after we parked and tried the door, we saw the sign that it was closed but a very nice lady who happened to be working inside came to the door and explained about the nearby parks and gave us suggestions as to places to visit like the Glades (just down the road). There are many places to see from this location that are not very far by car. It is a great place to start your exploration of the area. I plan to return during the season just to visit the shop and center but I would still recommend this place due to our wonderful experience with their excellent staff who cared enough to open up and talk to us even though they were closed.

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.

This river gradually drains into the James, where it meanders downstream into the Richmond…read morewaterfront before becoming and estuary and ultimately entering the Chesapeake Bay. This is a strange thing to think about standing in this small college town with its military history. The park has some parking both on the island and before you get there, as well as some decent restroom facilities. It is an area that looks like you could wade or swim across under some conditions, and there were people and dogs swimming. The nature trail is a short loop, but a nice resource for the community to have. Construction at the university made access a little difficult at the time of my visit, but certainly still possible.

This is a wonderful park great for walking having a picnic and enjoying the river sounds and views…read moremaybe even a BBQ. Location doesn't have swings etc. Its just a wide open space with trees near the river. The weekends are a little hectic if their is a game going on.

Gorgeous State Park and one of my favorites since I was a kid. My parents used to take us camping…read moreand fishing here. My brothers and I used to love to swim in the streams and ride our bikes. I love to go here and hike with my own kids. The area is so quiet and so lovely, extremely peaceful. I always leave feeling refreshed and alive. I love to walk calmly through the forest and think. When I was a kid, I would pretend to be an indian or a pioneer, sometimes an escaping captive fleeing through the woods. I have always had an overwhelming creative imagination. The park is lovely to camp in and great locations for fishing. No huge waterfalls but still nice small ones. If you are like me, you just enjoy being outside!!!

I stopped by recently for a little adventure :)…read more I've been here more times than I can count and at all times of the day and the night, but I never get tired of this place. The peace and tranquility here is off the charts. It was a beautiful day, the temperature was about 68, and the sky was perfect. Every time I leave here I go a different way out to try and get lost, but after about two hours of exploring and finding some cool new roads and places, I made it back onto US-33 off of Glady Fork Rd by The Lodge in Alpena. What a great place to relax and unwind and learn news roads in and out. I have always loved this whole area and I always will. I'll be seeing you again very soon Spruce Knob :D

Road was super curving and some was gravel . We stopped at a overlook and even though the light…read morewas going away it was a great view. I def wish we had more time and better light to appreciate it. We saw so many deer which i loved seeing. in the end light was going too fast we made it to the lake but didn't make it to the top because sun was going down. driving those roads in low light was a bit scary. I know my husband really had wanted to be heading home much earlier and not be driving those roads in the dark. But once he realized I was wanting more exploring he went with it. I really would like to return. I wish we had spent more time in WV and skipped skyline drive. I have fell in love with WV. He kept wanting to move on to SKyline drive and down to Gatlinburg. I was wanting all WV.

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

The provenance of this site is somewhat unclear, but I think it falls under the federal government…read moreand putting up my national parks pass was successful in getting me through a visit without paying any additional parking fee. The main falls are two miles uphill from the parking lot, but the entire journey is a series of eminently worthwhile sights and sounds. Signs warned of challenging currents for anyone taking a dip in the water, which some people did. I would note that when I arrived a rescue operation was underway and emergency services did drive someone by me with what thankfully appeared okay. There are trails on one elevated bank and one closer to the water, as well as some offshoots and extensions. It's a great stretch of forest where you could easily spend more time than the couple of hours I did.