West Virginia state parks: raft a raging river, enjoy a soothing massage, or revel in our pioneer past - Cover Story

Travel America, March-April, 2004 by Roberta Sotonoff

Almost every state park has hiking train, camping, and wildlife. West Virginia's parks have that and more.

Amenities like championship golf courses, stables, some of the best whitewater in the country, and even Roman baths make each of West Virginia's 34 state parks unique. They can satisfy the nature lover as well as the history buff or spa fanatic, and most have campgrounds if you want to rough it.

Here is just a sampling of West Virginia's stale parks:

Babcock State Park (Clifftop, 304-438-3004, www.babcocksp.com) is nestled in the mountain adjacent to the New River Gorge National River, one of the area's most popular whitewater rafting destinations. Boating, trout fishing, and swimming are what attract most visitors, but don't miss Glade Creek Grist Mill. The picturesque mill in a combination of parts salvaged from three old mills, some more than 100 years old, and is a living monument to the times when grinding meal along a stream was commonplace.

Berkeley Springs State Park (304-258-2711, www.berkeleyspringssp.com) is actually the town square of Berkeley Springs. Several bathhouses offer Roman baths, Victorian-style, clawfoot bathtubs, massage treatments, heat cabinets, and infra-red heat therapy. Sweet, pure, 74-degree mineral springs flow from the base of a steep ridge. For more than 200 years, people have come to "take the waters" and reap their healing benefits. In fact, the park can boast that George Washington soaked here. And if soaking is not enough, many people take bottles of the water home to drink. Over the last 20 years, health spas, art galleries, and even a homeopathic medicine factory have sprung up in the area, making West Virginia's eastern panhandle a popular weekend destination for East Coast residents.

Blackwater Falls State Park (Davis, 304-259-5216, www.blackwaterfalls. coin) is what you'd picture a state park to be--hiking trails, stables, nature and recreation programs, winter sports--the whole nine yards. What makes it unique is the Blackwater River. Tannic acid from fallen red spruce and hemlock needles gives the water its amber color. The falls, one of the most photographed in West Virginia, plunge five stories, sending the water roaring through an eight-mile-long river gorge. The vistas of the Blackwater Canyon at Lindy Point are drop-dead gorgeous, and just one-half toile from the lodge are where Pendleton Lake's falls do their cascading. To swimmers and boaters, the lake is a big attraction.

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park (Parkersburg, 304-420-4800, www.blennerhassettislandstatepark.com). In 1794 Harman Blennerhassett wed his niece Margaret. In Ireland, that was a no-no. They were forced to flee to the New World and ended up here. On their 500-acre, Ohio River island wilderness, Harman and Margaret built an ornate mansion. Life was idyllic until Harman got involved with Aaron Burr and an ill-fated plan to invade northern Mexico. Bad move. They got caught and lost everything. Today visitors flock to the island by paddlewheeler to see the reconstructed house, toodle around in a carriage, examine ancient Indian relics, or visit the hut where poet Walt Whitman spent time.

Cacapon Resort State Park (Berkeley Springs, 304-258-1022, www.cacaponresort.com). Way before this was a 6,000-acre state park, George Washington was a frequent visitor to its main attraction, 2,300-foot Cacapon Mountain. Its awesome view from Prospect Overlook encompasses the Potomac River Valley and three states--West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Cacapon River snakes around the mountain. Come for the view but enjoy the multitude of facilities that the park has to offer--a lodge, cabins, beach swimming at Cacapon Lake, fishing, golf, nature and recreation programs, 20 miles of hiking trails, and horseback riding. It's just 10 miles from the Roman baths in Berkeley Springs.

Canaan Valley Resort & Conference Center (Davis, 304-866-4121 or 800-622-4121, www.canaanresort.com) is located not far from Blackwater Falls State Park. The high-elevation valley is popular with skiers, but the golf course makes the park a year-round destination. Lodging ranges from the modern 250-room lodge with high-speed internet access to secluded cottages and campsites. The spa and health club are state of-the-art. Bring the family because kids-only activities (even ski instruction) let you do your own thing. In the summer, children can busy themselves with miniature golf, tennis, hiking, or naturalist programs. Check out the variety of affordable ski and golf packages.

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park (Hillsboro, 304-653-4254, www. wvparks.com/droopmountainbattlefield) probably would have stayed wilderness and never become a state park or one of the 300 Civil War Discovery Trail links had it not been for Union Brigadier General William W. Averell. It was here, on November 6, 1863. that he staged the state's last important Civil War battle, successfully disrupting the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad. A re-enactment of the event is performed every fall at the park, located just north of Lewisburg.