An Angler’s Paradise

Bluestone State Park abounds with opportunities to cast, camp, hike, and more this summer.

This story was originally published in the March 2025 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com.

Written by Taylor Maple
Photos Courtesy of West Virginia Department of Commerce

In Summers County, not far from where Virginia hugs the southern curve of West Virginia, Bluestone State Park offers central Appalachian outdoor recreation at its best. 

Most unique among the activities is the fishing. The park is situated on the shores of Bluestone Lake, where the Bluestone National Scenic River, the Greenbrier River, and the New River come together in an angler’s haven. “It’s the best of all worlds if you’re wanting to fish,” says Cory Hartman, District Fisheries Biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The differing characters of the water bodies that come together here mean anglers can find stream species, river species, and lake species near each other, Hartman explains, a variety of opportunities that don’t often occur in the same spot. 

“And there’s fishing year-round,” he says. The terrains of the rivers that feed the lake—the Bluestone from the west and the New from the south—means there are good places on the lake to fish at any time. “If you get a bunch of rain over in the eastern part of the state, the Greenbrier might be muddy, but the Bluestone has clear water, and vice versa.”

Anglers need the state’s typical fishing license and should abide by regulations outlined in the 2025 Fishing Regulations Summary and in Bluestone State Park’s brochures and signage, as there are some limits on how many fish you can harvest per day and how long those fish can be.  WVDNR staff appreciate the cooperation of the public as they work diligently to ensure that the environment of the lake is healthy and maintaining its proper ecosystem. They’re currently monitoring a situation in which certain fish species may be brought in from other parts of the country and interbreeding to produce offspring that aren’t as well-suited to local waters, Hartman notes, which they will recommend action to address if need be. He also says visitors should be aware that the Bluestone Dam is undergoing some modifications, which could impact access to some fishing spots. 

Sleepaway Camp

If folks are looking for a particularly picturesque spot to cast their line, there are a handful of vistas in the park that fit the bill in a way not many other campgrounds do. “We have our East Shore Campground, which is only accessible by boat,” says Bluestone State Park Superintendent Jessica Stoner. Camping here is such a unique experience that staff take reservations in-office or over the phone only, so that guests can’t book the spot online and arrive to a much more primitive experience than they may have been expecting. 

Campers booked to these sites arrive, call the camp office to check in, and then boat over. “There’s a little dock where you can tie your boat up, and you can set up a tent. There’s outhouses up there,” Stoner says. “It’s really pretty, it’s right on the lake, and lots of fishermen enjoy doing it. Locals, they’ll go and book three or four nights, and they’ll just spend all night fishing.” 

Twelve spots provide this unique accommodation on the East Shore, but Stoner says that they’re spread out enough that everyone gets their own slice of peace and quiet. 

Bluestone State Park has more typical campgrounds, too, if the uber-primitive opportunity isn’t your style. Meader Campground within the park has 32 sites open to both RV and tent campers, seven of which include electric and water hookups. 15 more sites are electric only, and some sites don’t have any hookups at all. Stoner notes that the sites without hookups are closest to the water. “They’re real pretty, but you have to sacrifice the creature comforts for the water,” she says. The Tent Area campground is made up of five rustic sites “for groups looking for the ultimate camping experience,” and Old Mill Campground offers 44 more with a central bathhouse.

The area is prone to flooding, and although the park can be affected more than usual by large weather events like Hurricane Helene in September 2024, the park staff works diligently to clean things up as quickly as possible. Because conditions can be difficult to predict months in advance, camping reservations open only about three weeks ahead of time.

Take to the Trail

It’s not all fishing and camping. Hiking is another favorite activity, Stoner says. “We have about 10 miles of trails total, and we’re also at one end of the Bluestone Turnpike Trail, which goes along the Bluestone National Scenic River,” she says. “Most of our trails are pretty strenuous.” Indeed, only the Riverview and Mary Ingles trails are described as easy on the park’s website—although they’re certainly not boring, with the former offering waterfalls and excellent opportunities for birding and spotting wetland species and the latter boasting a fantastic view of Bluestone Dam and wildlife. Other hiking trails at the park include the moderate Cabin, Giles–Fayette–Kanawha Turnpike, Overlook, Pawpaw, and Rhododendron trails and the strenuous Big Pine, Boundary, and Eagle Point trails.

Each trail has its own character—some are meandering, some traipse through wild turkey territory, and some, like Eagle Point, drop hikers at stunning views along high cliffs. Much of the land is also steeped in history—those who choose to hike the Giles–Fayette–Kanawha Turnpike Trail retrace the steps Booker T. Washington took at age nine as he left slavery following the Emancipation Proclamation, and they see the path former U.S. Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley took as well. The Mary Ingles Trail, as the name suggests, retraces the steps of American pioneer Mary Draper Ingles, who trekked more than 500 miles home after being taken captive by Native Americans during the French and Indian War. 

Again, due to potential flooding conditions, hopeful hikers should check the park’s website to note which trails may have inaccessible portions during high water events and which are only advisable when Bluestone Lake is below a certain water level.

So Much More

Bluestone Lake is the state’s third-largest body of water, at 2,040 acres, meaning boating is a large part of the fun at Bluestone State Park. Public boat launches can be found on the Bluestone River and at Bluestone Lake, and fishing boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, and canoes can be rented at the Bluestone Marina.  

In warmer months, Bluestone has an outdoor swimming pool and equipment available to rent for croquet, shuffleboard, horseshoe, basketball, and volleyball. The park also hosts an American Brother Foundation event every October: the USMC Sgt. Mecot Camara Memorial Ruck. “It’s in memory of a local Marine who was killed in the Beirut bombings in the 1980s,” Stoner says. “They raise money for scholarships for kids whose parents have died in war, and they provide support for people who’ve lost their siblings in combat. It’s a good program.”

And if you’re hosting an event or gathering of your own? The picnic shelter at Bluestone State Park may be rented from Memorial Day to November 1, and an event building is available to rent year-round.

Even more attractions can be found in areas neighboring the park, too. Stoner advises that Bluestone is a great jumping off point for hitting Pipestem Resort State Park—just 20 minutes down the road—which offers ziplining, mountain biking excursions, guided fishing trips, and swimming opportunities complete with inflatable slides and trampolines. She also notes that New River Gorge National Park is less than an hour away. 

Stoner recommends checking Bluestone State Park’s website for events and highlights www.exploresummerscounty.com as an additional resource for those hoping to stay up-to-date with the area at large. “They are awesome about making sure that everything in the area is on their website, and they get all our stuff,” she says. “There are things that we’re not hosting that people might be interested in if they’re staying with us.”

You heard it here—just about everything an outdoors enthusiast desires can be found at Bluestone State Park and its surrounding areas. All that’s left to do is hike, swim, boat, and fish these lands for yourself.