Meet West Virginia’s Newest State Park

Summersville Lake State Park means more fun to come in Nicholas County.

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

Written by Caryn Gresham

Photos Courtesy of West Virginia Department of Commerce

Good news for those who enjoy West Virginia’s state parks: There’s now even more to love. A new property acquisition approved by the state Legislature in 2023 has given the state park system 177 acres of prime outdoor recreation lands adjacent to Summersville Lake—a premier tourism attraction since it was created in 1966.

“Summersville Lake is an iconic place in our beautiful state, filled with lots of special memories for many families,” said then–West Virginia Governor Jim Justice at an August 2023 public ceremony where he signed the bill creating the new state park. “The opportunity to add another state park is a testament to the major impact our investments in tourism and in our parks is having in West Virginia. I can’t wait to see people from far and wide enjoying Summersville Lake State Park very soon.”

The ceremony was also an occasion for celebrating more than $150 million in improvements at state parks in recent years, including upgrades at every state-operated lodge and cabin across the state—and the growing state park visitation and revenues that have followed. “We could not be more appreciative of the Legislature’s continued support of our investments in expanding and improving recreation in our great state,” said Chelsea Ruby, cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism. “West Virginia has truly become a national leader.”

Our New Park

Summersville Lake is a reservoir formed by a 1960s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control dam on the Gauley River. Located just south of Summersville in Nicholas County and accounting for 2,700 acres, it’s the state’s largest lake. With more than 60 miles of shoreline at the summer pool level, a maximum depth of 327 feet, and famously clear water, the lake is loved for many activities. Families visit its beaches to swim, sun, and play. Climbers scale the miles of cliffs that rise to 70 feet above the water. Anglers fish for bass, walleye, and more. Boaters paddle and motor across its surface, and scuba divers explore its depths.

“Summersville Lake attracts visitors from around the world,” says Tracy McCoy, executive director of the Summersville Convention and Visitors Bureau. That’s due in part to the lake’s rock cliffs, widely known as some of the finest rock climbing in the eastern United States—plus the wide variety of other activities. “Hundreds of thousands of people come to Summersville Lake every year to enjoy water sports like boating, fishing, and scuba diving and recreation like hiking, biking, and rock climbing.”

The new Summersville Lake State Park is located on the northern shore of this popular lake, directly off U.S. Route 19 and just two miles south of Summersville. It is West Virginia’s 36th state park and the first park added to the state park system in more than 30 years. It’s also West Virginia’s first state park that has climbing access, and as programs are developed, it may be the nation’s first state park with programs promoting climbing and climbing education.

The property provides access to world-class climbing, from Pirate’s Cove to the well-known Circus Wall. This area boasts 220 climbing routes. Trad, or traditional, and sport routes are accessible from the park year ’round. In the summertime, people who are paddling or boating on the lake can reach the cove, which features a beautiful waterfall with striking overhanging walls. The new Sunset Loop trail is complete and adds 2.3 miles to the two existing hiking and biking trails used for decades by climbers from all over the country and local climbers alike, giving the park almost 3.5 miles of trails. Along with day-use picnic facilities and a parking lot, all of these areas and activities are now open to the public.

Partnerships and plans

The new state park is one more destination in a part of the state that draws visitors for many reasons—Director McCoy of the Summersville CVB ticks off historic Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park, Hawks Nest State Park, Babcock State Park, and the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve among them.

It takes a community hospitality effort to manage so many destinations and welcome so many guests, and McCoy says visitors to Summersville Lake State Park are welcome. “Our local community and business leaders are ready to do what we need to do to make visits to the new state park enjoyable,” she says. “We understand the importance of hospitality and value for our visitors.”

Summersville Lake State Park becomes the fifth West Virginia state park adjacent to lakes, dams, and reservoirs that are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers—the others are Beech Fork, Bluestone, Stonewall Resort, and Tygart—and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to be responsible for the maintenance and operations of the Summersville Lake and dam.

Development of the park will take place through a public–private partnership. It will be the second state park, along with Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County, to be operated under this system. “Public–private partnerships are being considered more and more for national and state parks,” says Deputy Chief of Parks Paul Redford. “A good partnership aligned with the mission and values of our state park system can bring support for the development, construction, maintenance, and operation of a state park.”

With a concessionaire in place, 2025 is off to a great start, says Park Superintendent Keith Richardson. This includes the completion of 47 full hookup RV sites with water, electricity, sewer, and wi-fi. A multi-site primitive camping area and restroom facilities are also available, as well as a spacious day-use picnic area with access to the park’s trails that has already proven itself popular with guests. “We’ve been working in partnership with NRAC”—the New River Alliance of Climbers—“to garner advice on how to expand climbing and bouldering opportunities, provide a family-friendly beginner’s climbing area, and enhance climbing experiences accessible in and through the park,” he says.

Beyond that, plans under consideration include further improvements to hiking and biking trails, the construction of cabins and an outdoor amphitheater, and possibly, one day, the addition of aerial sports. “We are taking the development of this park step-by-step,” says Redford. The agency is committed to enhancing the rock-climbing options at the state park, he says, and looking at providing rock-climbing education and information in the future.

Meanwhile, McCoy is looking forward to seeing visitors post photos of themselves on the new Almost Heaven swing on the park property. The swing was crafted by Nicholas County Career and Technical Center students. “We are proud to be home to the state’s newest state park.” For more information as the park continues to grow, check out WVstateparks.com/summersville.