The Story of Tygart

Tygart Lake State Park is an ultimate summer destination, full of fun for the whole family. 

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

Written by Dawn Nolan
Photos courtesy of West Virginia Department of Commerce

Miles of calm blue water, an unspoiled shoreline, and the forested foothills of the Allegheny Mountains—the view from the lodge at Tygart Lake State Park is a sight to behold. This place is truly a hidden treasure, and its crown jewel is the 10-mile long, 1,750-acre body of water after which the park is named. The lake has long been a go-to destination for boating, swimming, fishing, and other aquatic activities. 

“We always used to say that Tygart Lake was the best-kept secret, but word is getting out,” says Jacob Jackson, activities coordinator and park naturalist. “It’s becoming a busy little place.”

Along with locals, the park also gets frequent travelers from Pittsburgh—two hours—and Washington, D.C.—four hours—among other locations. “Those are just two major international airports within an afternoon’s drive of us,” says Assistant Superintendent Ben West. “So, we get folks from all over the world, really.” 

Growing Tygart

Located four miles south of Grafton in Taylor County, Tygart Lake State Park was established in 1945. The lake itself was created by the Army Corps of Engineers seven years earlier as a flood control project, an overflow reservoir for the Tygart, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. 

The park’s campground opened in 1953, and cabins were added in 1955. The 20-room lodge followed in 1964. “We were actually one of the first two parks in the state to offer camping,” says West. Currently, the park has 26 tent campsites, 10 electric sites for campers, and 11 cabins—five meadow-view, six lake-view. Of those, 10 are traditional classic cabins and one is a modern vacation cabin.“It’s our ADA cabin, but it’s also the newest that was the most recently remodeled,” he says. “It’s a more open area, with bigger space, and it’s more winterized.” 

In 2018, there was a major overhaul of the marina, which included an extension of the boat ramps and additional parking. Over the past five years, the West Virginia State Parks system remodeled the bathhouse, modernized the campground and cabins with WiFi and central heat and air, renovated the lodge rooms, and added decks.

On the Water

Tygart Lake receives the most visitors during marina season, which is typically May through September. “Around the middle of April, the Army Corps of Engineers will start filling the lake back up, and by Mother’s Day, that’s when we say it looks like Tygart Lake again,” West says. The marina has two accessible boat ramps, one of which was extended over the past five years to allow people to access the water after September. However, West says that, depending on how dry the season was, many avid fishermen and boaters can be found on the water until October. 

To celebrate the abundant recreational resources this popular lake offers, the park hosts several boating and fishing tournaments throughout the year—particularly during the fall months. “It’s like a starting gate out there. You get here in the morning before the sun comes up, and you see all the boats out there, and then they all just take off at one time.” Largemouth and smallmouth bass and catfish are usually reeled in. While the lake itself is not stocked, Jackson says the tailwaters below Tygart Dam are often stocked with various varieties of trout throughout the spring and fall. 

For family fun on the water, check out Tygart Adventure Lake. Overseen by ACE Adventure Resort, it features more than two dozen inflatables, a swimming area, and a beach decked out with lounge chairs. It’s typically open Memorial Day through Labor Day, with half- and full-day passes available. “It has been extremely popular—it usually fills up by the afternoon in the summer,” Jackson says. 

Back on Dry Land

While the lake may be the park’s biggest draw, Tygart Lake State Park also has six hiking trails ranging from one-half to two miles in length.The shortest is the Lake Trail, a half-mile trail winding toward the lake. One of the longest is the School Bus Trail—Jackson’s personal favorite. “It goes back through some of the older sections of the park where there is old farmland, and there’s remnants of one of the former communities. I always enjoy taking people out there, because it gives them a chance to see firsthand the history of the park,” he says. “I feel that one of my main jobs as the park naturalist and activities coordinator here is to help tell Tygart’s story. And in my opinion, that was a big part of Tygart’s story.”

Oh, and spoiler alert: There actually is an old school bus from the 1940s out there. “It was converted into a hunting camp years and years ago,” Jackson says. “And there it sat, long enough to go from litter to artifact, I guess.”

The School Bus Trail can be hiked or biked. Local volunteer Thad Curry led the charge for opening the trail. It opened in spring 2020, and Jackson says it’s one of the best additions to the park in recent years. 

Another path, the Tygart Dam Trail—which begins near the lodge, follows the lakeshore, and ends near the dam—can be followed to find one of the West Virginia Department of Tourism’s signature Almost Heaven swings. 

The Great Indoors

If you get hungry before or after adventuring, the lodge restaurant serves “classic, American comfort food dishes” for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. West speaks highly of the crab cakes, citing them as a popular dish among guests. Visitors can dine indoors or out on the patio, with a lovely lake view. There’s also a dockside dining option for those on the water. “There’s a path that winds all the way down, and there’s a courtesy dock down there,” he explains. “If they call, we’ll run the food down to them.” 

For even more activities, stop by the Nature Center. “Through the summer months, generally from May through September, we have programs every day,” Jackson says. “We do things like dissecting owl pellets, taking nature walks, talking about frogs, meeting turtles—all the kinds of things that you would expect the Nature Center to have.”  

On August 15–16, Tygart Lake State Park will also host the West Virginia State Parks VIPP Weekend. “In conjunction with that, we’ll have the Celebrate West Virginia! heritage music program, and the storytellers will be here that weekend, too,” Jackson says. Additional park events can be found online at WVstateparks.com/calendar. 

While Tygart Lake State Park’s popularity continues to grow, the park retains its charm and intimate appeal. “When you come to Tygart, you’re going to be greeted with a smile, and you’re going to feel like you belong,” West says. 

“Ultimately, it’s everybody’s park,” Jackson adds. “We know its story, and we want to tell it.” To live the story yourself, visit WVstateparks.com/tygart-lake-state-park and let the planning begin!