Growing up in West Virginia, neither of us had ever visited Beartown State Park in Renick, WV. We never knew what we were missing in this unique park. The rock formations, cliffs, caves, and cervices make up an unexpected landscape that you need to see to believe. A short drive down the road from Beartown is another gem – Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. This park is part of the Civil War Discovery Trail. We visited both while traveling the Seneca Skyway.
Beartown State Park
We started our tour of Beartown on the boardwalk and immediately were in awe of the rocky surroundings deep in the forest. We marveled at the caves and enormous rock formations as we meandered along.
We wondered what critter might be in the cave above. Apparently, the residents of the town named the park Beartown because of the caves – likely places for black bears to make winter dens.
As we walked along the boardwalk, we learned that the rock formations were formed from Droop Sandstone – containing quartz, mica, and clay.
More caves…more bear homes? We did not see any bears on our visit but we were definitely bear aware!
As we continued on the trail, we came to a section with massive rock walls. We followed the narrow passageway up to a viewing area.
At this point the trail started to circle back. We paused to enjoy some of the best views of the boardwalk winding through the forest.
Before following the boardwalk back, we came to an overlook area. Here we gazed in to what reminded us of a slot canyon. We tried to guess how tall the walls were and imagined what animals would fit through this interesting ravine.
As we continued on the boardwalk back to the parking area, we were amazed at the beauty and uniqueness all around us. Next, we continued on the Seneca Skyway to Droop Mountain.
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
Not far from Beartown, on the top of Droop Mountain in Hillsboro, WV, we found Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. The park was named after the Battle of Droop Mountain – West Virginia’s last major Civil War battle. The park has a small museum but unfortunately it was closed the day we visited so we walked around the grounds instead to learn more about the battle.
As we made our way to the east side of the park, the landscape opened up with mountain and valley views. The iconic watchtower was calling us. We climbed the tower and found the most gorgeous view of the Greenbrier Valley.
Just below the tower, we couldn’t resist the Almost Heaven swing equipped with a selfie stand. We found out that at least fourteen state parks have #AlmostHeaven swings in scenic locations just waiting for a photo opportunity. How fun!
Beartown and Droop Mountain are only four miles apart on the Highway 219 portion of Seneca Skyway. Two very different parks in less than a 10 minute drive – must see!
For more on West Virginia travels see our post about the Cranberry Glades Wilderness Area.