Pipestem Resort State Park is located on the east rim of the Bluestone River Gorge in West Virginia. The park is full of adventure for the whole family. Whether you like hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, golfing, wildlife, historical sites, aerial tram rides, etc. plus camping, lodging, and dining, this park seems to have everything. During our visit, we barely scratched the surface of all the adventure and vowed to return next year with family and friends.
McKeever Lodge
On our first day at Pipestem, we set up camp then took a tour of McKeever Lodge. We decided to have dinner at the Bluestone Dining Room. We sat in front of the large windows to take in the gorgeous mountain views. The sunset over the mountains was beautiful.
River Trail to Canyon Rim
The next day, we decided to hike to Heritage Point. From the lodge, we found the River Trail which eventually intersected with the Canyon Rim Trail to Heritage Point.
The trail was easy for most of the way. As we approached the overlook area, the path narrowed and became a bit trickier due to the high cliffs. Barley opted to hang back by the trees while we enjoyed the view.
It was hard to leave the beauty and peacefulness of Heritage Point. There was something about the cliffside mountain view…
Canyon Rim Center
After the hike, our next stop was to explore the Canyon Rim Center. The Aerial Tramway was under construction but due to reopen soon. It was disappointing to find out that we couldn’t ride to the bottom to visit Mountain Creek Lodge.
We pondered which way we would like to ride the tram…hike down and tram up or tram down and hike up? Either way (or both) would be fun so we made a mental note for when we return.
After enjoying the view, it was time to try the Canyon Rim Coffee and Creamery. We enjoyed ice cream as we watched test rides of the new tramway cabins.
Next on the agenda, was a visit to the large Canyon Rim Gift Shop. We wandered around the two-story gift shop and noticed how many fun items there were for kids.
There was a mining sluice where kids pan for treasures. We thought of our young grandson and how much he would love to dig in the dirt for gemstones 🙂 .
Nature Center
Our next stop was the Nature Center.
Inside there were many preserved animal specimens including a black bear and lots of furs.
Outside there were historical structures dating back to just after the Civil War. The meat house was interesting. We imagined what it would be like to not have a refrigerator…
While exploring the park, we noticed a scenic pull off in the cabin area.
We decided to come back later that evening for sunset – glad we did.
Bolar Observation Tower
So far during our visit to Pipestem, we had enjoyed the sunsets over the mountains each evening. On our last day, we wanted to see sunrise. The night before check out, with an alarm for 5:30 AM, our goal was to climb Bolar Observation Tower.
Early the next morning, we headed out to the Pipestem Knob Trail while it was still dark. The trail took us up a winding paved road to the observation tower. We approached the tower as the sun was just starting to rise.
We climbed the tower and marveled at the spectacular view. The entire tower was empty! It was incredible to watch as the fog eventually dissipated revealing the mountainous terrain. Certainly one of the best sunrises we had ever experienced.
After descending the tower, we glanced back to see the view one more time. Then, it was time to head back to the campground to get ready for checkout.
Pipestem Resort State Park Campground
While at Pipestem, we stayed at the campground in site #79 with electric and water. This site was nice because it had a huge grassy area separating it from all the other campsites.
Unfortunately, our stay at Pipestem was too short to enjoy all the activities available. Next year, we plan to return to experience the aerial tram, ride horses, and golf. We look forward to returning…
Interested in more Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Parks? Check out our West Virginia Adventures.