Today, we took a Sunday drive to Hawk's Nest State Park in Ansted, WV. This was Kayla & Deacon's…read morefirst time there, but a trip down memory lane for Tony & I. It was fun reminiscing and sharing with them the way things used to be and the ways it looked! It's hard to believe it now so sad how changes with time makes so much of a difference. Deacon enjoyed his adventure. We found out the tram ride over the mountain has been broken 3 yrs and the state has not fixed it. Also found out might not get fixed for another couple years also...which is extremely sad news! Also, there is NO nature exhibit or museum display at Hawk's Nest Park. There is a power boat ride on the river that starts late May but is rather expensive about $30 per person so if your a family of 4 (average size) it's over $120 for about an hour before taxes.. Now a days, that's a little much in my personal opinion! But, if you got it..spend it ! Right!! ? Me, not so much! There is a restaurant and a small gift shop fairly priced..we purchased a few necessaries!! Definitely recommend to all in the area°

Cute spot for some great hikes. The short trails are easy , but the moderate trails require…read morephysical fitness ability. My husband and I did about half of the cliffside trail. One of the other more difficult trails was significantly overgrown and a guide warned us of snakes and bees. Great views

Close to the Grandview area of New River Gorge and Beckley, this adorable little park was a great…read morestop to take a lakeside stroll to stretch my legs on a road trip day! The lake was really pretty and the dam had some water flowing over the spillway, which added to the peaceful ambiance. You could easily have a picnic here or rent a boat and paddle around or even hike or bike trails, like the Billy Goat's Gruff Trail, which may be the best name for a trail ever.

Absolute worst camping experience of my entire life. The people running this place had the nerve to…read morecall me literally the morning of my reservation and tell me my reservation was not being honored, the last thing I want to hear when out of state and hundreds of miles away from home while on a trip I spent countless hours preparing for. Total bullshit. Ruined my whole day and tainted my visit to West Virginia and New River Gorge. Don't bother camping here unless you want to be moved to a shitty site with more noise and less privacy that you didn't pay for and don't want. I spent a considerable amount of time researching third-party websites for views and reviews of specific sites before booking. They granted me the indignity of having to camp literally right next to the one I paid for and reserved in advance while someone else camped in the site I booked and was looking forward to. They claim they overbooked, but it was a different site than mine and on a previous day - making it entirely irrelevant to my reserved site the day of - they just couldn't be bothered to ask the person in my reserved site to move now that others were opened. Instead of asking the double-booked person to move to the one I was given, they made it my problem. Extremely unprofessional and just plain wrong. It's ridiculous that they even have a system which supposedly allows for double-booking in the first place. I never would have booked the site they replaced mine with. I checked out the site but never checked in (the RV people were right on the other side of the trees behind my site, something I had intentionally tried to avoid), ended up camping for free at Grandview Sandbar Campground instead. If I wanted that site I would have reserved it, but I didn't and would not have. Completely defeats the purpose of making a reservation if they aren't going to honor it. Little Beaver State Park Campground is run by incompetent and inconsiderate people. Flawed booking system and inept individuals ruining a public institution. Total joke, shame on them. "We hope you don't mind". Damn right I mind, you took my money for a reservation you didn't keep! I hated my non-stay with a passion and will never be back.

Tony, Kayla, Deacon & I went on a Sunday drive up river towards Hawk's Nest stopping st several…read moreother locations along the way. We stopped at Catheral Falls and the parking lot was full. We took a walk to the base of the falls. Deacon was so brave. He said "Come on Maw Maw YoYo let's go" he says he's braver when I hold his hand. I love it that he has adventure in him. He loves to pose for pics! Reminds me of my Poppie McCormick, except Poppie never made faces or stuck out his tongue Great time! Great Memories!

Sadly falls were completely dry. It's late October and we have had a drought all yr but this is…read morequick and easy to visit. It's riright on the way home.

horrible, they don't have the cabins ready for check in at 4:00 pm and by 8:00 was given another…read morecabin, next day was thrown out of the new cabin because the caretaker doesn't know what he's doing, then makes up a crazy story so they don't have to reimburse guests that they have cheated, I rented a cabin from Friday at 4:00 pm through Monday at 11:00, I was escorted off the premises Saturday at 8:30, so I was there a little more than 24 hours, we had 3 other cabins, one my daughters husband had to fix the toilet, another had wet sheets on the beds and mold everywhere. don't waste your money!!!

I would recommend a visit if you're in the area with kids. There is a central playground, restrooms…read moreand picnic areas which are in good condition and well kept. We took Patterson Trail with my 4yo. I wish we had used the road as a cut-through to make it a smaller loop for her, so know that IS an option if you have toddlers to pack or young kids walking. Trail is well kept and good for kids. I would not recommend a stroller. The 3 overlooks on the Patterson Trail are all breathtaking. The history there is very cool as well. Beautiful area. Family and kid friendly.

Very peaceful!!! It's always very clean and well maintained. Never a bunch of people. Plenty of…read morehiking trails

It's not far at all from town but once you're there you would never know that. It's so peaceful and…read moreusually shady with lots of trails and little streams nearby. Yes, your animals are required to be on leash. There was hardly anyone there that day and no one was near the spot we were at. And my dogs wouldn't run off.

We were in West Virginia for my husband's work and made it a little leaf peeping Excursion. Babcock…read moreis on the top of the list of places I like to go the mill and the lake plus the colors around the area are just gorgeous lots of Reds oranges and yellows. No fee to enter they have restrooms that are easy to access and flushy bathrooms. There is a Almost Heaven swing by the mill. But what the pictures don't show is the sound of the Rushing Water it's just all so beautiful. Recommend bringing snacks in a beverage have a little picnic. Fall is the prettiest time but I'm sure it's beautiful anytime of year I'm sure with some snow would be gorgeous but I'd be a little scared to tackle all the West Virginia curvy roads with some ice and snow. This year we had such a dry drought year that no one thought the fall was going to be worth seeing so we didn't make any Leaf peeping vacations. If he hadn't had this work trip we would have missed out on on this for the year. Considering the dryness the colors were doing pretty good around here we had went to other areas where the leaves were already down around black around Blackwater and Seneca Rock. But the bugs were quite annoying mainly lots of gnats that if you stopped moving they were really annoying. We've been here a few other times in other years and this is the only time that was an issue. At the lake they have porta potties and the moved them to block the lake view Which is unfortunate. Please move them. !!

Did a quick stopover on the way to Hawk's Nest SP, and wow, this place is beautiful! One of the…read moremost frequently visited state parks in WV and it's easy to see why! The grist mill is absolutely iconic, sitting atop a picturesque waterfall. The park has a mountain lake for water activities, plenty of trails, and even cabins for longer stays! There's an Almost Heaven swing right by the mill and visitor's center, and the CCC stonework is stunning. The New River Gorge bridge is about 20-30 minutes away depending on how well you drive on mountain roads, and there's plenty to do in the area for a fun weekend or even longer! I will definitely be back myself!

We are visiting from out of town and this has been the highlight for my six year old. He has asked…read moreto come every day. There is a bunch of playground equipment and even a splash pad. The splash pad has a covered picnic area right by it, so parents don't have to sit in the hot sun! There is also free sunscreen. Definitely recommend this playground. We were truly pleasantly surprised!

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

The provenance of this site is somewhat unclear, but I think it falls under the federal government…read moreand putting up my national parks pass was successful in getting me through a visit without paying any additional parking fee. The main falls are two miles uphill from the parking lot, but the entire journey is a series of eminently worthwhile sights and sounds. Signs warned of challenging currents for anyone taking a dip in the water, which some people did. I would note that when I arrived a rescue operation was underway and emergency services did drive someone by me with what thankfully appeared okay. There are trails on one elevated bank and one closer to the water, as well as some offshoots and extensions. It's a great stretch of forest where you could easily spend more time than the couple of hours I did.

I really enjoyed the view. WV is beautiful I never knew about this place. I've been to the Grand…read moreCanyon it is awesome but wv has so much to offer as well. It's a must see along with the new river gorge bridge.

Today, Kayla Beth Fields , Deacon and I were on our way to a Labor Day Cookout at my cousin, Wanda…read moreBlackwell home. We stopped at Grandview State Park to use restrooms, enjoy the Beautiful Famous Horseshoe Bend Vista and play on the playground. We had a nice little 20 minute break from the road. Deacon enjoyed himself.