Grandview

From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

The overlooks at Grandview, on the rim of the New River Gorge in northeastern Raleigh County (NE of Beckley, WV), provide one of the most spectacular vistas in the eastern U.S. The surrounding day-use park area is managed by the National Park Service as part of the New River Gorge National River. It is also the name of the adjacent community of Grandview.

Grandview was a favorite picnic spot known largely to local farmers until the 1950s when it was developed by the West Virginia Parks System as Grandview State Park. In 1961, the Cliffside Amphitheatre was opened near the park entrance as a summer performance space for the musical drama "Honey in the Rock," a colorful retelling of the creation of West Virginia during the Civil War. The musical drama "Hatfield's & McCoys" opened in 1970.

Grandview is also known for its groves of Rhododendron. The flowers of the Great Rhododendron, the West Virginia state flower, blossom white in June in the deep woods on the rim of the gorge. Those of Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) blossom in vivid pink in May.

A park visitor center is open seasonally and interpretive programs are hosted by rangers throughout the year. The park also features picnic areas with playgrounds and five hiking trails. Grandview is located six miles north of Interstate 64 (I-64) exit 129 on Route 9. The park visitor center is open June through August daily from noon until 5 p.m. The park is open year round, though its road to the Turkey Spur Rock overlook may be closed after heavy snows.

See also: Grandview Visitor Center (http://www.wvexplorer.com/whitewater_country/parks/default.asp)

Maps: Grandview (http://www.wvamaps.com/maps/index.php?place=Grandview%20State%20Park%20(historical)&state=WV&lon=-81.0658&lat=37.8414&pop=0&county=Raleigh&elev=0&scale=3)