Category:State Parks

West Virginia state parks protect some of West Virginia's most valuable historic sites and natural landmarks. Five state parks are resort parks and include lodges with restaurants as well as cabins and luxury cottages. All provide picnic areas with shelters, and most provide hiking trails and playgrounds. Many state parks also provide for biking, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, and horseback riding. Pipestem and Hawks Nest state parks offer aerial tram rides into the gorges of the New River and Bluestone River.

West Virginia's State Park and Forest System began in 1929. The first state park was established at Droop Mountain, site of the largest engagement to take place in West Virginia during the American Civil War. The park was dedicated July 4, 1928. During the Great Depression, the state's park system was expanded, in cooperation with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the National Park Service.