Watoga State Park, located near Snowshoe WV in nearby Marlinton, is 10,100 acres of “outdoorsy fun”. There’s seemingly no shortage of things a vacationer can do such as hiking, swimming, horseback riding, fishing, and boating. For those who want to stay the night (or several nights) to enjoy all of these activities, there are several lodging accommodations available.
Summer Fun at the Park
Watoga Lake is known for some great fishing and is part of the Division of Natural Resources stocking program. A multipurpose building, museum, and observation tower are also a few of the popular attractions at Watoga State Park.
Horseback Riding
If your primary objective is to go horseback riding you will want to come between late May and mid-September when Windy Hill Quarter Horse Stables is open. In addition, a naturalist will from time to time hold presentations via slide shows, hikes, campfires, and other activities in order to teach visitors about nature and the park itself.
The area contains even more activities. Some have even been listed in the top ten lists such as the Greenbrier River Trail which was named in Backpacker Magazine as one of the top ten hiking trails in the country. All of these activities are well-suited for veteran sports enthusiasts and casual family vacationers alike.
Watoga State Park Cabins
The park has 34 cabins to choose from. Two of the cabins are designed to be fully accessible for handicapped individuals. All cabins are fully equipped with electricity, kitchens, appliances, and complete bathrooms. However, the cabins are not the only overnight accommodations in the park. If you want to pitch a tent or hook up your trailer, there are places for that as well. Watoga also has two multi-unit campgrounds: Beaver Creek Campground and Riverside Campground. Both campgrounds include a tent or trailer-ready sites, a picnic table and a grill, access to public restrooms, and coin-operated washers and dryers. The camping option is available from April 1 to early December.
Wow! Talk about “The Great Outdoors” – for me this epitomises all the beauty I imagine of North America and to explore it all on horseback would be a dream come true and like something from a movie. The log cabin with the roaring fire looks divine. I hope my husband agrees when I show him this!