Pocahontas County: 5 State Parks, Unlimited Adventure
No matter your outdoor interest, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is bound to have an activity to satisfy it. With five state parks offering everything from historic train rides and boating excursions to hiking and biking trails galore, you'll find plenty to explore.
Railroad Rides
You can start your discovery at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, where starting in May historic train lovers can climb aboard an old logging train, guided by a Shay's steam locomotive, to the top of Bald Knob – the Mountain State's second-highest peak at 4,842 feet. The round-trip ride takes about five hours (there's a shorter trip halfway up the mountain), but the nearly 360-degree views of the Alleghenies from the top are well worth the journey!
If you're looking to beat the winter blues now, however, bring your bike to Cass, and take a weekend jaunt down the Greenbrier River Trail, a 78-mile bike trail on a former C&O railroad bed between Cass and Lewisburg. With less than a one percent grade, this relatively level trail is a great option for bikers of all ages and skill levels and offers constant scenic views of the Greenbrier River and surrounding mountains. It also features various access points, allowing for day trips as well as overnight camping along the way. If you're looking to mountain bike, paths that branch out along the way lead to more adventurous trails.
Hiking and History
About halfway down the Greenbrier River Trail and easily accessible just west of Hillsboro off U.S. 219 is Watoga State Park, where overnight camping and lodging are available. If you only have an hour or two, take a hike up the one-mile Arrowhead Trail, which begins at the park's Riverside Campground and offers a steep trek through a lush stand of rhododendron to the Ann Bailey lookout tower. The tower provides westward-facing views of Little Levels, a scenic valley plateau. Or rent a paddleboat or rowboat and enjoy an afternoon fishing on the park's 11-acre lake.
From Watoga, head south to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, the site of West Virginia's last major Civil War battle in 1863. The battlefield has several short and easy hiking trails, including a trail through a high elevation cranberry bog and trail access to Civil War trenches and small cave entrances. At the top of Droop Mountain, an observation tower offers northward views of Hillsboro and surrounding mountains, as well as shaded picnic areas and playgrounds
Pocahontas County Rocks!
A few miles farther south is Beartown State Park, a 107-acre park with an elevated boardwalk that winds through an unusual forest of dramatic rock formations and boulders composed of Droop Sandstone. The park is also reportedly home to a number of black bears who love resting in large nooks and crannies formed by the rocks. An easy hike through the rocks gives one's imagination the opportunity to run wild, as crevasses, cliffs and caves create a natural castle in quiet woods.
For more information on these attractions and other things to see and do throughout the area, contact the Pocahontas County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-336-7009 or visit
www.NaturesMountainPlayground.com.
lifestyle with just enough culture and good restaurants to keep urban-withdrawal pangs at bay. Some homebuyers come from the Northeast, and many come from Florida to beat the heat. The locals call them "halfbacks," since Asheville is halfway up the East Coast. The town has a university and a thriving art scene. We like the 1920s-vintage Tudor homes in the Biltmore Forest district, once part of the adjacent Biltmore Estate. The funky Grove Park neighborhood is also worth a look.
