The Best of West Virginia "Beartown State Park, a magical place"

If you’ve never been to Beartown State Park you will be in awe of the striking rock formations and the filtered sunlight that gives this place a mystical feel..... a unique and fanciful garden of rock, moss and trees.  The only recreation in the park consists of hiking along improved trails and boardwalks mainly to preserve the natural attractions of the area.  Over the weekend my husband, our dog Zeke, and I visited Beartown State Park, a 45-minute drive from Lewisburg, WV.  It was a beautiful day to be outdoors.  

Beartown State Park is one of the most intriguing scenic areas in the region and is a natural area of 107 acres.  You can get there from Interstate 64, take Lewisburg Exit 169 and go North on Route 219.  The park is seven miles southwest of Hillsboro, WV, and is close to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park and Watoga State Park.  When turning to go into the park, there is a paved road to the parking area.  You will have to walk a few feet to get to the boardwalk that permits easy access to viewing the park.  We found a lovely picnic area, and restrooms.  There were markers along the boardwalk to guide us and provide insights concerning the ecology of the area.

Guess you are wondering how the park got its name.  The name "Beartown State Park" was chosen because local residents claimed that many cave-like openings in the rocks made ideal winter dens for the native black bears, the state animal of West Virginia.  Also because the many deep, narrow crevasses were formed in a regular criss-cross pattern which appear from above like the streets of a small town.  

Beartown State Park is actually one large rock formation split into sections and clefts large enough for walkways. The length of the boardwalk is 2300 feet (over a half mile) with numerous short flights of stairs.  Walking up and down the boardwalk, you will see massive boulders, overhanging cliffs and deep crevasses that make up the beauty of the park and captures your attention and imagination. 

Beartown is noted for its unusual rock formations, which consist of Droop, or Pottsville, Sandstone formed during the Pennsylvanian age.  Faulting and erosion of the sandstone capping the mountain created a unique system of ‘sunken streets’ in this ‘town of rocks.’  The huge rock formations, deep caves, and dark corners invite the imagination to speculate if bears really do inhabit the vicinity.  On the face of the cliffs are hundreds of eroded pits. These pits range from the size of a marble to others large enough to hold two grown men.

The park is open daily from April to October.  Access during the off-season is available by appointment.  We were there for about an hour, a short but memorable experience. Check out the state park video below.

Phone: 304-653-4254 or 800-CALL-WVA

Email:  droopmountainsp@wv.gov

Walking along the wooden walkways through the trees and stone was breathtaking, unusual, and a little slippery in a few places. The temperature in the park was cool, and yet very refreshing.  The Beartown State Park can be enjoyed by all ages and is a place you can hear the "quiet".... it is indeed a magical place to visit.

Previous post on The Best of West Virginia:

The Best of West Virginia - The Greenbrier River Trail, part 2

The Best of West Virginia - The Greenbrier River Trail, part 1

The Best of West Virginia, Bluestone Lake and Dam in Hinton WV

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