Explore Babcock State Park
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Vacation in Babcock State Park
If you are traveling to West Virginia, take the time to stop and explore Babcock State Park. Located in Clifftop, it is just a short drive from New River Gorge National Park. If you stay here, you will never be bored because between these two park systems, there is no shortage of outdoor activities to choose from. Mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting, and kayaking are just a few of the options you will have. Base your vacation in Babcock State Park and I promise you will be guaranteed to have a fantastic and memorable trip!
What to Expect in Babcock State Park
Babcock State Park in Clifftop, West Virginia offers a little bit of everything. There are both campsites and cabins available if you want to stay onsite and there is an abundance of activities to choose from while you are there. You can go fishing or boating in Boley Lake, hike over 20 miles of trails, tour a functioning mill, or join in any number of organized activities during the summer. Be mindful that many of the trails in the parks are NOT loops, so you will need to plan to hike out and back which will double the distance. The trails do have a wide range of distance and difficulty, and there is at least one trail that you might want to skip if have your dog with you.
Like most of West Virginia, there are black bears that live in the park in addition to rattlesnakes and copperhead. During our trip to the Babcock, we only came across one rattlesnake and it was off the path. You will be perfectly safe as long as you keep an eye on your pups and kids and follow the rules posted in the park.
The best thing to do with snakes is to leave them alone! Make sure to watch your step and don’t let anyone stick their hands or noses in places that you can’t see. Whatever you do, don’t try to move or harass them. In the event a bite does occur, it is best to take a picture of the snake instead of trying to kill it and bring it with you as this typically ends up with more people being bit and unnecessary animal death.
Lodging in Babcock State Park
Babcock State Park has both cabins and campgrounds on site, both with pet-friendly options. Cabins start at $98 per night and campsites at $33 per night. You will have 28 cabins to choose from, 13 are near the well-known grist mill and the other cabins are located deeper in the park. The cabins all have Wi-Fi access and come fully stocked with dishes, appliances, towels, and bed linens.
The campground is home to 52 campsites: 28 electric and 24 non-electric sites. Wi-Fi is available throughout the campsite, though the signal is stronger near the bathrooms. The bathrooms have both flush toilets and showers. There are laundry machines located in the same building. There are also sewage facilities and water fill-up stations in the area. You can purchase both firewood and ice at the main check-in building.
Activities in Babcock State Park
Babcock State Park is full of fun things to do. You can hike, mountain bike, fish, boat, or any other number of things during the warmer months. In the summer, the park hosts numerous activities and lets you rent out equipment so you can play different sports like tennis or basketball with your family and friends. They even have a fully functioning mill onsite that you can tour and take beautiful photos of.
Hiking/Mountain Biking
There are 15 trails that provide over 20 miles of hiking opportunities and some of the trails allow you to mountain bike. The trails range from easy to difficult and have a variety of distances involved. Be careful to note that many of these trails are out and back and do not cross paths with other trails in a way that you can turn your hike into one big loop. I found that the parks in West Virginia, hold true to their rating system. When it says difficult, it usually IS a difficult trail.
Due to time constraints (and my incredibly sore legs), we only hiked 2 of the trails; Lake View Trail and Island-in-the-sky trail. Lake View Trail was a nice 1-mile loop that lead you around the lake. There are two entry points but the easiest is from the parking lot at Boley Lake Marina.
Island-in-the-sky trail was a difficult out and back trail, with it being 1/2 mile each way. One trailhead was at a small parking lot on the side of the road and the other is near the Grist Mill. You can easily get to a beautiful lookout point if you start from the parking lot. The trail gets much more difficult (especially if you have a dog) if you go past this point as it involves ladder-type obstacles to continue. Keep in mind your pup’s agility and comfortability level if you choose to continue from this point. Not all of my dogs would have been able to complete this trail.
Kayak/Canoe
Babcock State Park is home to Boley Lake, a beautiful place where you can relax on the water. You can bring your own boat if it has an electric motor, and you have the appropriate license. You can also bring your own kayak or canoe, though there is no boat launch area. There are also paddleboats, rowboats, and canoes available to rent at the Marina during the summer months.
Fishing in Babcock State Park
Fishermen have the opportunity to catch a variety of fish on Boley Lake or in Glade Creek. Bring bait for trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, trout, or channel catfish. You will need a West Virginia fishing license to fish here.
Glade Creek Grist Mill
The Glade Creek Grist Mill is a great spot for photographers. The mill is gorgeous, especially at sunrise and sunset, and is one of the most photographed mills in the United States. Glade Creek is a fully operational mill that produces cornmeal which is available for purchase. During the summer months, you can also arrange a paid tour of the mill during its operating hours.
Other Activities
Babcock has several other activities available inside the park to choose from. In the summer, you can rent the courts and equipment to play basketball, volleyball, tennis or horseshoes. They also have a variety of organized group activities hosted by the park employees like movies, guided nature tours, and mixers. If you like geocaching, there are also two cache sites within the park.
Nearby Attractions
West Virginia has some beautiful parks to enjoy. Monongahela National Forest has a wide variety of landscapes including the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and Seneca Rocks.
The newest national park, New River Gorge is just a short drive away. One of the more unique opportunities that this area provides is some great white water rafting opportunities which is a great group activity that you can do with your more adventurous friends.
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is a great stop where you can learn about the history of coal mines and miners. Here, you can take a tour inside a coal mine and explore a coal mining town.
Why You Should Visit
Babcock State Park is one of the parks in West Virginia that I would love to go back to. It has almost everything an outdoor enthusiast can ask for and is perfectly located within driving distance of a ton of other parks and unique experiences in the state. With the choice of cabins or campsite, you can choose your ideal overnight experience without having to worry about finding a hotel (unless you want to). If you are visiting West Virginia, I recommend this park be put on your shortlist.
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