Top 5 Things To Do In West Virginia (Summers County)
This blog post is kindly sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Tourism and Explore Summers County Convention & Visitors Bureau. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
My family and I just returned from the most fun (and beautiful) weekend getaway to West Virginia. It was our first time visiting and it did not disappoint. Right away the scenery was breathtaking. Can you just imagine, autumn in WV? The mountains, the views, SO beautiful.
#1 Visit Pipestem Resort State Park
We booked a weekend at the Pipestem Resort State Park. The moment we drove up to the property we were greeted by deer grazing on the golf course. Now I know why they refer to West Virginia as “almost heaven”. It was like a fairytale story book. So pretty!
There are so many activities to do at the resort. We planned it all ahead of time so we could maximize our time during our stay. The first thing we did when we arrived was get ready for our 2pm tee time!
The golf course is stunning with lush views of the Bluestone Canyon. By the way, this Championship 18 Hole Golf Course was designed by the renowned Geoffrey Cornish. It’s pretty impressive and very family friendly. My entire family was able to get out there and practice our swing, haha.
There’s also a short course (and mini golf) available if you’re wanting to play a quicker game!
After our game of golf we wanted to take it easy and explore around the resort, because like I said, the surrounding mountains are just gorgeous. We took the aerial tram over to the Mountain Creek Lodge where we found Bluestone National Scenic River, a volleyball area, and swing benches. So beautiful!
We were so ready to eat after this! Which is one of the very reasons I appreciate resort vacationing- restaurants are part of the deal, haha. We had reservations for dinner at the Bluestone Dining Room. It was so fun in there! The dining room overlooks the mountains and it’s just incredible to dine with that view. It was a buffet style dinner which was perfect for my big ol family.
After dinner we headed back to our cabin. I was absolutely obsessed with it! So spacious and had a vintage vibe that was right up my alley. I couldn’t believe how roomy it was. 3 bedroom/ 1 bath/ kitchenette/ dinning room/ living room with fireplace and outdoor balcony with seating. As well as a fire pit area in front of the cabin. Literally what you would dream up a cabin in the woods to be like!
# 2 Pipestem Peaks Zip Line Tour
Our second day at Pipestem Resort State Park was my favorite day, ever! This is the day that I’ll be sharing stories about for years to come. We made memories together that I know will last a lifetime. The motivation for the weekend getaway, was to have an early 13th birthday celebration for our son. With that in mind, I really wanted to plan something special for him to do, like zip lining.
So, while my husband took our daughter to play mini golf, I took our boys on the Pipestem Peaks Zipline Tour at Pipestem Resort State Park. Truthfully, the boys were slightly panicked at the thought of zip lining but very much wanted to give it a try and I was right there beside them for the ride. We had a little safety class, suited up, and off we went into a 1/2 mile hike down a mountain to our first platform/ zip line. There were a total of nine zips, a cable bridge and a belay at the end of the tour. It’s the perfect activity for the adventure lover. We had such an incredible experience and felt a hundred percent safe with our guides. We can’t wait to go zip lining again, in the future!
# 3 Horseback Riding At Pipestem Resort State Park
If you’re going to West Virginia, you absolutely have to stop in at Pipestem Resort State Park and book a horse riding tour. We took an hour long tour through mountain trails and let me tell you, you haven’t lived until a horse has taken you through the mountains. It was magical! The scenery was stunning and the guides are close by to help you direct your horse and make sure everyone is keeping up the same pace. I felt like such a cowgirl when it was over, haha! I was so proud of myself.
More info: Pipestem Stables is located only 2.25 miles from McKeever Lodge and is operated by R&R Stables Concessionaire. Trail rides are available for a half hour, one hour or two hour trips. Hay rides are also available!
After our horseback riding tour we had dinner at ‘The Oak’. Located just a few short miles outside of the Pipestem Resort State Park. Front the moment we stepped inside The Oak, we knew this place was going to be great. The atmosphere was beautiful and elegant with grand windows overlooking acres of land and stables. I have the photos to prove how stunning it really was!
The food was so yummy!! This is a must see restaurant to add to your list.
# 4 Visit Sandstone Falls at New River Gorge National Park
As our time at Pipestem Resort State Park concluded we drove to New River Gorge National Park (about 30 minutes away) and visited the glorious Sandstone Falls. This just kept getting better and better. As we walked up to what we thought were the falls, we discovered just around the corner bigger and greater waterfalls. It was such a fun experience. We got up and close too, it was so nice.
So just for laughs… this is what we thought were the falls and while this is beautiful, it was not the pièce de ré·sis·tance
Here are THE falls…
This is so worth the visit! Summers county has so many beautiful attractions to offer, which brings me to my next top thing to do …
#5 Hinton Historic District
This town is the cutest! Feels like it’s straight out of a movie. Established in 1872, this little river town sits along the banks of the mighty New River. Hinton is the southern gateway to the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. During our visit, we stopped in the Market on Courthouse Square for lunch. It’s menu is casual dining; soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and our favorite, brick oven pizzas. They even make specialty desserts!
So there you have it, a mini curated list of top things to do while visiting Summer’s County in West Virginia. It was such a wonderful experience for my family a five and we can’t wait to do it all over again someday, soon.
If you get the opportunity, take a trip out there this fall. They don’t call it “almost heaven” for nothing!
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XOXO, terri
XOXO, terri 