Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
Sutton
A small county seat on the Elk River directly off I-79, at the geographic center of the state. Sutton Dam sits immediately upstream, creating both Sutton Lake and the cold tailwater below it that holds the state's strongest trout fishery. The town has basic services, a historic main street and two Corps of Engineers campgrounds nearby.
What's here
- Direct I-79 access at the midpoint of the state
- Elk River catch-and-release water minutes from town
- Sutton Lake campgrounds and boat ramps
- Burnsville Lake and Bulltown Historic Area 20 minutes north
- Basic groceries, fuel and lodging
Lodging, food and gear in Sutton
Town-level listings for operators based here. Capped at four per basecamp page.
List your business hereWithin reach
Elk River
One of the finest and least-known trout fisheries in the Appalachians.
Sutton Lake
A 1,440-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Elk River in Braxton County, with several campgrounds, quiet coves and the dam that creates the Elk tailwater fishery below.
Burnsville Lake
A 968-acre Corps reservoir on the Little Kanawha with the Bulltown Historic Area on its shore — Civil War earthworks, a preserved farmstead and a well-regarded campground.
Holly River State Park
West Virginia's second-largest state park at 8,101 acres, in a narrow valley of hemlock and hardwood with waterfalls, cabins and a rugged trail network.
Elk River Rail Trail
A developing rail-trail on the former Buffalo Creek & Gauley and Elk River Railroad grades, opening a long, remote corridor along the Elk between Gassaway and Clendenin.
Best for
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.