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.
Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
A 2,650-acre lake with the most developed resort facilities of any West Virginia lake park — a lodge, marina, Arnold Palmer golf course and the state's largest open-water fetch for small-boat sailing. Central location makes it a common family base.
Know before you go
- Best sailing water in the state park system
- Marina rents pontoons, kayaks and paddleboards
- Muskie, bass and crappie fishery
- The lake is 2,650 acres with 82 miles of shoreline; Briar Point campground has 46 full-hookup sites open year-round
- The marina rents pontoons, CraigCats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, paddleboats and aqua cycles
What you can do here
2,650 acres with 82 miles of shoreline gives paddlers a great many bays to work into, away from the main boat traffic. The marina rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards if you did not bring a boat. This is the state's largest open-water fetch, so wind is the variable to watch before any long crossing.
Overlooks here
The state's largest open-water fetch for small-boat sailing is here, and by the park's own account it is the best sailing water in the state park system. Mountain wind is fluky and thermally driven, which makes afternoons the reliable time to be out. Bring your own boat; the rental fleet is powerboats and paddlecraft.
Overlooks here
A marina, 2,650 acres of lake and 82 miles of shoreline make this the most developed boating base among West Virginia's lake parks. Pontoons and CraigCats rent at the marina if you are not trailering in. Registration, ramp use and navigation rules run through the WVDNR boating program.
Overlooks here
Muskie, bass and crappie are the fishery, spread across 2,650 acres and 82 miles of shoreline, so finding structure is most of the work. The marina rents boats if you did not bring one. Briar Point campground stays open year-round, which makes cold-season trips practical. WVDNR licensing and regulations apply.
Overlooks here
The marina rents paddleboards, so you can arrive without one. With 82 miles of shoreline there are sheltered arms to work along when the main lake is moving, and it does move: this is the largest open-water fetch in the state. Mornings are usually calmer than afternoons, when the thermal wind fills in.
Overlooks here
Briar Point campground has 46 full-hookup sites and stays open year-round, which is unusual and makes shoulder-season and winter trips workable. Lake, marina and lodge are all on site, so a family base here needs no driving. Book through the state park system, and ask which services run outside the main season.
Overlooks here
Walking is secondary here; the park's reputation rests on the lake, the marina and the golf course. No trail mileage is published for the park. Ask at the lodge desk which trails leave from the campground and the marina, and how far they go, before you plan a half day around them.
Overlooks here
A boat you can carry suits this lake well: 82 miles of shoreline means shallow arms and structure that bigger craft skip, and the fishery is muskie, bass and crappie. The marina rents kayaks if you did not bring one. Watch the wind on open crossings, because there is a great deal of unbroken water here.
Overlooks here
Guides, gear and lodging near Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.
List your business hereNearby in the Mountain Lakes
Elk River
One of the finest and least-known trout fisheries in the Appalachians.
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.
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.
Cedar Creek State Park
A 2,483-acre park in Gilmer County with three small fishing lakes, a campground and a network of easy trails.
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.