Pipestem Resort State Park

Pipestem Resort State Park in Summers County, West Virginia, occupies 4,023 acres along the Bluestone River gorge in the southern coalfields region of the state, offering one of West Virginia's most dramatic state park experiences through its aerial tramway descending 1,000 feet into the Bluestone River canyon. The park is named for pipestem, a native shrub used by Indigenous peoples to make pipe stems. Two lodges serve the park: McKeever Lodge on the gorge rim with full resort amenities, and Mountain Creek Lodge at the canyon floor, accessible only by the aerial tramway or on foot via trail. The tramway — a gondola covering 3,600 feet horizontally while descending the canyon wall — is the park's signature attraction, carrying visitors to the riverside lodge and restaurant below. Twelve miles of hiking trails range from easy canyon rim walks with gorge views to the strenuous Pipestem Gorge Trail descending to the Bluestone River. The park's outdoor facilities include an 18-hole golf course, two swimming pools, tennis courts, miniature golf, horseback riding, and archery. The Bluestone River at the canyon floor offers flatwater canoeing and fishing for bass, catfish, and bluegill. Adjacent to the park, Bluestone State Park and Bluestone National Scenic River provide additional protected lands along the river corridor. The park's remote location in Summers County — 1.5 hours from Beckley — means it draws primarily from regional visitors seeking a retreat from urban West Virginia. Fall foliage along the gorge walls in October is among the most spectacular in the southern part of the state.