WEBSTER COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The flowers are out, and the weather has been pleasant – the perfect reason to get outdoors!
Get ready to relax and explore Holly River State Park.
This state park, about two hours east of Charleston in Webster County, spans over 8,000 acres and is the second-largest state park in the state of West Virginia.
“It’s like coming home. The relaxation, the solitude that you get. Those are two good words to describe the feeling that you get when you come to holly river,” remarks Park Superintendent Doug Wiant.
A man from the Mountain State, Wiant understands the importance of getting outside and connecting with nature as well as friends and family.
“A lot of the folks that are in their 60s and 70s now – their parents brought them there when they were young kids. So they’re doing the same thing with their kids and their grandkids,” comments Wiant.
It was raining when I headed out on the trails, but it didn’t stop me from having a great time. Slipping and sliding on the wet trails reminded me of being a kid – exploring what’s around the corner and enamoring myself at the moment.
According to Wiant, there are about 42 miles of trails for you to enjoy – and they are well marked. Being the waterfall enthusiast that I am, I focused on checking those out on this trip – there are plenty of them in the park for you to reflect on.
Wiant says a few modern conveniences have been added to the park but emphasizes keeping things as they have been for people to continue to enjoy.
“Holly river never seems to change although we’ve tried to bring it into the 21st century with some of the things, like wifi connection now through the main part of the park, so things are changing but we try not to change it too much.”
If you’re looking for options other than hiking, there’s plenty to do, with a picnic pavilion, nearly 100 total sites for camping, an activity building for weddings and much more. There’s even a designated weather rock that’s trying to put me out of a job claiming a 100 percent accuracy.
If you’ve never checked their trails out and are looking to get introduced to them, Holly River State Park celebrates National Trails Day on June 4th – next Saturday.
To celebrate, master naturalist Jane Birdsong will be guiding a hike on the Tramontane Trail. More information on this exciting event can be found here. An additional shorter hike is available. Both are free and you will receive a Trails Day patch for participating.
More information on the waterfalls found within Holly River State Park can be found here.