Looking for a place for your next RV vacation? Well, Beech Fork State Park might just be the ideal place to satisfy your outdoor cravings. The centerpiece of Beech Fork State Park is its man made 720-acre lake where you can enjoy the open air and scenic views with family and friends. Situated in the slopes of the Southwestern West Virginia and officially opened in the winter of 1979, this park stretches up to 3,144 acres. It is also easily conveniently located just 12-miles from Barboursville and Huntington.
Beech Fork State Park offers an ideal escape from the busy life of people from neighboring states and cities, like Lexington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. This state park offers many choices in terms of campgrounds, hiking trails and exhilarating lake-related activities that include, but are not limited to, boating, fishing and swimming.
For adventurers and RV enthusiasts the park offers hiking on easy and difficult trails that range from two and a half miles to five miles long. There is also ample space for RV camping with fully functioning bathhouses and bathrooms, some of which have hot showers as well. There are also water, electric and sewage facilities available at the campgrounds along with free Wi-Fi for visitors. The park authority allows you to bring your pet companion with you, granted that it is either a cat or a dog.
The park can be found around ten miles south of the Hal Greer (Exit 11) of Interstate 64. However, if that’s not your route don’t worry! Access to the park is also available from Exits 8, 15, and 20 of I-64. It is very easy for RV riders to arrive at Beech Fork State Park with all the gear and equipment they will need. The road to the park is wide enough for RVs and trailers to pass through with ease. There are no restricted access points of the park that limit the entry of any means of transportation, no matter how big the vehicle is. This makes it very easier for the RVs to get in and out of the park.
Roads and bike trails are likewise present around the whole park, which makes it easier for visitors to explore the park. Also, there are no limitations to driving within the park so you and your family or friends will be easily able to move around, regardless of which vehicle you are in.
There are three campgrounds available for RV camping at Beech Fork State Park. The campgrounds include Old Orchard, Moxley Branch and Four Coves. Old Orchard campground is available all year long and is a full hook-up site that has free WiFi, coin-operated laundry, water, electric and sewage hookup systems. The campgrounds at Moxley Branch have both electric and non-electric sites and is open from mid-April to mid-October. The Four Coves campsite is also open from mid-April through October but offers limited electricity and is meant for tenting only.
These three campgrounds offer 275 campsites in total with 111 of those being by the lakefront. All campgrounds have fully-functioning showers and bathroom amenities. Out of the 275 campsites available at Beech Fork State Park 49 are RV sites for RV enthusiasts and 226 are Tent Sites, out of which 49 are full hookups, 50 are electric only, and 176 offer no hookups at all. Generator use is permitted in campgrounds and so are pets which makes for a fun filled vacation.
Beech Fork State Park has many secluded fishing spots for all you anglers out there! Fishing in the lake is perhaps the most popular activity on the park and people with all types of experience are welcome to toss a line and enjoy the experience. Many fishing spots are dotted around the park so you can enjoy the experience alone or in the company of family and friends. The lake itself is teeming with fish, with well-known local fresh water species such as sauger, bluegill, crappie, largemouth and hybrid striped bass.
Beech Fork Lake, the centerpiece of Beech Fork State Park, offers visitors countless exciting water activities that is fun for the whole family, with a place to change and relax when they are done. You have the opportunity to go boating with your loved ones and enjoy the calm water and magnificent flora and fauna that surround the lake. Paddle boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and Jon boats can all be rented from the park’s boat dock in case you forget to bring your own. Life jackets are mandatory and also available for rent at the paved boat launch area.
Beech Fork lake is home to wildlife and many species of migratory and local birds that flock to this vast expanse of nutrient rich water. Birdwatchers have many spots by the lake where they can gaze at migratory sub-tropical songbirds or waterfowls. The keener-eyed bird watcher will also be able to sight Wood Ducks and some species of vireo and warbler. These pretty and exotic birds not only make for incredible pictures but also reflect the diversity and balanced ecosystem of this preserved landscape.
It is possible to go hiking in Beech Fork Park without a tour guide and not get lost. The park map provides instructions of the routes and trails. The views of the woods, lakes and grasslands are picturesque to say the least and hikers have many popular trails to choose from. The most popular trail of Beech Fork Park is the Overlook Trail which is two and a half miles and is relatively easy to climb with a breathtaking view of the Beech Fork Lake and the surrounding wildlife. There is also Mary Davis Trail which is five miles and meant for the more seasoned hikers.
The Recreational Center at Beach Fork has plenty of activities for those seeking a more relaxing and comfortable outdoor experience. The center has a snack bar and a swimming pool where can you lounge around soaking up the sun and take a dip in the clean and refreshing pool water. Equipped with a bathhouse and changing area the recreational center is available for booking during season for private parties and gatherings. The pool is available for use only in the months of August and September.
Beech Fork State Park has several biking trails that wind through the expanse of the park with various levels of difficulty. More rugged off-road trails like the coal mine bike trail or the North Ridge bike trail is better left to the more seasoned bikers. Amateur bikers can take on the easier Nature Trail that is an easy less than a mile loop of the park starting from the park headquarters.
