The Winfield Pool on the Kanawha River is part of a US Army Corps of Engineers project that extended the navigable length of the river for industrial purposes. More of a channel than an actual pool, it was formed by the construction of the Winfield Lock and Dam. There are no Corps campgrounds at the pool, but there are several day-use areas for picnicking near the dam as well as a visitor center. Winfield Pool is located in an urbanized area where there is a multitude of retail outlets, cafeterias, and restaurants. Apart from taking a picnic there to eat on the riverside or going shopping, the only other recreational activity is fishing along the mile and a half of river bank designated for that purpose.
If you were thinking of going RV camping at the Winfield Pool on the Kanawha River, you might want to consider heading south to the Kanawha State Forest just outside of Charleston as an alternative. The Vinton Furnace State Forest and the Wayne National Forest in the neighboring state of Ohio are both just an hour's drive away. When you've had your fill of fishing, browsing around the shops, or munching on your packed lunch, you'll find all three state forests are brimming with outdoor activities that will keep you busy for the rest of your RV vacation.
If you've been RV camping over in Babcock State Park and heading to the Winfield Pool as a stopping point on your way somewhere else in the west of the state, you'll be behind the wheel of your rig for around two hours. The US 60 from the park to Charleston is quite twisty until you hit the I 64 once you're through the city, which is easier motoring. If you've been touring around the Daniel Boone National Forest and are passing by the Winfield Pool on your way to the Monongahela National Forest in the east of West Virginia, you'll have a relatively decent run along the I 64 westbound that will take you about three and a half hours.
Once you're in Winfield, you could encounter problems negotiating your way through the community areas if you're in a big rig. There are also several educational facilities in the area, so traffic will be heavier at certain times of the day.
There is a car park at the Winfield Lock and Dam Visitor Center.
The Burr Oak Campground is a quiet, remote, and totally primitive campground located in the Wayne National Forest in Ohio just over an hour's drive from the Winfield Pool. It has just nineteen campsites for RVs, none of which are fitted with hook-ups for either water or electricity. The campground operates on a first-come-first-served basis from the middle of April through to the middle of December.
The Oak Hill Campground in the Wayne National Forest offers RVers a choice between twenty-seven campsites, all fitted with water and electricity hook-ups, picnic tables, fire rings, and grills. The paved pitches are well spaced out and shaded by tall oak trees. The pet-friendly campground can cater for rigs up to forty-five feet in length. There are decent amenities at the site, including flush toilets, showers, and a dump station.
The campground at the Kanawha State Forest is one of the closest to the Winfield Pool. The semi-primitive site offers forty-four campsites, only twenty-five of which are fitted with electric and water hook-ups. The pitches are furnished with picnic tables and grills. On-site amenities are basic and limited to a block of showers and restrooms with the added bonus of a coin-operated laundry.
The Kanawha State Forest Campground is recommended for RVs no longer than twenty-five feet as the access road to the site is steep and narrow. The campground is open eight months of the year from April through to December. RV campers heading there should be aware there is little or no cell phone signal at the campground.
West Virginia is a state with an incredibly diverse and exciting history. Find out all about it at the West Virginia State Museum located in the Culture Center in Charleston. There are almost thirty different galleries, all featuring unique exhibits. Wander through a reconstructed general store, a soda fountain shop, or even a mining tunnel. There are also extensive exhibitions on the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and both World Wars.
If you're traveling with your OHV in tow and want to find somewhere you can let rip after being at the Winfield Pool, motor over to the Wayne National Forest. In the forest, there are almost one-hundred and fifty miles of trails to choose from.
Challenge yourself and your machine on the Superior OHV Trail System where there are sixteen and a half miles of steep terrain, or on the Hanging Rock OHV System where there are twenty-six miles winding around fifty different fishing ponds.
If the weather takes a turn for the worst when you're at Winfield Pool, head over to Charleston and spend the day at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia. There's so much to do there and it's all under one roof.
Browse the multi-genre artworks in the Art Museum, get interactive with the scientific exhibitions in the Discovery Museum, or explore the mysteries of the universe in the planetarium. There's also a theater hosting afternoon and evening dramatic performances and musicals as well as live concerts.
If you're at the Winfield Pool and looking for somewhere to go to get in some peddle action, you'll find it in the Kanawha State Forest. It's a fantastic place to go mountain biking, with nine different trails to explore on two wheels. The Black Bear Mountain Trail has steep sections that will put you to the test or try out your downhill skills on the one and a half-mile long Polecat Trail. Keep an eye out for hikers as the trails are multi-use.
The Kanawha State Forest is the best place to go hiking near Winfield Pool. The state forest has fourteen trails that are foot-use only plus an additional nine that are multi-use. There you'll find trails that are anywhere from a quarter a mile to two miles in length with varying degrees of difficulty.
Try the Spotted Salamander Trail for an easy walk that's also wheelchair accessible and interpreted, or the White Hollow Trail which is moderately graded. For something more challenging, choose the Wildcat Ridge Trail.
If you're going fishing at the Winfield Pool, you'll have one and a half miles of the Kanawha River's banks to choose a spot from where to cast your hook. That's a very small percentage of the river's overall ninety-seven-mile length. Add to that any disturbances in the water from heavy shipping traffic, and you could be lucky even to get a bite. If you do land something, it'll be either a bass, a flathead catfish, a channel catfish, or maybe even a hungry paddlefish.
