Pipestem Resort

John E. Faulconer (1903-1981) was a columnist for the Beckley-Post Herald and owner of the Hinton Daily News. He is given credit as the founder of Pipestem State Park. ---wvhistoryonview.com. 

The park was funded with grants by the Area Redevelopment Administration under President John F. Kennedy’s administration. The total cost was more than $13 million. Less than $500,000 was spent on land acquisition of the 4,027 acres that displaced 56 individual landowners. Some of the landowners contested the terms of the settlement. ---S. Allen Chambers, Jr., sah-archipedia.com.

Development of the park began in 1960 and Pipestem State Park opened officially on Memorial Day 1970.

Moonshining was a way of life for some in Summers County leading up to land acquisition. Two active moonshine stills were located and shut down during development of the park. One is on display at the park. The location of another can be seen from the aerial tram. It is under a large rock overhang beside a mountain stream on the right about halfway up the mountain.

Pipestem Creek, Pipestem community and the Pipestem State Park got their names from a plant called meadowsweet which is common in the park and surrounding area. It is used for pain and irritation in the digestive tract. Native Americans and early settlers of the area used the smooth hollow limbs to make stems for their pipes.

Pipestem State Park is called West Virginia’s premier state park. The  McKeever Lodge offers year-round accommodation. It has 113 rooms and suites. Diners have the choice of the full-service Bluestone Dining Room or the more casual Black Bear Grill and Lounge. The lodge has 13 event spaces that can accommodate up to 600 guests.

One of the more interesting features of the lodge is the long observation room with windows for viewing the rugged mountainous terrain of the park. In between the windows, pictures showcase famous people who were born or grew up in West Virginia.

Other accomodations are available at the 30 room Mountain Creek Lodge. It is seasonal, open May through October. It is located down in the gorge and is only accessible by the aerial tramway.  Luggage travels in the tram with Lodge visitors so they are advised to pack lightly. The gourmet Mountain Creek Restaurant serves dinner by reservation.

The Park has 26 cabins available for rent year-round. There are 82 campsites open year-round, 31 of which are equipped with full water and electrical hookups. Nineteen sites have electric only.

Activities in the park are practically endless. There are both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There is fishing, snow sports, skiing, golf, boating, hiking and horseback riding. An aerial tour is available by zip line.  The Bolar Lookout Tower is a short hike up a paved path. It is a three story wooden tower that looks over the Sun Valley.

Of course, one of the major attractions is the tramway. It whisks you 3,600 feet from the canyon rim down to the Bluestone gorge below. There is great fishing in the Bluestone River.  Part of the river has been designated as the Bluestone National Scenic River. It is a 10.5 mile section of the Bluestone River that is an unspoiled haven for a variety of plants and animals.

In 2023 the park completed an $11 million upgrade. Over the last four years additions have included the Adventure Lake and Splash Park, the zip line, and Adventure Zone which offers ax throwing, 3D archery, miniature golf, remote controlled cars and trucks, laser tag, skeet shooting, and motor assisted mountain E-bikes.