Pipestem Resort State Park

Amazing park was did not like the hotel. Terrible in my opinion. The park grounds were simply impeccable with amazing wildlife but the hotel was like traveling back in time, A gloomy sad time…

Gorgeous park. Only stopped for a night in the cabins. The cabins were great and there was a lot of hiking, golfing, boating, etc. It was very beautiful and I wish I had more than a night to spend there. Will definitely go back and have recommended to others.

Great park in a beautiful location. Was there a bit too early in the season so some of the place was closed unfortunately. I was unable to use the tram down to the river for instance. That said this place has something for everyone, from hiking and biking trails to archery targets and equestrian stables. 2 golf courses, championship 18 is a beautiful 6264 yard par 72 (69.4, 120 slope) with some great views and the 9 hole short course is a long par 3 affair with plenty of bunkers and minimal water. The short course offers foot golf as well and just outside the rec center is an 18 hole beginners disc golf course. Other things not available this early in the season were the outdoor pool by the rec center and mini golf. tennis courts were available and well as a nature center but I didn’t have a chance to check out either.
The resort itself is older but not run down, though noise does travel quickly in the hotel itself, so I will probably get a cabin next time I visit. Food was decent at the restaurant, beer selection minimal, but service was good and wasn’t expecting culinary brilliance so no shattered expectations there.

I’m in love with this park that is near the National River Gorge River! We went hiking on one of the hardest trails I’ve been on and we saw deer. The environment in and of itself was beautiful! Mountains, trees, streams, the river… We had a Gorge view in McKeever Lodge and service was wonderful. The game room was a bit outdated, but still fun and they have great late pool hours with lifeguards on duty. We went horseback riding along the hiking trails and our guide was helpful, friendly. I’m now a new fan of West Virginia!

This was a big disappointment. The food was absolutely horrible. We ordered the country fried steak and it was so hard I couldn’t stick a fork in it. The breading was made with Quaker Oats and was burned. The room was not comfortable. The bed was well worn and there were cobwebs on the ceiling. Cold air poured in around the window. The furnishings are ancient. The only positive was our server was excellent and the TV was new. The view was amazing and that is the main reason this facility earned a 3.

My staff and I had a great stay at Pipestem Resort State Park last week. Riding the Tram down to the river for dinner at the Mountain Creek Restaurant was a unique and breathtaking experience. The restaurant has fantastic food, service and view of the river. I look forward to my next trip to Pipestem Resort State Park.

Great place to stay, the building it’s self is slightly dated but don’t let that fool you. The place it’s self is really quite lovely. We had a suite which had two queen beds and the living area had a fold out couch so enough room for two nights. If we had of stayed longer we would of maybe stayed in one of the apartments they have. Lots to do on the park it’s self, including fishing, archery, golf and lots of walking trails. They also have an indoor and out door pool. As well as a gym and games room. We ate Dinner and breakfast at the Bluestone dinning room in the building. The dinner was very good but wouldn’t recommend the breakfast wasn’t as good. Overall a very pleasant stay and friendly staff.

One of my favorite places in the world. It’s not a 5-​star resort and I wouldn’t want it to be. Yes, the lodge is a bit dated (not dilapidated though!) and I actually find it very charming. Very affordable prices for the lodge and cabins (we’ve done both) with tons of outdoor options (hiking trails, horseback riding, a tram down to the river, golf, tennis, basketball, pools, etc).
When I’m here, I feel completely at ease and disconnected from the «real world». Got to go back soon.

Spent one night in the campground in early August. It is a beautiful campground, with large wooded sites. The site we stayed in had 30-​amp electric, but no water hookups. Water was available a short walk away.
The information said that our site would require some minor leveling. If it says minor leveling, think «major» leveling! And if it says major leveling, I would probably avoid it altogether.
The bathrooms were very nice and quite clean – some of the nicest we have seen. Did not use the laundry facilities, but saw them there and they looked pretty good. There is a dishwashing sink at the men’s bath house.
The racoons are quite active, so keep your food shut up in the car.
All in all, a very nice campground, and one that we would like to return to some day for a longer stay. There’s a lot to do at the park, from miniature golf to boating to frisbee golf to horseback riding, and much more.

I love this place. I first visited as a kid, right after it was built in the 1970s. I’ve been back multiple times since. There are lots of things to do: hiking, fishing, boating, horseback riding, golf (an 18 hole course and a 9 hole short course), shopping for West Virginia arts and crafts, swimming (indoor and outdoor), miniature golf, archery, wildlife and bird watching. They have a great package for fly fishermen in the Spring and Fall, called the «Trout Wrangler,» in which you ride on horseback down into the gorge, fish with a guide for two days on the Bluestone River, and your lodging at the Mountain Creek Lodge at the bottom and your food are all included. All for the modest sum of $ 318 per person. And, you can add nights at McKeever Lodge up top before and after the package for $ 49 per night, plus tax. I was signed up for this package for this past week. Unfortunately, the water on the Bluestone was too high to wade safely, so the fishing trip did not go. Ed Wooten of Pipestem, who guides the fishing, arranged for me to get the special $ 49 rate at McKeever lodge for the night I would have spent on the trip, and upgraded me to a gorge view room. He also refunded the cost of the fishing package very promptly. There are a couple negatives to Pipestem: (1) The food is not great, and it’s a bit expensive; (2) Some of the hiking trails are not particularly well maintained; (3) The facilities are a bit dated (still have that funky, mid-​1970s feel to them); however, they are well cared for; and (4) The walls between the guest rooms in McKeever are apparently not very well insulated for sound, because you can hear most anything that goes on in the room next to yours (a fact apparently well known to staff, as free ear plugs are available at the front desk). Still, for all its quirks, on balance, it’s a wonderful place to visit. The rooms and cottages are very reasonably priced, the people couldn’t be nicer, and it sits in one of the most beautiful spots there is.

OK, So the region is wonderful! Great views in every direction.
We stayed at the campground, which was an extremely clean campground! The staff there was also more than willing to help out with anything that we needed, which was also a plus!
We hiked a few of the trails as well, which wasn’t all that we hoped it would be. The trails need maintenance BADLY… they were washed out at several locations, and it always seemed that these washed out locations were on steep inclines, which made for going down these hills treacherous. The «waterfall» that they have a nice lookout built to view, was barely a trickle when we were there, but I believe that in the spring, it would be quite beautiful.
We also ate at a restaurant they have in the hotel… my advice, honestly, is to bring your own food. We ordered a steak with potatoes and green beans, as well as pork tenderloin with potatoes and squash and zucchini. The steak was tasteless, the pork was extremely dry, and I don’t believe that they used any seasoning on any of the side dishes. The serving sizes were also quite small for the price. I just believe that if you are going to pay premium prices, you should receive premium food. The service however was great! If only the food was good!
Bottom line, if your looking for a nice place to stay, this is your place! If your looking for food, bring your own!

Loved the cottage that we stayed in. The beds were amazing and firewood was supplied for the fireplace. Not much to do in the winter, but good price and friendly people. The Lodge’s restuarant, not so good. Poor service, pricey meal for just a simple hamburger.

Our visit to Pipestem (and corresponding stay at this lodge) had my group thinking that West Virginia was perhaps the friendliest state in the nation.
First, splurge for a «Gorge View» room. The difference is minimal for gorgeous (gorge-​ous, haha!) view. We spent a lot of time on the balcony staring down in disbelief at the blossoming trees and green, green valley below.
We spent our time there participating in Irish Road Bowling (Check the website for the annual competition! All are welcome; my team came in last and we still had a great time), following the many trails down to the lake, and sitting on the deck watching deer in the meadow.
On the last night, there was a square dancing conference in one of the ballrooms. We sat and watched for awhile (it’s way more complex than what you learning in gym class in Fourth Grade!), and soon they invited us to join them. Awesome.
All activities that weekend were free. Can’t beat that!
Bottom line: Check the website and participate in as many free activities as you can. This is definitely not the swankiest place I’ve ever stayed, but it is definitely one of the most memorable.

Headed to WV for a family reunion, we chose Pipestem because of the facilities. There is a lodge, which is like a massive hotel, apparently built over years because of the odd way that it’s put together. The first floor is actually below the lobby, in a sort of basement fashion. It’s not actually a basement so much as a walk-​out, from the side of the mountain. The top floor is the seventh, where they have a dining room. There are also conference facilities, pools (indoor and outdoor), golf, cabins, campgrounds, and a number of other things to do — perfect for families.
From the hotel side, it’s a bit dated. It’s not bad, but it is somewhat cramped when you compare it to newer hotels. Walk down a hallway and it will remind you of a cruise ship. I can take an extra-​high step and bump my head on the ceiling. I can stretch my arms out and touch both walls. The rooms have obviously been reconfigured over time, as there’s an old toilet placement outside some of the rooms. I’m sure it’s been closed off, but it would be better if it had been covered over instead of just sitting there.
The pools are free if you stay in the lodge, and have a small charge if not. The mini-​golf and tennis facilities also have a charge, and you get a discount if you stay in the lodge. The golf appears to be the same either way. There is horseback riding, though I can’t tell if there is a discount there.
We did try the dining room, which has a buffet that is, well, disappointing. The food — especially the biscuits — is good. But the buffet has a pretty disappointing selection, making the menu ordering a better choice. There is also a snack shop that will nickel-​and-​dime you to death (charging even a small fee for refills of soft drinks) if you happen to get hungry outside of the limited dining room hours.
All-​in-​all, it’s not a bad place, it’s just dated, and there is a decent selection of activities, but a lot of them involve golf (mini golf, par 3 golf, full-​fledged golf). There is Internet, but make sure you ask for a room with a connection, and bring a cable, because it’s wired, not wireless. You’ll also need to look for it. In our room it was hidden behind the television set. Not easy to find.
On the plus side, there are deer — lots of them. You’ll likely see them along the main road in the early morning and the early evening. If you visit the golf course around dusk, when the golfers vacate, it’s pretty well packed with them!