About This Park

Beech Fork State Park is the perfect place for your next vacation. Enjoy the outdoors while making lasting memories with your family. Located in the hills of southwestern West Virginia, this 3,144-acre park offers hundreds of campsites, miles of hiking trails and plenty of exciting lake activities for the whole family to enjoy until the sun goes down. The sprawling 720-acre lake has 31 miles of shoreline where you can cast a line and catch some of West Virginia's most popular sport fish. Thinking about a long weekend? Beech Fork is only 12 miles from Huntington and Barboursville, making it a perfect getaway for visitors from neighboring states and cities, like Cincinnati, Ohio and Lexington, Kentucky.

Accommodations

Select an option below to learn more about the accommodations at this park.

Activities

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  • Biking
  • Boating
  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Geocaching
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • DeerViewing
    Hunting
  • Swimming
Attraction is located outside of the park.

History

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Beech Fork Lake in the 1970s by damming the Beech and Miller forks of Twelvepole Creek near Lavalette. This was done to control flooding and provide recreational opportunities and wildlife management in the area. The lake is the centerpiece of the park, which officially opened in 1979. Beech Fork has been popular with locals and travelers ever since!

Additional Information

Camper's Corner Store

Located at the Beech Fork State Park headquarters, this convenient store offers basic grocery needs, gift shop items, hand dipped ice-cream, camping supplies, fishing supplies, bait, ice and firewood. Game equipment is available for rent. Open April through October. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hours are limited to late afternoon and evening times before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

Bird Watching

Beech Fork State Park offers plenty of trails for hiking, walking, and biking with or without a tour guide. The park’s lake provides other wildlife enjoyment. Birdwatchers may enjoy catching sight of migratory waterfowl or neo-tropical songbirds. These cute creatures will make for great photographs too!

Disc Golf

Beech Fork State Park offers two unique disc golf courses. The family course is a short 9-hole course designed for beginners. The state park also offers an 18-hole Championship disc golf course that is unusually flat for a WV course. Both courses offer unique experiences designed by Johnny Sias and Phil Bryan.

Bring your own disc or purchase or rent a disc at the Corner Store at state park headquarters. Both courses start near the park headquarters building. There is no fee to play.

Conferences

Beech Fork can host up to 120 people in a large, covered activity room built in an attractive flower garden. This room is often used for special events, large family reunions, and other catered events. Whatever your needs, Beech Fork can accommodate them in a beautiful and picturesque setting.

Trails

Download Park Trail Map

Coal Mine Trail

The Coal Mine Trail is strenuous and can be walked or biked. The trail is a connecting trail between two points of the Mary Davis Trail, and is located within the Wildlife Management Area.

Distance: 0.6 miles

Difficulty: Hard

Long Branch Trail

Long Branch Trail is a short connector trail that ties to the Overlook/ Fire Circle area to the Nature Trail. A foot bridge crosses the Long Branch stream at the Nature Trail connection.

Distance:  0.5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Lost Trail

This is a long and strenuous trail that contains steep inclines. The trail provides access points to the remote and more difficult Mary Davis Trail. Trailhead is located behind campsite 104 in Moxley Branch Campground.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Difficulty: Hard

Mary Davis Trail

This trail spurs off the Lost Trail at two entrance/exit points. The trail is long and strenuous with several unmanaged trail spurs. This trail begins on the State Park and leads into the Wildlife Management Area. Hikers are encouraged to wear blaze orange during hunting seasons.  Firearms, bows, and arrows must be cased while in the State Park area.

Distance:  5 miles

Difficulty: Hard

Nature Trail

This hike/bike trail is an easy trail for all age groups and is located on the “road to nowhere” across from the park headquarters. This is a good trail for school/scout groups and nature study outings. The Nature Trail connects to the Long Branch Trail via a foot bridge that crosses Long Branch stream.

Distance: 0.8 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

North Ridge Trail

The North Ridge Trail is strenuous and can be walked or biked. The trail is a connecting trail between the Lost Trail and the Mary Davis Trail. A portion of this trail is in the Wildlife Management Area.

Distance:  0.75 miles

Difficulty: Hard

Overlook Trail

The Overlook Trail winds up a long ridge to a pleasing overlook of the park headquarters and recreation area. The trail is of medium difficulty with a steep incline at the trail head.

Distance:  2 miles

Difficulty: Medium

Physical Fitness Trail

Paved trail located in the Franklin D. Wooten Recreation Area, this fitness trail makes a pleasurable walking path for those who enjoy a leisurely after-dinner or early morning walk.

Distance: 1 mile

Difficulty: Easy