Summersville Lake to be newest unit in West Virginia State Parks system

Aug. 10—Gov. Jim Justice announced Sunday that he wants Summersville Lake to become West Virginia's 36th state park.

On Wednesday afternoon in an administration update briefing, Justice praised the state Senate and House of Delegates for actions taken during the special session called on Sunday in conjunction with the legislative interim session.

According to a press release from the governor's office, the northern shore of the state's largest lake in Nicholas County will be transformed into a premier outdoor adventure park.

A bill that will officially designate the land as a state park was sent to the West Virginia Legislature Sunday by Gov. Justice. Passed by the Legislature, Justice said new recreational opportunities at the park will be opened to the public.

"We officially designated a new state park in West Virginia as the Summersville Lake State Park," Justice said Wednesday. "Really good stuff."

"Good things did happen and there's more and more good things coming our way in West Virginia."

Summersville Lake State Park will be the state's first new park added in more than 30 years.

The 177-acre park is perched on the northern shore of the state's largest lake, under whose waters lie the abandoned communities of Gad and Sparks.

The lake, which boasts 2,700 acres of water and 60 miles of shoreline, was formed by constructing a rock-fill dam built from 1960 to 1966 in order to control flooding over the 800+ square mile Gauley River and Kanawha River watershed. The dam was dedicated on Sept. 3, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The area below the dam is part of the National Parks Service's Gauley River National Recreation Area, which was established in 1988. The GRNRA protects 25 miles of the free-flowing Gauley and six miles of the Meadow River, and attracts whitewater rafters especially during the time period known as Gauley Season.

Gauley Season occurs as the Corps of Engineers lowers the lake to winter pool. According to the National Park Service, "Thousands of whitewater enthusiasts come to the Gauley every fall season, to paddle what is considered by many to be the one of the best whitewater rivers in the country. Gauley Season begins the first weekend after Labor Day, and continues for six weekends (five 4-day weekends, and one 2-day weekend)," the NPS explains on its Gauley River National Recreation Area website.

"Dropping more than 668 feet through 25 miles of rugged terrain, the Gauley River's complex stretch of whitewater features more than 100 rapids with a steep gradient, technical runs, an incredible volume of water and huge waves. Its vigorous rapids, scenic quality and inaccessibility combine to make Gauley River one of the premier whitewater runs in the world."

Estimates show more than 1 million visitors enjoy water sports at Summersville Lake each year, the governor's weekend press release stated. The new park, just off U.S. 19, will "immediately open the lake to additional recreational activities such as hiking, biking, and picnicking," the release said.

The new park also will include an additional parking lot.

The site is slated to be developed through a public-private partnership. Planned amenities include additional climbing and bouldering opportunities, hiking and biking trails, water activities, aerial sports, camping and cabins.

The Division of Natural Resources will host a public meeting in the near future to receive input from the public.