Each year, over 350,000 hunters take to the woods in West Virginia in search of a variety of game, including whitetail deer, turkey, elk, wild boar, bear, grouse, and cottontail rabbit. Wildlife Management Areas ("WMAs") protect 1.3 million acres - 8 percent of the state's land area - for public hunting and fishing. Few states have as many high quality public hunting options as those found in the Mountain State, and many first-rate public hunting grounds are within an hour of the property, some highlights of which are described below. These provide access to a variety of productive terrains and experiences for hunters, no matter what their chosen quarry. Additionally, there are many outfitters in the region, who offer guided hunts, supplies, equipment, and dogs. Please remember that appropriate state hunting licenses are required. See: www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/licensing.shtm to get a license online or for more information on West Virginia hunting licenses.

Camp Creek State Forest, composed of 5,987 acres of forestland, is immediately adjacent to the property, and is extremely popular with hunters. Within this state forest, hunters can find many species of game, including deer, native wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and a variety of smaller quarry such as squirrel, raccoon and fox. In particular, the forest provides very dependable turkey hunting. Hunters describe it as having the rugged and mountainous terrain typical of Mercer County, with narrow ridgetops, and large sandstone outcroppings, covered by an oak-hickory forest. www.campcreekstatepark.com


The Bluestone Public Hunting Area, within the Bluestone WMA, is approximately a 30 mile drive from the property, and is one of the most popular public hunting areas in the state, with 17,632 acres available for hunting; it features wild turkey, whitetail deer and a variety of small game, such as squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, and fox. Summers County has long been legendary among Mountain State turkey enthusiasts, and affords some of the finest turkey hunting in the Eastern U.S., while trappers will also find mink and muskrat. The terrain consists of flat bottomlands, rolling uplands, steep mountains and cliffs, with oak-hickory forests. The area also includes a 100-yard rifle range. Most of the tract surrounds the lake, with the remainder running along the Bluestone River downstream of Pipestem State Park. www.bluestonewma.com

The Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area, in southern Fayette County, is a 35 mile drive from the property, and is made up of 3,201 acres. Gentle to steep slopes provide opportunities for deer, turkey, squirrel, raccoon, and various waterfowl and other small game, within oak-hickory forests. There is a 175-yard rifle range available. www.plumorchardlake.com

Also in Fayette County, the Beury Mountain WMA is about a 65 mile drive from the property, and offers 3,061 acres of steep terrain, with a predominantly oak-hickory forest as well as maples and other mixed hardwoods. It adjoins the southern border of Babcock State Park. There is exceptional ruffed grouse hunting on the WMA.

Greenbrier State Forest www.greenbriersf.com is about a 70 mile drive from the property, mostly on state highways (Routes 77 and 64), and offers 5,130 acres for hunting near the Virginia border. The territory is quite mountainous, peaking at 3,388 feet at the top of Kates Mountain. Here hunters can find bear, deer, turkey, grouse and squirrel. The area also has archery and muzzleloading rifle ranges.

The Monongahela National Forest, the southern portion of which is about an 80 mile drive from the property, again mostly on Routes 77 and 64, has experienced limited hunting pressure in recent years, and offers some of the best gobbler hunting in the state. Here is a detailed map of the Monongahela National Forest. Along the southern tip of the National Forest, the Neola WMA, in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties, offers 96,928 acres for hunting. Neola affords good opportunities for turkey, deer, bear, squirrel, grouse, rabbit and waterfowl, with rugged terrain, which is 90% covered by an oak-pine forest.

Bowhunting Only:

The R.D. Bailey Lake and Wildlife Management Area is approximately a 60 mile drive from the property and encompasses 17,280 acres on which bowhunting is allowed - Wyoming County's largest tract of public hunting land. The area provides good hunting opportunities for deer, squirrel, ruffed grouse, turkey, raccoon and black bear. A 200-yard rifle range is located in the area. Trappers can find fox, bobcat, skunk, opossum, mink and muskrat. The terrain is rugged, characterized by narrow valleys, deep hollows, and steep ridges, and has elevations raging from 500 to 1,200 feet.

Berwind Lake, about 65 miles from the property and in next-door McDowell County, is one of the larger Wildlife Management Areas in West Virginia with 18,000 acres of mountainous terrain www.berwindlake.com. McDowell County is a bowhunting-only county, but perhaps because of this the lake is a great spot if you are looking for larger bucks. Until Logan County dropped it to the number two slot in 2003, McDowell County had been the state's big-buck capital.

Also in McDowell County, about 75 miles from the property, is Panther State Forest, with 10,640 acres of public hunting grounds, while 55 miles from the property is the 2,308-acre Tug Fork WMA, accessible on foot only. Also nearby is the 1,792-acre Anawalt Lake WMA, which provides slightly less room than Berwind or Panther, but is an equally productive habitat.

Additional hunting resources:

Information and resources for outdoorsmen:
www.wvsportsmen.com
Online magazine for hunters and fishermen:
www.wvgameandfish.com
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources:
www.wvdnr.gov

There is great fishing on the New River, the Gauley River, and the Greenbrier River, all within approximately an hour of the property, as well as on numerous additional local waterways. There are a variety of coldwater and warmwater species in the region, including trout, smallmouth, largemouth and striped bass, walleye, bluegill, musky, and catfish. See the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources site for regulations, additional fishing sites, trout stocking schedules, and other information: www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/fishing.shtm. Also, below are some highlights of local lake and river fishing possibilities.

Immediately adjacent to the property is the 5,987 acre Camp Creek State Forest, within which approximately 550 acres was set aside to create Camp Creek State Park. The Park features two great waterfalls, Camp Creek Falls, and Farley Branch Falls, which can be reached by trails from the picnic areas. Camp Creek is stocked semi-weekly, and is one of the best stocked trout streams in the state. The creek is stocked from the lower boundary of Camp Creek State Forest, upstream four miles. www.campcreekstatepark.com

Bluestone Lake, the third largest lake in West Virginia, is a 2,040 surface acre impoundment on the New River, and is a 30 mile drive from the property. The Lake provides excellent warmwater fishing for catfish, and largemouth and smallmouth bass, panfish and musky. It is home to some of the best striped bass fishing in the state; in fact it produced the current state record - 29 pounds and 37 inches. It has two boat ramps, six carry-down launching areas, and a marina operated for the convenience of visitors. www.bluestonesp.com Fishing is also popular along the banks and shallows of the 77 mile Bluestone River named for its deep blue limestone streambed, and along a 1,000 foot deep gorge, designated as a national scenic river preserve www.nps.gov/blue. The Bluestone is accessible through the Bluestone State Park or Pipestem State Park.

The Greenbrier River is 158 miles long and is a high quality trout and smallmouth bass stream by any standard. A portion of the river at Hilldale is about a 35 mile drive from the property. The Greenbrier offers some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the Eastern U.S. Fishermen can also catch a variety of trout on the Greenbrier, including rainbow, browns, and brook. Trout are native to the Greenbrier, and the Division of Natural Resources stocks the river.

Summersville Lake is a 60 mile drive from the property, and is West Virginia's largest lake, with over 2,700 surface acres and 60 miles of shoreline, ranging from quiet coves to vertical cliffs. The lake is known for its small- and large-mouth bass, catfish, bluegill, walleye and rainbow trout.

R.D. Bailey Lake is a 75 mile drive from the property, features 630 surface acres, and provides great warmwater fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, striped bass, crappie, catfish, walleye and tiger musky. The largest spotted bass ever caught in the state (4.8 pounds and 19 inches) was caught in the lake. The lake is big enough to grow trophies, but small enough to be fished efficiently. Trout are stocked regularly in the tailwater. DNR studies show good numbers of fish over 28 inches, with an occasional trophy-size hybrid in the mix. A public boat launching site is located at the head of the lake. R.D. Bailey Lake

The Gauley River, a portion of which is about a 50 mile drive from the property, is renowned for its walleye, small- and large-mouth bass, trout, and muskie fishing. When people think of walleye, many think of the great lakes, but the state record walleye (17.2 pounds, 33 inches), caught on the Gauley, is bigger than the largest walleye caught on the great lakes (16.3 pounds, 33 inches, caught on Lake Erie). Much of the Gauley is inaccessible except by raft, but for this reason it is underfished when compared to other regional fishing spots.

The New River, a portion of which is a 40 mile drive from the property, is one of the oldest rivers in North America, and offers good bass fishing, trout streams, beautiful mountain scenery, and abundant wildlife. Fishermen will find great bass fishing for walleye, bluegill, carp and catfish. A stretch of the New River Gorge is one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the country, with twelve miles designated catch and release. The following are several New River Outfitters: www.small-mouth.com, and www.wvweb.com/twinrivers/index.html.

West Virginia has become one of the most popular skiing destinations for residents of Mid-Atlantic and southern states. The Mountain State features several high-quality downhill skiing resorts with diverse terrain, targeted at skiers of all abilities. Also see www.skiwv.com and www.skiingwv.com.

Winterplace Ski Resort (Flat Top Mountain), in Ghent, WV is an approximately 15 mile drive from the property. The resort features 9 lifts, 27 trails, 3,865 feet elevation, and almost 1,000 feet of vertical drop. Additional features include a snowtubing park, night skiing, and a 10,000 square foot mid-mountain facility, the Mountain House www.winterplace.com.

Also nearby is Snowshoe Mountain, in Snowshoe, WV, which is about a 130 mile drive from the property. Perched nearly a mile high in the Alleghenies, Snowshoe is West Virginia's winter resort capital, averaging 180 inches of snowfall per year and offers 14 lifts, 57 trails 4,848 feet of elevation, and 1,500 feet vertical drop. The resort has a number of characteristics that set it apart from other smaller regional ski slopes, such as new quad chairs, a unique "upside down" layout with base facilities at the top of the mountain, a long run of 1.5 miles, floodlit night skiing, snowboarding facilities including 2 halfpipes, and improved snowmaking that allows the resort to open before Thanksgiving. www.snowshoemtn.com

Although it is a longer drive to it than to Snowshoe, the Canaan Valley Resort is geared towards families, and offers good skiing, with 4 lifts, 37 trails, 850 feet of vertical drop, and 160 inches of average annual snowfall www.canaanresort.com. Also visit Timberline Resort at Herz Mountain, with 36 trails, almost 1,000 vertical feet, 3 lifts, and 35 trails www.timberlineresort.com.

Golf in West Virginia has evolved dramatically since its beginnings in White Sulphur Springs during the nineteenth century. Today there are over 100 golf courses in the Mountain State, and many of these are in the southern portion of the state within an hour or so of the property. Mountain State golf can offer breathtaking foliage in the fall, and spectacular views year round (see www.wvgolf.com). Below are several notable local golf destinations.

The Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs, about a 20 mile drive from the property, is one of the best courses in West Virginia, rated 4-stars by Golf Digest. The course is over 7,000 yards, and features over 200 feet of elevation change, 54 sand bunkers, eight lakes, and challenging slopes. The resort also offers a nine-hole putting green, a ten-acre driving range, and a practice sand trap (www.gladesprings.com/cobb-golf-course.php?NCK=wvmountainprop). Recently opened, the 18-hole Stonehaven course, also at The Resort at Glade Springs, features dramatic topography, dramatic rock outcroppings, and a path through a hardwood forest: (http://www.gladesprings.com/stonehaven-golf-course.php?NCK=wvmountainprop).

About a 25 mile drive from the property, the Brier Patch Golf Links (formerly the Saddlebred Golf Club) is an 18-hole public course in Beckley measuring 7,017 yards, and boasting a beautiful island green, the only one in the state. Good luck on "The Beast," a 642 yeard par 5 on hole #18.

The Twin Falls Resort State Park, about a 30 mile drive from the property, is not particularly long at 5,978, but it is quite challenging. Water hazards line 15 of the 18 holes, and bunkers guard every green. The eighth hole green is two-thirds surrounded by water. The course follows a valley stream and features rye/bluegrass fairways and abundant wildlife (www.twinfallsresort.com). Other nearby golf clubs include:

Princeton Elks Club, Princeton 15 miles
Grandview Country Club, Beaver 25 miles
Bluefield Country Club, Bluefield 25 miles

The Mountain State, with its rolling hills and natural beauty, offers a wide range of exciting opportunities for mountain bikers. See selected area mountain biking highlights below, and visit www.bicyclewv.com to start learning about mountain biking in West Virginia.

If you are a bicycling enthusiast, it is worth visiting the Greenbrier River Trail (www.greenbrierrivertrail.com), the lower portion of which is about a 70 mile drive from the property. Formerly a turn-of-the century railway, the Greenbrier trail is now a 75 mile pathway running next to the Greenbrier River through the beautiful Allegheny mountains. Drop your car at the base of the trail, and have shuttle transport you upriver, and then ride back. see www.freespiritadventures.com/trail.html)

About a 45 mile drive from the property, the New River has several trails of varying intensity and difficulty, such as the Kaymoor, Thurmon, Minden, and Cunard Trails. These trails offer everything from smooth paved rides along the river with picnics and historical sites, to technical rides through heavily wooded mountains with switchbacks through canyons and ridges. Visit the website for the New River Bike and Touring Company (www.newriverbike.com) for more details.

The Hatfield-McCoy Trails, known as "Trail Heaven," is due west of Beckley, and about an 85 mile drive from the property. Famous for the family feud that occurred there in the 1880s, the trail system encompasses 500 miles of tight and twisting trails, as well as deep valleys, and historical and cultural landmarks.

Driving distances from regional urban centers: