Our Favorite Places to Enjoy the Water in West Virginia

Y'all, I don’t know know if you've noticed, but it's hot. Like bring two water bottles and a frozen t-shirt for your neck kind of hot.

It's also that time of year that we start looking for places to cool off in the water. Our favorite thing to do in the summertime is swim in a river or kayak somewhere with chilly water and shade. Bonus points if we find something interesting on the shore, like snail shells or animal bones.

If you're looking for more places to cool off this summer, check out our go-to list of places to enjoy the water in West Virginia.

Swimming

Pools are great and all, but nothing feels as good as chilling out in a river with your friends.

Audra State Park

Audra State Park, home to the locally known "Party Rock" is a popular place to go swimming in the summer time. Where we like to swim, you can bring a floaty and make your way down the Middle Fork River. Go early in the morning to beat the crowds and the heat. If you don't mind running into a few friends you haven't seen in a minute, Audra State Park is the spot to go.

A busy day at Audra State Park

Mill Creek Falls in Kumbrabow State Forest

This is a spot we go to every single summer. Located high up on a mountain in Kumbrabow State Forest, Mill Creek Falls is a small waterfall with a deep pool of water at the bottom. Because of the location and the heavy tree line surrounding this spot, the water is always cold, even on the hottest days. The depth of the pool at the bottom of the falls is about 15 feet, so it's a great place to climb up and jump in without worrying about landing on anything dangerous. Plus it's our favorite place to get skipping stones, a nessecity when you live in West Virginia.

This local swimming spot has gotten more popular over the years, so you might not be alone when you go to visit. Bring a folding chair if you want to relax outside of the water, or just find a boulder on the shore to perch on. If you want to make a whole weekend out of it, we definitely recommend staying at one of the cabins at the top of the Falls.

The perfect place to swim on a hot day

Whitaker Falls, Elk River

Another one of our yearly sojourn, Whitaker Falls is located on the Elk River. The way the water has flowed down the river has created a series of shelves, making this a perfect spot to enjoy the water at any depth. We like to set up our towels on one of the dry spots on the rocks, then either hang out in the water on top of the falls or jump over the falls into the deep pool below. There's also a fun natural chute at the top that will carry you down into one of the pools (and over the falls if you keep going!)

We've been here many times over the years, and it's really only been crowded on holidays. You can go camping near the river, or stay at one of the Elk River Resort cabins. Regardless of whether you're staying the weekend or just stopping by, don't forget to get some food at Ellie May's Resturant. It's located right on top of a fish hatchery, so you can watch the fly fishers outside while you're enjoying the fish and chips.

Seneca Rocks

While most people know Seneca Rocks for it's switchback hiking trail to the top, it also has a great swimming hole located at the bottom. So for those of you who don't want to make the trek up, tell those overachievers that you'll meet them at the bottom and cool off in the water while you wait. For food and snacks, you can stop at Yokum's across the road and eat at their picnic tables. You might see the local cat as well, but good luck trying to pet it!

Kayaking

We love kayaking in West Virginia, and there are a lot of great places to go in the State. While you might already know all the great places to go in the southern part of the state, we're keeping it local to North Central West Virginia.

Skin Creek, Glady Fork

Skin Creek is a favorite, as you're kayaking through a flooded area, weaving in and out of tree branches and small islands that have formed because of the dam. We undloaded at the Glady Boat Dock near Alkires Mills (exit 96), east of the Stonewall Jackson Resort Lake, and spent a good few hours kayaking and watching birds. It's not as relaxing as Stonecoal Lake, but still much more peaceful than Stonewall Jackson Lake. It's also free to unload there, which is not the case at the Stonewall Resort.

Stonecoal Lake

Stonecoal Lake is located between Weston and Buckhannon, and it's probably our favorite place for a relaxing kayaking experience. High speed motorboats aren't allowed on Stonecoal, so you don't have to worry about massive wakes. It's incredibly peaceful, which also means you'll find cool stuff on the shores. This is where we find lots of snail shells, and also the one time we found an intact deer skull! Obviously we took that home, but you're bound to find your own treasures here.

Monongahela in Fairmont

Kayaking on the Monongahela has two popular loading points: Fairmont and Morgantown. Because of the locks and dams it's a fairly calm spot to kayak if the water isn't too high. On top of that, the Fairmont Floatilla group hosts lots of events that will introduce you to a great group of enthusiastic kayakers in the area.

Tygart Lake

Tygart Lake is a very popular spot for swimming, boating, and kayaking. As a result we often go here in the cooler months, when we can still enjoy the water but not have to worry about competing with high speed boats. On top of that, with the lake drained, you can find more nooks and crannys to explore on your kayak.

Let Us Know Your Favorite Spots

Obviously this is not an exhaustive list of all the spots to swim and kayak in West Virginia. Next year we're hoping to do more exploring in the southern part of the state, so please comment with your favorite places! And if you know of any other places to swim or kayak that we haven't listed, comment those too!

Stay hydrated, and keep exploring! We'll see you next week!