Boating, Camping, Fishing and Family Fun at Tygart Lake State Park in West Virginia

Tygart Lake State Park, located in Central West Virginia, is an ideal family vacation destination. The ten mile long Tygart Lake is a 1700 acre lake that is fed by the Tygart River with the dam setting near the town of Grafton. The dam is a concrete structure 230 feet high and 1900 feet wide. An overlook at the park provides a breathtaking view of the serene lake and the roaring river exiting the dam.

Tygart is known regionally for its abundance and variety of fish. The lake contains small and large mouth bass, musky, crappie, walleye and perch among others. The tail waters of the dam are stocked with trout. When the bite is good, an angler can catch his limit in less than an hour. There are multiple launch points into the lake and boat rentals are available seasonally. Excellent bank fishing is also available. Interstate 79 runs north and south through West Virginia and many fishing lakes are located on or near the interstate (Cheat, Tygart, Burnsville, Sutton, Summersville, Bluestone).

Tygart Lake State Park also offers a variety of accommodations. A picturesque lodge overlooking the lake holds seventeen nicely furnished guestrooms. The park also has eleven cabins and forty campsites nestled in the woods near the lake. On the other side of the lake from the state park, Pleasant Creek Wildlife Management Area (public hunting and fishing) offers forty more campsites, although its facilities are more primitive than those in the park.

The park offers many seasonal events focusing on the cultural and natural aspects of the region. Located within a short drive of the park are many points of interest. There are two historic covered bridges, one in Phillipi and another in Barrackville. There are two colonial period forts, Fort New Salem and Prickett’s Fort. Golfing is also available locally. Jackson’s Mill, the boyhood home of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, is located a short drive away. Grafton is also home of a National Cemetery. Among the interred is Thornesberry Baily Brown who is possibly the first soldier killed in the Civil War.

An interesting note, Grafton is the site of the first Mother’s Day observance. The International Mother’s Day Shrine and Anna Jarvis House celebrate Mother’s Day minutes away from the park. Tygart Lake State Park is located about two hours south of Pittsburgh, PA. The park is an ideal location for families of fishermen looking for a peaceful vacation in the beautiful hills of rural America.