Beartown State Park

Beartown State Park may be tiny — roughly 110 acres — but its geology is unforgettable. Over thousands of years, wind and water carved deep fissures and rounded shelves into a soft layer of sandstone, creating a maze of slot-like passages and alcoves at the base of the hillside.

The rock's cool, damp microclimate supports thick moss, ferns, and hemlock, so the interior feels like a green cave even on a hot day. The name may come from bears that denned in the crevices, or from the "bear town" look of the stone rooms once seen by early settlers.

Beartown is a day-use park, typically open seasonally from spring to late fall. Because it sits just up the road from Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, the two pair perfectly for a half-day outing.

Beartown Boardwalk — the park's only maintained path, a roughly half-mile wooden walkway that loops through the rock formations. It is level, wide, and suitable for most visitors, including families with small children.

The boardwalk is the entire experience here, so plan on 45–90 minutes. Stay on the boardwalk: the sandstone is fragile and the crevices can be slippery and confusing to enter.

Beartown does not offer camping or cabins. The nearest overnight options are at Watoga State Park, Droop Mountain Battlefield's small campground, Seneca State Forest, or the many inns and rentals in Marlinton and Snowshoe.

Because the park is a short stop, most visitors treat it as part of a Pocahontas County day trip rather than a destination in itself.

The park supports a rich forest floor of ferns, mosses, and wildflowers that thrive in the damp shade of the rocks. Birdsong echoes off the stone walls, and you may spot woodland species such as wood thrushes, ovenbirds, and the occasional wild turkey.

Small mammals, including chipmunks and squirrels, are common along the boardwalk. There is no fishing or swimming at Beartown — the draw here is geology and forest atmosphere.