Pipestem Resort State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located in southern

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, on the border between

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...

and Summers counties. The park was built with grants provided by the Area Redevelopment Administration of the

U.S. Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth ...

under the administration of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

.Kermit McKeever award web page, accessed September 30, 2006
/ref> It is located in the gorge of the

Bluestone River The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi (124 km) long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States.

. The Park name derives from pipestem, or narrowleaf meadowsweet (''

Spiraea alba ''Spiraea alba'', commonly known as meadowsweet, white meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, or pipestem, is native to the wet soils of the Allegheny Mountains and other portions of eastern North America, but is currently endanger ...

''), a locally common shrub historically used for making pipe stems. The park features two

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

s, one of which may be reached only by an

aerial tramway An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...

to the bottom of the gorge, 26 fully equipped wood cabins, a regular and a par-3

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

, several restaurants, and other recreational activities, including its own stable of horses. The park's nature center features displays of native plants and animals, and offers nature programs. The Nature Center is open year-round, and includes the Harris Homestead, a reconstructed 1900s (decade) period

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

, barn and meat house.

Nearby cities and attractions

Athens, West Virginia Athens is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 944 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV- VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. Athens is the home of Concord University. Hist ...

Concord University Concord University (Concord) is a public university in Athens, West Virginia. It was founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in the town of Concord Church, in the ...

Princeton, West Virginia Princeton, is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The city is coined the "Heart of Mercer County" or the "Jewel of the South" in past decades. The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census with approximat ...

Hinton, West Virginia Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named after John "Jack" Hin ...

Bluestone State Park Bluestone State Park is a state park in Summers County, West Virginia. The park is located along the western shore of Bluestone Lake, an impoundment of the New River built and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The park and lake ar ...

Bluestone Lake Bluestone Lake is a flood control reservoir located on the New River near Hinton, West Virginia. At its normal pool level, Bluestone Dam impounds a stretch of the New and its tributary, the Bluestone River. Normally approximately in size, ...

* New River *

Sandstone Falls Sandstone (also New Richmond or New River Falls) is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along West Virginia Route 20 and the New River to the north of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summ ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Campgrounds in West Virginia Golf clubs and courses in West Virginia Nature centers in West Virginia Protected areas established in 1963 Protected areas of Mercer County, West Virginia Protected areas of Summers County, West Virginia Resorts in West Virginia State parks of West Virginia State parks of the Appalachians

Nearby cities and attractions

See also

References

External links