Babcock State Park is located along the New River Gorge on 4,127 wooded acres in Fayette County. West Virginia. Located near the park headquarters, the Glade Creek Grist Mill is among the most photographed tourist sites in the state.
The Mill is a replica of the original Cooper's Mill that was located nearby. The current grist mill, completed in 1976, was assembled from parts of three other West Virginia mills. The park's web site describes the Glade Creek Grist Mill as a living, working monument to the more than 500 mills that used to set throughout the state.
The swift-flowing trout streams and natural beauty of Babcock State Park stretch to the boundary of the New River Gorge National River. The park is located in the heart of the New River/Greenbrier Valley. Aside from recreational pursuits, its main attraction is the recently reconstructed Glade Creek Gristmill, assembled from old gristmill parts from neighboring counties.
Currently providing cornmeal, as well as whole-wheat and buckwheat flour, the gristmill is now a working museum and a testament to a bygone time when grinding grain by a stream was a common practice in West Virginia.
The park also provides boating and fishing excursions at Boley Lake, and numerous horseback riding and hiking trails that zigzag across 4,127 acres of rugged mountain backcountry.
Several lookouts capture a picturesque panorama of boulder-strewn canyons and the region’s highlands. In the winter, Babcock State Park offers the perfect terrain for cross-country skiers. Quite unique to the area is the rustic Camp Washington Carver, a family-style compound that offers weekend dinner-theater productions and dances. The park also offers several cabin-style lodgings and a campground.
Just a short drive east of the park, heading along Hwy 60, is the former headquarters of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, at Big Sewell Mountain.
Water Falls at Babcock
Babcock is one of West Virginia first state parks. It was inaugurated July 1, 1937. The allure of this part of the Appalachian Plateau made it a logical choice. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park, and later other amenities were added
Babcock State Park is easily accessible from Beckley and points south by following US 19 north.
At the US Rt. 60 exit travel east 10 miles to State Rt. 41 South. Babcock's campground is 2 miles south of Rt.60 at Clifftop, while the main park entrance is 2 miles south of Clifftop.
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