Hiking in Babcock State Park: Easily Missed, Not to be Skipped

West Virginia is home to many beautiful state parks, and Babcock State Park might be one of the best.  With its beautiful vistas, its historic grist mill and not to mention their cozy cabins, you won’t want to skip Babcock State Park!

Founded in 1937, Babcock is a piece of history all in itself.  Pair that with the fact that Babcock State Park is attached to West Virginia’s only National Park and you’ve created a great trip for the whole family.  

Despite being overshadowed by New River Gorge National Park, Babcock State Park offers over 20 miles of incredible hiking trails.  With peaceful streams and several beautiful overlooks, you won’t want to miss hiking in Babcock State Park.  

Important Links 

–Babcock State Park Website

–Hiking Map

–Babcock State Park Campground – Book Camping here!

–Camping in Babcock State Park

Location

Babcock State Park is located in Danese, WV which is just outside of New River Gorge National Park.  This beautiful state park gives hikers access to over 20 miles of trails, and has a great campground for all levels of camping.  

If you plan to hike here, you will most likely end up camping here as well.  Babcock is practically in the middle of nowhere when you consider its distance from major cities.  Babcock is 4 hours south of Pittsburgh, PA, 4 hours west of Richmond, VA, 4 hours northeast of Knoxville, TN and 4 hours east of Columbus, OH.  

One Quick Thing – The Grist Mill

Before we get into all the information about Babcock State Park and the hiking trails, I have to mention the biggest highlight in the park.  And this highlight is the Glade Creek Grist Mill.

Unfortunately, the original mill that once stood there burned down a few years before Babcock became a state park.  This current mill is a gorgeous replica of the mill that once functioned along the Glade Creek.  

The legacy of mill work in the hills of West Virginia inspired the recreation of this iconic mill in 1976.  The highly photographed Glade Creek Grist Mill stands as a tribute to the 100+ mills that were once located all throughout the area.

Two of the hiking trails in Babcock State Park start near the mill, so you’re bound to see it if you hike many of the trails.  But trust me, you’ll want to make time for this!

But with so many miles of trails to hike and so much to explore in the area, how much time should you spend here?  

Time to Spend Here

Babcock State Park has enough hiking to keep you busy for several days!  Not to mention this park is attached to New River Gorge National Park, which offers over 100 miles of trails.  

But if you’re primarily focused on just hiking in Babcock, I would recommend at least 3 days to enjoy the trails that are located here.  Plus, there are trails for all levels of hikers.  

If you are looking for a longer trail, the Old Sewell Trail (11 miles) leads you out of Babcock to an abandoned mining town right along the New River.  

Or if you prefer shorter trails with incredible views, you can do the Island-in-the-Sky Trail (0.5 miles) or the Skyline Trail (4 miles).  But if streams or lakes are the name of your hiking game, you could check out the Lake View Trail (1 mile loop) or Manns Creek Gorge Trail (4 miles).

There are over a dozen trails to choose from, each with something special to offer.  So I highly recommend you check out a few of these trails and give yourself at least 3 days to hike in Babcock State Park.  

List of Trails

Since we discussed a few of the trails in the section above, let’s dive into all of the trails in Babcock State Park

• Island-in-the-Sky Trail (0.5 miles) – Moderate
• Lake View Trail (1 mile loop) – Easy
• Old Sewell Trail (5.5 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Ridge Top Trail (2 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Rocky Trail (0.5 miles) – Difficult
• Manns Creek Gorge Trail (2 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Mountain Heath Trail (0.25 miles) – Moderate
• Narrow Gauge Trail (2.25 miles) – Moderate
• Skyline Trail (2 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Triple Creek Trail (1 mile) – Moderate
• Twin Hollow Trail (0.5 miles one-way) – Moderate
• North Slope Trail (0.5 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Old Pond Trail (1.5 miles one-way) – Moderate
• Wilderness Trail (1.5 miles one-way) – Moderate

Many of these trails are listed as one-way trails, so make sure that you plan on doubling the distance for these out-and-back trails. 

Parking

When you first arrive at Babcock State Park, I highly recommend starting at the Park Headquarters, which is right by the Grist Mill.  This will allow you to ask a ranger questions (if you have them) and pick up a map.  Then you can get started with finding a trail that interests you.  

Most of these trails have available parking at or near their trailheads.  However, with this large amount of trails, and skinny roads, you will want to use the park map to find out where to park.  Yes, this might mean you have to combine a few trails, depending on which trail you had intended to do.  

Additionally, some of the trails connect to the campground, so if you plan on camping there, you don’t have to worry about parking.  

Camping 

Babcock State Park has a wonderful campground that can house just about any rig.  From tents to travel trailers to full-on RVs, there’s a space for everyone.  And for those who would rather not sleep on the ground, there are cabins of various sizes (and prices).  

Several of the trails connect to the campground, and more connect to the cabin areas.  So if you are looking to hike here, camping in the park will give you quite the advantage when it comes to parking and getting the most out of the trails.

For all the information about camping in Babcock State Park, check out our camping experience here.  Alright, back to hiking!

Our Hikes

My husband and I hiked 2 of the trails in Babcock State Park.  Each trail had a hidden gem quality to it because we only saw 1 group of people on each trail.  I’ll start with the lesser of the two trails (in my opinion).

Manns Creek Gorge Trail

This 4 mile out-and-back trail leads you from the campground, along Manns Creek until you dead end into Route 11 and return the way you came.  Manns Creek is very pretty and had there been more water running, it would have been beautiful.

This trail leads you through a peaceful section of woods in Babcock State Park and is a great moderate hike that can be done in less than 2 hours.

Skyline Trail

The Skyline Trail is also a 4 mile out-and-back trail that starts at the Manns Creek Picnic Area.  There is parking here, or you can add about a mile by walking from the campground to this picnic area.

The trail leads you through the woods, under boulders and out to several cliff-like overviews.  This hike was our favorite of the two that we did while we camped here.  We saw over a dozen deer on this trail and we were able to watch the beginning of the sunset.  

While we only did 2 hikes within our stay at Babcock State Park, there is plenty to do in the area.  

Things to do in the area

Besides hiking and camping in West Virginia, there are many activities to do and places to go within a 30 minute drive of the state park.  

You could do the Bridge Walk, which takes you on a walk underneath the New River Gorge Bridge.  While it’s a little pricey, this is an incredible experience!

You could go white water rafting, or take a haunted walking tour in Fayetteville, or even an ATV tour!  Whatever bit of adventure you want to add to your trip, you can find lots of details here.

Or you could go hiking in New River Gorge National Park.  There are some truly amazing trails within the borders of this park.  Here is a list of 7 trails you just can’t miss!  

Conclusion

If you are looking for some amazing hiking with picturesque creeks, beautiful vistas and a touch of history, look no further than Babcock State Park.  

With a great campground perfect for anyone, you can stay and have easy access to hike these amazing trails.  Most of the trails are moderately difficult, but there are a few longer trails perfect for those experienced hikers.

Hiking in Babcock is often overlooked because of its proximity to New River Gorge National Park, but you don’t want to sleep on these beautiful trails.  

As always, feel free to reach out to averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.

Happy Hiking!