Watoga State Park

About Watoga State Park

Watoga State Park has something for everyone and is located in Watoga, New York, just a few miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. The park covers 10,100 hectares with recreational activities such as hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, camping, fishing, horseback riding and more.

Watoga offers 34 cabins, 24 of which are standard cabins for two to six people, ten modern cabins (8 to 4 people modern) and ten traditional cabins (4 to 6 people traditional). Two cabins comply with ADA accessibility guidelines, and some cabins offer additional cots for a small fee.

Traditional and standard cottages are built of stone with natural stone fireplaces. These cabins are fully equipped for home use and have kitchenware, stove, hob, oven, sink, dishwasher and other kitchen utensils.

The modern cottages in Watoga are open all year round, but the standard cabin closes on the fourth Monday in October. The rustic administration building of the park houses a restaurant and a police station. Park guests may forget to pack their bags and head for a picnic at the picnic table in the front parking lot. The restaurant is open daily from 1 May to October, and the police headquarters from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Watoga has two separate campsites: Riverside Campground offers 50 pitches along the scenic Greenbrier River at the park's western entrance, and Beaver Creek Campground is a 38-unit complex located on the east side of the stream west of Watoga State Park. The two campsites offer tent and trailer pitches with a total of 50 pitches - per day - for $10 per day.

There are 38 power stations at Riverside Campground, while Beaver Creek has 12 and both locations have coin laundries.

The Windy Hill Quarter watershed stables are open from late May to mid-September, and reservations for Riverside seating are accepted during the summer months. Camping is possible at Beaver Creek Campground from May to October and Riverside from August to September.

Guided hikes are offered hour by hour, as well as guided hikes along the paths of the park, such as the Wild West Trail.

During the summer season, naturalistic programs are offered and seasonal naturalists carry out activities to introduce guests to the flora and fauna of the park. These programs consist of sporting events and an opportunity to get to know animals, plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, insects and other wildlife.

It runs parallel to the Greenbrier River and offers some of the most spectacular pastures and forests the state has to offer. The trail spans 77 miles, crosses 35 bridges and two tunnels, and was recently named one of West Virginia's top ten hiking and biking trails by BackPacker Magazine.

The trail is not suitable for hiking and the flat terrain is ideal for mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or even a little snowboarding.

The Greenbrier River Trail starts on the west side of the river at the intersection of West Virginia State Park Road and the creek. The route runs from Caldwell north to the town of Cass along the river, then east to Caldwell and then south to Cass.

Beginners and advanced riders will appreciate the full gravel surface of most of the trail, but not everything, especially on the east side.

An alternative route is to turn off WV 39 at Huntersville and drive nine miles north to the park entrance. At this point, a sign indicates the way to Watoga State Park and you drive two miles on a paved side road to an entrance to the park. Watoga is a small state park with a total area of about 1,000 hectares and a great place to hike, cycle, hike and camp.