Hawks Nest State Park

State park in Fayette County, West Virginia

38°07′21″N 81°07′40″W / 38.12250°N 81.12778°W / 38.12250; -81.12778Area370 acres (150 ha)[2]Elevation1,257 ft (383 m)Established1935[3]Governing bodyWest Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesWebsitewvstateparks.com/park/hawks-nest-state-park/

Hawks Nest State Park is located on 370 acres (150 ha)[2] in Fayette County near Ansted, West Virginia. The park's clifftop overlook along U.S. Route 60 provides a scenic vista of the New River, some 750 feet (230 m) below.[4] The hydro-electric project tunnel that passes underneath nearby Gauley Mountain was the scene of the Depression-era Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster.

The original building, now a gift shop and museum, was built as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project.[citation needed] The park lodge was constructed in 1967 by The Architects Collaborative (TAC). The park's lodge and aerial gondola to the river are located about a mile further east from the overlook along U.S. 60, closer to the center of Ansted.

Features

  • 31 room lodge
  • Restaurant
  • Aerial tram between the lodge and the New River shore (currently not in operation)
  • Swimming pool
  • Hiking trails
  • Picnic area
  • Gift shop
  • River Nature Center
  • Hawks Nest Rail Trail (1.8 mile)

Accessibility

Accessibility for the disabled was assessed by West Virginia University. The assessment found the park lodge and facilities to be generally accessible.[5] However, during the 2005 assessment, some issues were identified with a stairway and with some exit lighting.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hawks Nest State Park". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  2. ^ a b West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid, accessed March 29, 2008 Archived February 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Where People and Nature Meet: A History of the West Virginia State Parks. Charleston, West Virginia: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. April 1988. ISBN 0-933126-91-3.
  4. ^ Crockett, M., "Jewels in our Crown", Pictoria Histories, Charleston, WV, 2004. ISBN 1-891852-35-3
  5. ^ Guide to Accessible Recreation and Travel in WV, WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities web site, accessed July 31, 2006 Archived July 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

External links

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