Exploring Pipestem State Park

Note: Please take all the coordinates and measurements on this page with a grain of salt. There are discrepancies between the hiking trail lengths given in different "official" sources; whenever this happens, I've erred towards the longer or more precise measurement. All elevation figures are approximations calculated from Open Street Map.

Pipestem Knob Trail

Type: Out-and-back; fully paved.

Trailhead: 37.5159, -80.9753, accessible from designated parking lot.

Length: 0.5 km

Highest Point: 895 m

Gain: ▲ 30 m

Blaze Colour: Blue

Intersects: None

Notes: This hiking trail serves as a switchback-laden access path to the observation tower on Pipestem Knob, near Pipestem State Park's southeast entrance. It is isolated from other hiking trails within the park.

The Pipestem Knob Tower was dedicated to late superintendent Steve Paul Bolar in 2011, and is now officially the Bolar Lookout Tower. I seem to recall that until the 1990s this trail was blazed in red, not blue...but I could be misremembering.

County Line Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5248, -80.9889, accessible from Nature Center.

Length: 3.7 km

Highest Point: 818 m

Gain: ▼ 130 m

Blaze Colour: Red

Intersects: River Trail

Notes: County Line Trail is a fairly long and strenuous hike that offers access to some of the park's most isolated areas, including a waterfall on the Indian Branch of the Bluestone River. The lower portion of the trail is considerably more level than the upper portion, and is a repurposed vehicular road.

Incidentally, this is the only hiking trail at Pipestem State Park that is primarily within Mercer County.

Official park map.

1968 USGS map, composed while the park was under construction. A portion of the future County Line Trail is shown as a primitive vehicular road, running from its approach to Indian Branch (blue arrow) to the intersection with River Trail (red arrow). It's worth noting that this road still exists as CR 4/2 south of the park limits, and the trail nearly grazes the extant stub of the highway.

At approximately 37.525, -81.008 (black arrow) a now-lost road branched off west from the current trail, descending via a series of switchbacks to a long-gone upstream crossing at the Bluestone River. Oddly, this road is not shown on any other map.

This 1946 State Road Commission map clearly labels the lower course of the trail (between red and blue arrows) as part of CR 4/2.

The same road is also visible on the USGS' 1912 and 1929 base maps.

Dogwood Trail

Type: Loop

Trailhead: 37.5254, -80.9899, accessible from Nature Center.

Length: 1.0 km

Highest Point: 826 m

Blaze Colour: Blue

Intersects: None

Notes: The WVDNR's 1999 website noted that the park's Nature Center was originally intended as an archery clubhouse, and this adjacent nature trail was originally constructed as an archery course.

Official park map.

1993 park map shows a substantially different course for the trail that may not be accurate.

Lake View Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5268, -80.9890

Length: 0.9 km

Highest Point: 830 m

Gain: ▼ 80 m

Blaze Colour: White

Intersects: Lake Shore Trail

Notes: The official park brochure discloses that this trail makes use of an old roadbed. This hiking trail is also paralleled by a dedicated bridle path.

Official park map. Note that an unnamed connecting path (dotted line) leads to the point where highway CR 44/13 truncates at the park's limits; however, it is drawn inaccurately on the map.

1968 USGS map, composed while the park was under construction. CR 44/13's present-day terminus is indicated by the orange arrow. At the time, this vehicular road extended west onto Pipestem property. The portion of the road west of the black arrow was duly incorporated into Lake View Trail.

An additional vehicular road is visible extending northward from the CR; however, this appears to have been repurposed as a bridle path, with the actual hiking trail built alongside. This led to a now-gone dwelling or farm structure at 37.533, -80.984 (blue arrow).

2022 Google Maps imagery, showing that the actual zigzag course of the connecting path agrees with the USGS map, not the official park map. The park boundary is clearly evident from the clearing at lower right. A portion of the hiking trail is actually labelled by Google as CR 44/13, reflecting its pre-park disposition.

1933 State Road Commission map shows the complete course of CR 44/13 running from WV 20 (then designated WV 44) through to the county line. Orange arrow indicates the road's present-day terminus; blue arrows flank the portion of the road now integrated into Lake View Trail. West of the trail, some portions of the road were integrated into the Pipestem State Park access road, Recreation Center entrance, and River Trail (see entry). The 1946 version of the same map shows this highway truncated aft of the border.

The historical Knob Ridge School is also visible (see North Side Trail).

The same road is also visible on the 1912 USGS base map, with the same points marked. Several connecting roads are also shown.

South Side Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5296, -80.9933

Length: 1.1 km

Highest Point: 832 m

Gain: ▼ 80 m

Blaze Colour: Yellow

Intersects: Lake Shore Trail

Notes: According to the official park brochure, "split rail fences, rock piles and other signs of early settlers" are viewable on this hiking trail. Sure enough, early topographic maps bear evidence of farm buildings or dwellings in the area. But are any of them still visible? I didn't see any structural artifacts on the trail when I hiked it in the late 1990s...and the chances aren't high that they'd be any more visible today, 25 years of entropy later. But who knows? They could be lurking under the vegetation somewhere...

Official park map.

The 1912 USGS base map, cropped to roughly the same area, shows two structures in the vicinity of the present-day South Side Trail.

North Side Trail

Type: Loop

Trailhead: 37.5330, -80.9944, accessible from Visitor Center.

Length: 1.1 km

Highest Point: 824 m

Blaze Colour: Red

Intersects: None

Notes: This hiking trail passes near the site of the long-gone Knob Ridge School, which operated until being obsolesced and sold in 1954. The precise location of this one-room schoolhouse is unclear; however, this source gives 37.5326, -80.9926 as the coordinates, which places it due east of the present-day Visitor Center on the north side of the park road.

Official park map.

1912 USGS base map.

Lick Hollow Trail

Type: Loop

Trailhead: 37.5336, -80.9987, accessible from Canyon Rim Center.

Length: 2.6 km

Highest Point: 814 m

Blaze Colour: White

Intersects: None

Canyon Rim Trail

Type: Lollipop loop

Trailhead: 37.5347, -80.9988, accessible from Canyon Rim Center.

Length: 1.7 km

Highest Point: 821 m

Gain: ▼ 190 m

Blaze Colour: Blue

Intersects: River Trail

Notes: Canyon Rim Trail has the second-steepest elevation change of any hiking trail in the park, and must be doubled back upon itself for part of its length. It leads to a sandstone outcropping overlooking the Bluestone River.

Official park map. Note that the loop of the trail is twisted like a pretzel.

1968 USGS map, composed while the park was under construction. One of the forks of Canyon Rim Trail's loop originated as a vehicular driveway leading to a now-gone structure at about 37.5395, -81.003 (red arrow).

Turkey Spur Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5339, -80.9900 or 37.5350,-80.9874

Length: 1.2 km

Highest Point: 795 m

Gain: ▼ 40 m

Blaze Colour: Red

Intersects: Cottage Trail (via connecting path), Lake Shore Trail

Notes: Somewhat unusually, Turkey Spur Trail forks in two with parallel paths leading from either Cottage Trail or the park road.

Cottage Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5366, -80.9889

Length: 0.4 km

Highest Point: 780 m

Gain: ▼ 30 m

Blaze Colour: White

Intersects: Turkey Spur Trail , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: This essentially serves as an access path connecting Long Branch Lake to one of the clusters of rentable cabins at the park.

River Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5407, -80.9845

Length: 8.4 km

Highest Point: 778 m

Gain: ▼ 310 m

Blaze Colour: Orange

Intersects: Canyon Rim Trail , County Line Trail , Farley Loop Trail (Farley Ridge Trail)

Notes: River Trail is one of two hiking trails at Pipestem that straddle the Summers-Mercer county line. It has the longest length and most elevation loss of any trail at the park, and is the only hiking trail that incorporates a river ford. Starting near the park's lodge, the path takes a southwesterly plunge into the Bluestone River canyon. Upon reaching the water, the trail levels out and runs along the north bank to a fork downstream from Mountain Creek Lodge. From there, the course continues to Bluestone State Park as the Bluestone Turnpike Trail.

Substantial portions of River Trail consist of repurposed vehicular roads...and indeed, the portion between the ford and Mountain Creek Lodge is still open to service traffic. Through the 1990s the River Trail extended further north, looping west over ridgetops before ending at a cabin above the Mountain Creek Lodge. This portion of trail was redesignated as part of the Farley Loop Trail in the 2000s (see below).

Official park map, showing the vast expanse of area traversed by this trail.

1968 USGS map, composed while the park was under construction. The portion of the trail from its east terminus to the county line (red arrows) then existed as a primitive road, and at least two structures or dwellings were still standing alongside. Strangely, the riverbank portion of the trail is completely absent from the map.

Although the cartography is a bit sloppy with inaccurate curvature, this 1946 State Road Commission map serves as proof that the River Trail's entire course in Summers County was once a highway. The upper portion of the trail was part of CR 18/2, which still exists as the park's north access road; red arrow indicates the highway's current terminus, while blue arrow indicates the start of the present trail. Also note the semicircular symbol, denoting a sawmill that once existed in the vicinity.

The Bluestone riverbank portion of the trail was part of CR 24, a road extending north to the now-gone town of Lilly. Pink arrow indicates the terminus of the current road at the Mountain Creek Lodge, while teal arrow indicates the fork at which the River Trail formally ends. Downstream portions of CR 24 and CR 27 have been integrated into the Bluestone Turnpike Trail and the access road to Bluestone State Park, although the exact routing has been adjusted due to flooding from the Bluestone Dam.

The adjacent portion of the 1946 SRC Mercer County map shows a bridge crossing at roughly the same location as River Trail's present-day ford, as well as another long-gone sawmill near the Bluestone River-Mountain Creek confluence. Summers County highways 24 and 18/2 (mislabelled 8/2) connected to CR 4 and 4/2 on the Mercer County side.

An older SRC map, dating to the initial 1933 establishment of the county highway system, shows a different highway layout in this area. CR 18/2 did not exist. Instead, CR 44/13 approached from the southeast and was routed along a portion of the present-day River Trail from about 37.531, -81.004 (blue arrow) west to the county line.

The course of the River Trail, with essentially its entire present-day routing, is visible as a road on this montage of the 1912 Big Bend and 1929 Flat Top USGS base maps. This map also shows the now-gone connecting road used by the 1933 routing of CR 44/13 (see Lake View Trail).

1993 park map shows an extension of River Trail continuing north and west from its present terminus. This portion was later redesignated as part of the Farley Loop Trail (see entry).

Long Branch Trail

Type: Point-to-point; fully paved.

Trailhead: 37.5405, -80.9834 or 37.5410, -80.9838

Length: 0.7 km

Highest Point: 783 m

Gain: ▼ 30 m

Blaze Colour: Yellow , formerly blue?

Intersects: Handicap Road (Service Road) , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: This is the primary access path to Long Branch Lake, also serving as a gated vehicle access road for employees. In the 1990s it was blazed in blue and treated as an extension of Lake Shore Trail; according to current park literature however, this has changed.

Handicap Road (Service Road)

Type: Point-to-point; fully paved.

Trailhead: 37.5390, -80.9835

Length: 0.3 km

Highest Point: 780 m

Gain: ▼ 30 m

Blaze Colour: Yellow

Intersects: Long Branch Trail , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: Prior to the late 1990s or early 2000s, this path was surfaced in gravel and signed as simply "Service Road." It has since been improved, and a small parking area for disabled motorists was added near its lakeside terminus.

Lake Shore Trail

Type: Loop

Trailhead: 37.5374, -80.9818

Length: 4.3 km

Highest Point: 777 m

Blaze Colour: Blue

Intersects: Long Branch Trail , Law Hollow Trail , Den Tree Trail , Lake View Trail , South Side Trail , Turkey Spur Trail , Cottage Trail , Handicap Road (Service Road)

Notes: Lake Shore Trail runs in a loop along the shore of Long Branch Lake. Eight other hiking trails sprout off of it like spokes on a wheel, enabling access from areas throughout the park.

There is only one natural lake in the entirety of West Virginia: Trout Pond in Hardy County, if you're keeping score. As such, Long Branch Lake is an artificial reservoir created through the construction of an earthen dam; the dam is located at the lake's north end and was built in 1966 in tandem with other park development. Tree stumps are visible under the waterline.

Official park map.

Den Tree Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5402, -80.9822, accessible from Arboretum

Length: 1.0 km

Highest Point: 786 m

Gain: ▼ 40 m

Blaze Colour: Red

Intersects: Law Hollow Trail , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: Den Tree Trail is (or was originally) an interpretive trail dotted with signs educating hikers on local flora and fauna. Back in the 1990s, it lacked trailhead markers...and I didn't even know it existed until I pored over a park map, and scouted it out!

Law Hollow Trail

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5437, -80.9728

Length: 1.1 km

Highest Point: 796 m

Gain: ▼ 40 m

Blaze Colour: White

Intersects: Den Tree Trail , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: The official brochure describes this trail as "an old logging road."

Official park map.

Oddly enough, the only recorded evidence of a road in this vicinity comes from one source: The 1912 USGS topo base map. The orange arrow is the approximate location of Law Hollow Trail's southwest terminus. A north fork appears at the same location where Law Hollow Trail turns north (blue arrow); however, the connecting path bears northwest rather than northeast like the current trail. East of the park limits (red arrow), the road still exists as a private lane.

The road is shown straddling Long Branch Creek rather than being built at a level above it, which may or may not be accurate given the inconsistent cartography quality of this era.

Farley Loop Trail (Farley Ridge Trail)

Type: Point-to-point

Trailhead: 37.5381, -81.0090, accessible from foot of aerial tramway.

Length: 4.8 km

Highest Point: 675 m

Gain: ▲ 210 m ▼ 210 m

Blaze Colour: White

Intersects: River Trail

Notes: The Farley Loop Trail exists in two distinct portions...both of which formerly had different designations.

The south portion was named the Farley Ridge Trail prior to the 2000s. It begins near the foot of the aerial tramway, and ascends 210 metres with switchbacks. Signs warn about the strenuousness of the path, and they're not kidding: The ascent (and descent, if one returns this way) is so steep that I found myself crouching and crawling along the rocks! It ends in a clearing at the namesake Farley Cabin (aka Patrol Cabin), where a room of cots and a revolting, half-decayed pit toilet evoke the possibility, if not attraction, of overnight stays.

From this point forward, the trail takes a sharp tack north across the ridge and descends for the bulk of its length, following the course of an old vehicular trail before reaching a terminus at the riverside. This portion of Farley Loop Trail was signed and blazed as an extension of River Trail prior to the 2000s.

Official park map.

An older park map from 1993 shows the south portion of the trail labelled with its original name (Farley Ridge), and the north portion labelled as a continuation of River Trail. The trail is also shown with a straighter course extending further downstream; this is due to inaccurate cartography, not routing changes.

1968 USGS map, composed while the park was under construction. The east portion of the future Farley Loop Trail existed as a primitive Jeep trail (red arrows). At approximately 37.551, -81.010 it bore north to a now-gone course, eventually leading to CR 27/2 north of the park limits.

The Farley Cabin is not shown on the map (it may have been demolished and reconstructed), but its location (blue arrow) is depicted as being served by a minor highway, CR 16/1, now stubbed off at the park limits.

This 1911 USGS map shows the entire course of the Farley Loop Trail north of the Farley Cabin (blue arrow) as an extant road.

Horse Trails

Type: Loop, point-to-point

Length: 4.9 km

Blaze Colour: Yellow (if applicable)

Intersects: County Line Trail , Dogwood Trail , Lake View Trail , Lake Shore Trail

Notes: In addition to hiking trails, Pipestem State Park contains a network of bridle trails intended for horseback riders. These paths run parallel to Lake View Trail and the main park road, extending southeast to encircle the park's campground and Knob Tower. It's probably a good idea to stay off of these...unless you want to wipe road apples off your shoes!

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