Bluestone National Scenic River

P. O. Box 246
Glen Jean, WV 25846

Phone
Park Headquarters
(304) 465-0508
Sandstone Visitor Center
(304) 466-0417

Explore the Beautiful Bluestone

Bluestone National Scenic River is preserved as a living landscape that provides an unspoiled experience for visitors and a haven for a variety of plants and animals. The park protects a 10.5-mile section of the Bluestone River in Southern West Virginia.

History

The Bluestone River, named for the deep blue limestone streambed of its upper reaches in Virginia, has created a gorge 1,000 feet deep. The bottomland within the gorge was first used by American Indians.

In the late 1700s, the Lilly, Meadow, and Farley families built homesteads along the river. At the confluence of the Bluestone and Little Bluestone rivers, the community of Lilly flourished. The Bluestone Turnpike, a riverbank road used by those who farmed and timbered the area until the 1940s, is used today by visitors to the park.

Nature

The Bluestone River and its gorge support an abundance of aquatic life, a variety of birds and mammals, and a diverse mix of forest types.

Things to Do

The resources, size, and location of the Bluestone National Scenic River make it attractive for a daytime visit; it is not open to camping. Both adjoining state parks, Bluestone State Park and Pipestem Resort State Park, offer excellent campgrounds as well as other services not available within the Bluestone National Scenic River area.

• Enjoy - The Mountain State Picnic Menu
• Check out - West Virginia Facts and Trivia Q&A