Hawks Nest State Park

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Hawks Nest State Park
New River from Hawks Nest
Map showing the location of Hawks Nest State Park
Map showing the location of Hawks Nest State Park
Location of Hawks Nest State Park in West Virginia
LocationFayette, West Virginia, United States
Coordinates38°07′21″N 81°07′40″W / 38.12250°N 81.12778°W / 38.12250; -81.12778
Area370 acres (150 ha)[2]
Elevation1,257 ft (383 m)
Established1935[3]
Governing bodyWest Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Websitewvstateparks.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.[5]

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

[edit]
  • 31 room lodge
  • Restaurant
  • Aerial tram between the lodge and the New River shore (currently dismantled)
  • Swimming pool
  • Hiking trails
  • Picnic area
  • Gift shop
  • River Nature Center
  • Hawks Nest Rail Trail (1.8 mile)

Accessibility

[edit]

Accessibility for the disabled was assessed by West Virginia University. The assessment found the park lodge and facilities to be generally accessible.[6] However, during the 2005 assessment, some issues were identified with a stairway and with some exit lighting.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  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. ^ Sweeten, Lena L. (June 14, 2010). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: ew Deal Resources in Hawk's Nest State Park Historic District" (PDF). West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. National Park Service. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  6. ^ 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
[edit]