This Small Mountain Lake In West Virginia Offers The Perfect Way To Spend An Afternoon

What’s your favorite way to spend a free afternoon in wild, wonderful West Virginia? Maybe you like to head out on a shopping expedition. Maybe you choose to hit the road for a scenic drive. Maybe you explore a new exhibit at your favorite museum. Or maybe you head outside for a romp through these beautiful, age-old Appalachian Mountains. If that last choice is your idea of the perfect way to spend an afternoon, then consider this small, serene state park nestled in the mountains of West Virginia for an ideal destination: Moncove Lake.

Cristy / OIYS

Jim Rogowski / Google Maps

The lake's calm, smooth surface is a sharp, beautiful contrast to the mountain peaks that circle the shoreline.

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Cristy / OIYS

Tucked away from big cities and busy roads, Moncove Lake State Park is the perfect spot to escape crowds and connect with nature in peace and privacy.

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Tina Gibson / Google Maps

Fish the lake from the public fishing access points. Hike the four state park trails. Bring a boat and paddle the lake (in the spring, summer, and fall, pedal boats are available for rent at the park itself if you don't have a boat of your own). Camp at the onsite campground. Play on one of two onsite playgrounds. In the summer, swim in the lakeside swimming pool. In any season, watch for a variety of birds that call Moncove Lake home.

Cristy / OIYS

With perhaps the exception of immediately after a heavy snow, this park is a good choice year-round. Although the campground and restrooms close in the winter, the pine forests and mountain outlines are still just as beautiful in the cold season as in the warmer ones. And even in the busiest stretch of summer, this park is secluded enough to stay fairly quiet.

Cristy / OIYS

To learn more about Moncove Lake State Park, what amenities it offers, and how to find it, visit the Moncove Lake State Park page on the West Virginia State Parks website. Mountain lakes pop up pretty often in West Virginia’s excellent state park system. Try Little Beaver State Park for another beautiful afternoon escape!