Kanawha State Forest Review – Traveling In West Virginia

Charleston is one city that is nestled into one of the most beautiful spaces that you can find in West Virginia. However, what is really interesting is how some of the areas that are nestled in near Charleston within just a short drive are some of the most beautiful that you can find in the entire state. Now, one of those features that really caught our attention was the beautiful Kanawha State Forest. Well, that led us to thinking about how we could share this hidden gem of a place and that is by looking at it and writing up our review on the beautiful spot which highlights what you can find here.

Location Of Kanawha State Forest

Covering 9300 acres the Kanawha State Forest will definitely have quite a few entrances, but the location does have a main entrance as well. The main entrance is also the one that has the address, which will give you a good idea on how to find the location if you decide to use your GPS to look for the location.

7500 Kanawha State Forest Drive

Charleston, WV 25314

Features Of Kanawha State Forest

• Has a total of 9300 acres
• Plenty of hiking trails for you to hike on.
• Location is roughly 7 miles from Charleston and easy to get to.
• Campground is located on the grounds of the state forest.
• Quite a bit of things for everyone in the family to enjoy.

What I Like About Kanawha State Forest

Hiking Trials

Okay, now I know that for me hiking is a great way to reconnect with nature and get out and away from some of the crowds that are around in the bigger cities. Yes, I do not mind the crowds at times, but at the same time let me get out and breath away from people. That is why I have to admit I love the number of hiking trails that you can find in Kanawha State Forest. These trails are often going to take you into places you never would have imagined before, but it also makes it easier for you to get to see nature as it should be, undisturbed except for you on the trail and possible other people as well.

Campgrounds

Now, some people will like this feature and others will despise it, but the Kanawha State Forest does have a small campground that you can enjoy. Now, I do know that it is close to Charleston, which will help you out as well when it comes to hotel cost. What else the campground does is provide you with a great point to meet with friends or even in a point of reference if you are going out hiking. Not to mention, the campgrounds tend to be staffed with people and that makes it easier for you to get the directions you need to have. You may already be asking what I am saying by saving on hotel cost and that comes from the fact that the campgrounds tend to be cheaper in price for a night, but with the forest location being close to 7 miles from Charleston it could be a great location for you to base your Charleston trip to.

Playground Areas For Children

This is one aspect that never gets old and that is the laughter of children playing. Yes, I know that for some people that is one sound that they can do without, but you have to remember we were all kids at one point. Since that is the case, I have to admit that hearing the laughter of the children and seeing them playing is always heartwarming. What you will find here because it is a park like setting is the fact that they have several different playgrounds for kids to enjoy.

Natural Habitat Close To A Big City

As I have brought up time and time again the forest is located a short drive away from the larger city of Charleston. This location makes it easier for you to base out of the campground or stay in Charleston and then drive out to the forest. What else that means is you can get out to the forest really quickly and start to enjoy the beauty without having to worry about the headache of the city. The only other place that I have really seen this type of beauty and closeness is if you go to the likes of Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg where you are surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains.

What I Did Not care For

Popularity In Some Areas Bring In The Crowds

The secret of the great outdoors is not going to be that much of a secret anymore. In fact, the more that the Kanawha State Forest grows in popularity to the outside world, the visitors from outside of West Virginia will continue to flock to the region. This is going to lead to some of the popular trails and areas getting crowded. Since these can get crowded you will need to take that into account as it could make it difficult for you to get to enjoy the area like you want. At the same time like anywhere when you get to have more people in the region it tends to have more liter, but if we all do right and pick up after ourselves the liter problem will be solved quickly and easily.

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What Others Are Saying

TravelingCAgal wrote this on TripAdvisor, “We found this to be the prettiest by far”. As you can tell from the traveler here they thought it was very pretty for photos. The entire review mentions how the travelers had been looking for a great spot to take pictures.

Erika in a review for October of 2019 on TripAdvisor talks about the campground with this, “Clean, quiet and level”. So if you are planning a camping trip the chances are you will be impressed with the campground because of the clean appearance and I can tell you because of how nice the people are who work at the campground.

My Final Thoughts On Kanawha State Forest

I have to say that when you are looking at all the different forest and attractions that are around anywhere you travel, it will be hard to match here. The Kanawha Forest is one place that has all that you could be looking for when you are looking for a great natural place that is beautiful, relaxing, and allows you to enjoy getting back to basics, then you do not want to bypass the Kanawha State Forest. Overall, anytime you are in Charleston and want to enjoy nature, then you need to make sure you check out Kanawha State Forest.