The official Site of
Beartown State Park
Welcome
Beartown State Park is a natural area of 107 acres located on the eastern summit of Droop Mountain, seven miles southwest of Hillsboro, West Virginia. The land was purchased in 1970 with funds from the Nature Conservancy and a donation from Mrs. Edwin G. Polan, in memory of her son, Ronald Keith Neal, who lost his life in the Vietnam War. Development of the park has been minimal in order to preserve the natural attractions of the area. However, basic facilities are provided, and a boardwalk permits easy access. Interpretive signs along the boardwalk guide visitors and provide insights concerning the ecology of the area. The park is open daily from April to October. During the closed winter season foot travel to the boardwalk area is welcome, with parking available at the closed entrance gate. No fee is charged to visit Beartown State Park.
A message from the superintendent:
I’m Mike Smith, Park Superintendent at Beartown State Park. I am also the superintendent at Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. I hope we’ve had the opportunity to meet during your visits to either park.
Beartown and Droop Mountain are special places in West Virginia. West Virginians and our guests enjoy the quiet solitude found at both of these areas. There is a reverence about both places, and both parks require upkeep and maintenance in order to serve the public safely and to retain structural integrity of our facilities. This being said, I must close Beartown this fall through early spring 2012 to accomplish a monumental amount of work.
The work that must be completed will create hazardous conditions for visitors, thus the gate and park will be closed beginning September 6, 2011, rather than the end of October, which is our usual seasonal closure. My goal is to complete all tasks by April 2012.
I am aware that many will be upset that the park is closed during the fall color season, but please understand the work requires that weather conditions shine favorably upon us. When we close the gate September 6, 2011, it should allow as much time as possible for the projects before winter snows and ice create unsafe working conditions. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this project is expected to be completed in time for normal spring opening in April 2012 when park visitation begins in earnest.
These improvements will help insure that Beartown State Park will remain a safe and natural haven, a place of restful solitude, and a source of natural wonder for visitors needing respite from their multitude of daily concerns.
We apologize for any inconvenience this park improvement project may cause, but we feel certain the majority of our guests will approve and understand the situation and the tasks at hand.
The superintendent’s assessment of Beartown State Park and the work to be accomplished
At Beartown State Park in 1986, some 800 feet of boardwalk was constructed, completing a half mile loop through the sandstone rock formations. Two types of lumber were used to construct the walkway: white oak and southern yellow pine, both pressure treated with CCA (chromated copper arsenic). In the 25 years since completion, the white oak sections have gradually deteriorated to the point of being a safety hazard and are scheduled to be replaced during the fall/winter 2011. About 350 feet of oak boardwalk will be removed and replaced with new posts and decking of southern yellow pine, pressure treated with a less toxic wood preserver, copper azole or micronized copper azole. Onsite comparisons of the two lumbers have proven the treated yellow pine to be much superior to the treated white oak in strength, durability, and appearance. This is likely due to the less porous nature of the white oak, which does not allow the preserving chemicals to penetrate to the core of the lumber. Original treated pine sections of boardwalk built in 1975, as well as the 1986 pine sections, are still in excellent condition, their useful life span more limited by the metal fasteners than by the wood itself. Due to the rough terrain at Beartown and also to protect the natural appearance of the area, all materials necessary for the project will have to be moved manually by a very limited work force, which may require several months.
Several other tasks are scheduled for completion in addition to the boardwalk replacement. About a dozen trees killed by the hemlock wooly adelgid must be felled due to their proximity to the boardwalk. Some of these are quite large and could create a serious hazard to park visitors if left to deteriorate naturally or if visitors were present during the felling operation. Also, the main entry path has eroded, requiring water bars and a new crushed limestone surface. Aging interpretive signs will also be replaced.
