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All 41 Charleston Attractions »

Kanawha State Forest

Charleston, WV
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Ranked #11 of 32 attractions in Charleston
4.0 of 5 stars 9 Reviews
Type: State Parks, Forests
Activities: Swimming, Hiking
Owner description: A convenient location, just seven miles south of Charleston, plus a large swimming pool, playground, hiking and biking trails and a 9,300-acre forest,...... more » Owner description: A convenient location, just seven miles south of Charleston, plus a large swimming pool, playground, hiking and biking trails and a 9,300-acre forest, make this recreational area one of the most popular in West Virginia. « less
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9 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    4
    0
    1
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Date Rating
Stone Mountain, GA
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
“Many trails to hike”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 February 2012
2
people found this review helpful

Hikers, photographers and nature lovers will love the outdoor experience at Kanawha State Forest. Spring brings out the early flowers! As the seasons change, so does the scenery. More

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See 8 more reviews by fpalmer321 for Charleston
Lewisburg, West Virginia
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Something to do in the Winter”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 February 2012

Did the Winter Walk on January 22 - great fun. Narrator Doug was great with the kids and kept the adults engaged as well, Not a long or strenuous hike, just enough for a winter walk, plus there were fires to warm by and hot drinks and soup afterward. Good event to cure cabin fever...or just get someone out of... More

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See 4 more reviews by wvjake for Charleston
Morgantown, WV
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
“Nice trails”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2012

State park with nice hiking trails. Have never camped here. I do not recommend the gun range to anyone though, any free range is not good. More

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Baltimore, Maryland
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“go here”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Great place to hike close to Charleston. Definitely get a map first, either from the forest office or print one from the internet. More

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See 3 more reviews by 100Julie for Charleston
Charleston SC
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Walking tour of Charleston”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 July 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Walking tour was great, very informative. Very helpful that tour guide was a 7th generation Charlestonian. Gained a great deal of history and information about the city, without being too wordy or boring. More

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Charleston, West Virginia
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“Avoid at all costs!!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 July 2010
1
person found this review helpful

My husband thought that a trip to Kanawha State Forest would be a great way to end my Mother's Day. Man was he wrong! Not only is it very hard to find, there isn't much there. Just a tip, when the black top road ends, best to turn around. We found ourselves driving up the mountain on a thin and... More

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See 5 more reviews by wvugirl2005 for Charleston
Appalachian Mtns
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
“Beautiful place to hike and picnic”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 August 2008
2
people found this review helpful

We visit this forest at least twice a year. There are many beautiful hiking trails including a nice hadicapped trail. There are lots of secluded areas to hike to and have a picnic, and streams for the kids to play in also. More

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See 2 more reviews by infojunkie00 for Charleston
Cumming, Georgia
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
56 helpful votes 56 helpful votes
“Too remote for me”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 June 2008
1
person found this review helpful

We were traveling through the area and looking for a place to camp for the night. They don't take reservations, so we noted the directions and wound for miles through residential areas until we finally reached the park. Once in the park, we had to drive several more miles to reach the campground. When we finally arrived, while my SO... More

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Bayonne, New Jersey
Top Contributor
104 reviews 104 reviews
Reviews in 42 cities Reviews in 42 cities
113 helpful votes 113 helpful votes
“Wonderful Place!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 May 2008
4
people found this review helpful

We were so pleasantly surprised to find this gem. Well marked hiking trails weave through this enormous state forest. Trails range from easy to extremely difficult. If you are unfamiliar with trail maps -- stop by the information center (not open on weekends) for the best trails to take. There were park rangers available who answered our questions since the... More

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See 4 more reviews by CharlotteBuckeye for Charleston

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