What an amazing trip we had to West Virginia! Matt’s family lives just outside of Charleston, WV and there are so many incredible state parks and landmarks to see!
We spent about a week up there and tried to hit as many stops as we could! Here’s a look at all the fun we had!
1. Babcock State Park
Our first stop, we went to Babcock State Park .It has a beautiful old mill that is a replica but still functions! The rocks that the water rolls off of down create such a beautiful little waterfall.
The boys loved crossing over the little bridge and throwing rocks in the water. (Basically Parker James’s favorite things in the world right now!)
On the other side of the bridge is a paved path that walks along the water down into a wooded area. Along the water there are some adorable old fashioned cabins that are available to rent. There is also a trail that leads down to a swinging bridge that hangs over the creek. Sadly, it had just rained the morning we visited the park so the path was rained out.
But we still had a blast exploring things along the way! Parker James even found a snail!
Babcock State Park is a must if you’re in West Virginia!
2. Pipestem Resort State Park
On our second day, we went to Pipestem Resort State Park! There are SO many fun activities to do at this resort! There are water activities such as floating rock walls and bounce house type floats. The resort has a whole “splash park” on their “adventure lake”.
Since we had Parker James with us, we stuck to the horseback riding.
The boys loved it!! Once we were done riding horses, we hiked up to the top of a hill and climbed up to a lookout with an amazing view!
With so many different amazing activities to do, Pipestem is a must next time you’re in West Virginia!
Check out my Instagram Reel for some more footage!
3. New River Gorge
The New River Gorge winds its way through the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. There are several state parks that you can visit to see the amazing river. One of the state parks has a great view of the New River Gorge Bridge.
If you go down several flights of stairs, it leads you to an overlook of the gorge and an amazing view of the bridge!
It was so fun! Be sure to check out my Instagram reel to see some of the fun views!
4. Sandstone Falls
I think Sandstone Falls was one of my favorite parks to visit! The state park has a boardwalk that winds you through a beautiful wooded area. There are several small bridges to walk across some little creeks.
The boardwalk leads you back to a rocky shoreline with an amazing view of the falls!
We stayed by the river and of course let the boys throw as many rocks as their little hearts desired! The views were gorgeous ! Incredibly breathtaking!
5. Beckley Coal Mine Exhibition & Youth Museum
Matt’s family is actually from the Beckley, WV area and have long family ties to the Beckley Coal Mine Exhibition and Youth Museum . So it is always super fun to go when we get to visit family!
The boys absolutely LOVE the youth museum! They always have fun new exhibits every year! 
This year the theme was Leonardo da Vinci .The boys loved every minute!!
All of the activities to they had for the kids were SO much fun!
Next we went on to the homestead section of the Museum. They have a little village of cabins set up with all sorts of old fashioned things inside!
They have a little play house as well asa blacksmith cabin with a real blacksmith that does steal work!
There’s also a general store, a school house and several small homes to show what life was like back then!
They loved it! The boys thought it was so fun!
There’s also a coal mine train that gives a tour of the coal mine as well as a little ride around the grounds!
The Coal Mine Exhibition also has several 1800’s style buildings like a church, several homes and even a school house! It’s a GREAT place to take the kids to explore and learn about our country’s history!
6. Grandview State Park
On our last day, we went to my favorite outlook in the Beckley, WV. Grandview State Park is AMAZINGLY gorgeous! Just like the New River Gorge Bridge, Grandview is part of the New River Gorge State Park and looks down over the river.
Grandview also has a great playground that the boys of course loved! They also have an awesome outdoor theater that puts on awesome plays and musicals!
7. Drury Inn & Suits
On our way home from West Virginia, we were invited to stay in Louisville, KY at The Drury Inn & Suites in Louisville East. We were so grateful for the invitation!
The rooms were so spacious and perfect for the kids! Jaden loved his pullout couch in the living room and it was so helpful to have the extra room for Parker James to have his own space!
The bedrooms are so bright and clean! And the bed was so comfortable!
We loved the bright and lighting and updated fixtures in the bathroom area as well!
And, of course, the boys LOVED the pool! Jaden was excited as you can see! He thought it was SO cool that the pool was separated with an indoor/outdoor wall!
I love how Drury Hotels decorate their lobbies! They’re always so stunning! Like all Drury Hotels, they serve a happy hour appetizer buffet along with a breakfast buffet. They were both SO delicious!
We enjoyed our stay with Drury Hotels so much and can’t wait for the next trip! Be sure to book your next hotel stay with Drury Inn & Suites.
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Have you tried any of these state parks? Do you have anything to add? I’d love to hear from you! Shoot me an email! Be sure to subscribe below so you don’t miss a thing as well as follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!