Charleston Parks and Gardens

(Charleston, West Virginia - WV, USA)

West Virginia's state capital contains a number of large parks and public gardens, which offer an important recreational space for the Charleston locals to make use of, as well as tourists visiting the city. In fact, Charleston City Council has recently achieved its goal of creating and maintaining more than 100 miles / 160 km of trails suitable for walking, cycling and jogging.

Located on the northern side of Charleston, on Edgewood Drive / Baker Lane, Cato Park is actually the city's biggest municipal park. A rather elevated setting means some great views of the surrounding landscape, although the big draw here is the golf course, along with the large swimming pool, picnicking facilities and winding walking trails.

Families in Charleston will also no doubt enjoy hanging out at Coonskin Park, on the far northeasterly side of the city, off Coonskin Drive. Being just ten minutes from the city center and home to excellent recreational facilities means that the park is often busy. A sizeable soccer stadium (Schoenbaum - 2,000 seats), an amphitheater, trails for walking and cycling, a golf course, a swimming pool, covered picnic tables, tennis and volleyball courts, fishing and pedalo boats are just some of the varied attractions available here.

General Information

To experience some West Virginian wildlife in a natural setting, be sure to pay a visit to the Kanawha State Forest. The forest lies just 7 miles / 11 km to the south of downtown Charleston and covers an enormous space of more than 3,700 hectares / 9,140 acres.

As well as birdwatching, nature trails and mountain biking, the Kanawha State Forest also offers a choice of camping sites (more than 40), a large open-air swimming pool, a shooting range, and both fishing and hunting (seasonal restrictions apply). When winter comes along, the opportunity for cross-country skiing often presents itself on the hills of the forest.

Closer to home, Magic Island is a hugely popular recreational space cum park in central Charleston, being found at the point where the Kanawha River meets with the Elk River. Making the most of its riverside setting, Magic Island is a great spot for a leisurely family picnic and also attracts locals on a mission to keep fit, who come here to jog along the pathways or to play volleyball.

Little Creek Park in South Charleston has further sporting facilities, such as playing fields for soccer, baseball diamonds, courts for tennis and basketball, disc golf and a neighboring golf course. Also very much of note around Charleston is the Shawnee Regional Park and the Wallace Hartman Nature Preserve, the latter of which can be accessed from Hampton Road and offers more than 20 hectares / 50 acres of lush woodland, trails, picnic shelters and plenty of seasonal interest.