Summersville

Summersville is a town of 3,300 people (as of 2019) in West Virginia.

Summersville is adjacent to Summersville Lake, the largest lake in West Virginia.

Get in

Summersville is on US-19, between Fayetteville and Weston.

Get around

Be sure to strictly adhere to the speed limit in Summersville (50 mph [80 km/h]), particularly if you're travelling along US-19 through town; as locals can tell you, the area is notorious for speed traps.

See

• Summersville Music Park, +1 304-872-3145. Hosts the four-day "Music in the Mountains" bluegrass festival in June. Tickets $45/day, $105 - $125 for the entire festival.
• 1 Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park, 1194 Carnifex Ferry Road, ☏ +1 304-872-0825. The site of a Civil War battle between Union Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans and Confederate Brigadier General John B. Floyd on September 10, 1861. The Union troops forced the Confederates to withdraw, which kept them from gaining a foothold in the area and helped to secure West Virginia statehood. The park features three overlooks of the Gauley River, hiking trails, softball and volleyball areas, horseshoe pits and picnic facilities. There's also the Patterson House Museum, which displays relics of the battle.  
• Gauley River Recreation Area. Route 129 at Mount Nebo. 25 miles of the Gauley River and 6 miles of the Meadow River. Boating, whitewater rafting, 18 primitive camping sites. 

Do

Summersville Lake

• 1 Summersville Lake (WV-129 off US-19). West Virginia's largest lake, sometimes called "The Little Bahamas of the East Coast", with over 2,800 acres of water, 60 miles of shoreline and 100-foot cliffs. Visitors can go swimming, bass fishing, hunting, boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, knee boarding, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, rappelling, bouldering and cliff jumping. Boat rentals available. 117 camp sites, with a pier and A-frame chalets. (updated Mar 2019)

Events

• Summersville Lake Festival, +1 304-872-3722. Held during three days in late July. Includes a boat parade, "Anything That Floats" competition, water sports, triathlon, concerts, beauty pageant, arts and crafts, fireworks, and more.
• Civil War Weekend, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park, +1 304-872-0825. Held during two days in September. Living history demonstrations, Civil War crafts and reproductions, and a re-enactment of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry.
• Nicholas County Potato Festival, 411 Old Main Drive, ☏ +1 304-872-1211. Held the first full week in September. Parades, entertainment, food, volleyball tournament, arts and crafts show, 5K run/walk, bed races, and potato judging and auctions. 
• Gauley River Festival, ☏ +1 304-872-3722. Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park. Held during three days in late September. The largest river festival in the world, with food, a whitewater marketplace, live entertainment, a silent auction, and activities for whitewater paddlesports enthusiasts as well as the general public. Admission $10. 

Eat

• Fran's Restaurant, 607 Main St (one minute off the interstate, exit rt. 19 at Dairyqueen), ☏ +1 304-872-6184. 7AM-8PM. One mile to stop light, take a right, it is on the left. American family food. Homemade desserts (eight) and Breakfast all day. $5.95. 

Drink

• Kirkwood Winery and Isaiah Morgan Distillery, Phillips Run Road, ☏ +1-888-498-9463. The first vineyard in the region, established in 1984, now producing more than 30 different varieties of French Hybrid American varietal, mead, vegetable and other fruit wines. Specialty wines are made from apple, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, elderberry, peach, plum, pear, red currant, Swiss chard rhubarb and ramps. The distillery offers rye whiskey, sorghum rum, Southern Moon corn liquor and grappa brandy. Sales, tasting and tours available throughout the week. 

Sleep

Hotels

• Best Western Summersville Lake Lodge, 1203 S Broad Street, ☏ +1 304-872-6900. 59 rooms. Complimentary continental breakfast. $45-65. 
• Quality Inn, 903 Industrial Drive N, ☏ +1 304-872-6500. 99 rooms. Exercise room, sauna, racketball courts, heated outdoor pool. Jacuzzi rooms available. Complimentary continental breakfast. $59-129. 
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 106 Merchants Walk, +1 304-872-0555. 106 rooms. Fitness center, heated indoor pool, jacuzzis. Whirlpool rooms available. Complimentary continental breakfast. $55-119.
• 1 Hampton Inn, 5400 Webster Road, ☏ +1 304-872-7100. 75 rooms. Exercise facility, heated outdoor pool. Complimentary continental breakfast. $59-89. 
• Sleep Inn, 701 Professional Park Drive, ☏ +1 304-872-4500. 95 rooms. Heated outdoor pool, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit. Complimentary continental breakfast. $59-145. 
• Super 8 Motel, 306 Merchants Walk, +1 304-872-4888. 56 rooms. $51-80.

Cabins

• Rustic Retreat Cabins, 196 Rustic Retreat Drive, Mount Nebo, ☏ +1 304-872-4050, toll-free: +1-888-991-7700. Vacation rental cabins next to Summersville Lake.Sleeps 4 to 8 adults. Fully equipped kitchen, queen size beds, hot tubes and trials. Priced from $109 to $189 for 2 adults. 
• The Good Evening Ranch, toll-free: +1-877-595-5448. Groves Road in Canvas. 10 cabins, each sleeping 2 to 18 people. 1,000-acre ranch with wooded countryside. All cabins equipped with kitchen, linens, private deck, outdoor grill, hot tub and more. On-site nine-hole par-three golf course, petting zoo, gift shop, and restaurant called The Feed Box. $165-950. 

Campgrounds

• Mountain Lake Campground, 1898 Airport Road, ☏ +1 304-872-6222, toll-free: +1-877-686-6222. 183 campsites, lakefront cabins also available. 
• Summersville Lake Retreat, 278 Summersville Lake Road, ☏ +1 304-872-5975, toll-free: +1-888-872-5580. In Mt Nebo. Campsites, RV hookup sites and A-frame chalets (some with jacuzzis). Jungle gym, horseshoe pits, volleyball; restrooms and hot showers. Rentals available for pontoons, kayaks and fishing boats. Tents $8/person, RVs $20, chalets $145. 

Go next

• Fayetteville is about 30 minutes south on US-19.
• Sutton is about 40 minutes north on US-19.
• Richwood is about 40 minutes east on WV-39.
• Weston is just over 1 hour north on US-19.