If you love nature, and the great outdoors in general, then West Virginia is a fantastic recreational playground for you to enjoy.
Boasting nearly 50 state parks and forests, they collectively give you lots of opportunity to reconnect with nature.
Many of these state parks are situated within easy driving distance of Morgantown. Which means you can readily visit them on a day trip adventure, or as somewhere to go camping for a few days of rest and relaxation.
Offering a fabulous mix of landscapes to enjoy, you could choose to go canoeing, kayaking, boating and paddle boarding on sparkling lakes, or down raging rivers, walk or sunbathe on pristine beaches, or venture around mountainous terrain, or through dense forest, on endless miles of hiking trails.
Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a shared experience with the family, or some well overdue ‘me’ time, there are a number of terrific state parks in, and around, Morgantown in West Virginia you can check out.
Map of State Parks Near Morgantown WV
Here is a map of the 11 places covered in this post: seven in West Virginia (see all West Virginia state parks), three just across the state line in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland:
List of State Parks Near Morgantown
Below is a selection of 11 of the top state parks near Morgantown we highly recommend you visit.
1. Mont Chateau Research Center
Distance from Morgantown: about 6 miles east of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 1 Mont Chateau Road, Morgantown, West Virginia (per the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey)
Mont Chateau is no longer a state park: it operated as one beside Cheat Lake from 1958 to 1977, and the former lodge now houses the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, with a small museum open on weekdays.
See our full Mont Chateau Research Center guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
2. Coopers Rock State Forest
Distance from Morgantown: about 9 miles east of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: CR 73/12, West Virginia
Coopers Rock State Forest is a 12,747-acre (52 km2) state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S.
See our full Coopers Rock State Forest guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
3. Prickett’s Fort State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 12 miles southwest of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: Fairmont, WV
Prickett’s Fort State Park is a 188-acre (76.1 ha) West Virginia state park north of Fairmont, near the confluence of Prickett’s Creek and the Monongahela River.
See our full Prickett’s Fort State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
4. Laurel Caverns State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 18 miles northeast of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 1065 Skyline Drive, Farmington, PA 15437
Laurel Caverns State Park, Pennsylvania’s first and only underground state park, covers 426 acres on Chestnut Ridge in Fayette County: the aboveground trails are free, and the caverns, the largest in Pennsylvania, can only be entered on a paid guided tour by the Laurel Caverns Conservancy from mid-April through the last weekend of October. Source: Pennsylvania DCNR, checked October 2026.
See our full Laurel Caverns State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
5. Valley Falls State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 18 miles south of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 720 Valley Falls Rd., Fairmont, WV 26554
Valley Falls State Park is a 1,145 acre (4.63 km²) day use facility sited along both banks of the Tygart Valley River.
See our full Valley Falls State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
6. Tygart Lake State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 23 miles south of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 1240 Paul E Malone Rd, Grafton, WV 26354
Tygart Lake State Park is just a 40 minute drive south of the city.
Nestled within the foothills of the scenic Allegheny Mountains, the park boasts a 1750-acre, 10 mile long lake as its centerpiece. Which provides excellent opportunities for water skiing, scuba diving, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, boating and fishing.
Surrounded by stunning mountains, it also has a number of walking and biking trails that lead to a various scenic viewpoints that will take your breath away.
Open from spring all the way to fall – depending on the weather conditions – the campground is situated at the end of the park road, about three miles from its eastern entrance.
Accommodating 36 sites, 10 of which come with 50-amp electric and water hook-ups, there is also a dump station located near the beach area for your convenience as well.
Tygart Lake State Park sits on 2,134 acres along the shores of Tygart Lake in Taylor County near Grafton, West Virginia, United States.
See our full Tygart Lake State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
7. Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Distance from Morgantown: about 23 miles northeast of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 1 Washington Parkway, Farmington, Pennsylvania 15437 (per the National Park Service)
Fort Necessity is not a state park today: it is Fort Necessity National Battlefield, run by the National Park Service, with free entry. The NPS notes that the battlefield site was once surrounded by a Pennsylvania state park.
See our full Fort Necessity National Battlefield guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
8. Ohiopyle State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 30 miles northeast of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 124 Main Street, Ohiopyle, PA 15470
Ohiopyle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park situated on 20,500 acres (8,300 ha) between Chestnut Ridge and Laurel Hill in Dunbar, Henry Clay, and Stewart Townships, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
See our full Ohiopyle State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
9. Swallow Falls State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 30 miles east of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 222 Herrington Lane, Oakland, MD 21550
Swallow Falls State Park is a Maryland state park located on the west bank of the Youghiogheny River nine miles (14 km) northwest of Oakland in Garrett County, Maryland, in the United States.
See our full Swallow Falls State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
10. Cathedral State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 31 miles southeast of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: 12 Cathedral Park Drive, Aurora, WV 26705
Cathedral State Park is the largest virgin timber tract remaining in West Virginia.
See our full Cathedral State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
11. Audra State Park
Distance from Morgantown: about 46 miles south of Morgantown (straight-line).
Location: Audra, Buckhannon, WV 26201
Bisected by the Middle Fork River, Audra State Park is a dense woodland area that is located about 75 minutes south of Morgantown.
An ideal destination for families who love the outdoors, the park was set up around an early 19th-century gristmill. It is most notable today for the rocky Alum cave that overhangs the river’s crystal clear water – which creates awesome hiking, picnic and photo opportunities.
The park hosts 65 campsites for overnight stays, 39 of which are set up with electricity. In addition it also has two bathhouses with modern amenities and facilities, as well as a lovely playground for kids to enjoy.
Audra State Park is a West Virginia state park located on 355 acres (1.44 km2) in southwestern Barbour County.
See our full Audra State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
