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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
Beech Fork State Park, located on the border of Cabell and Wayne counties, opened in 1979 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a 720-acre lake by constructing Beech Fork Dam near Lavalette.
In 1979, Governor Rockefeller recommended a $5.1 million appropriation in the state budget to build a lodge in the park. The amount was cut to $200,000 because legislators representing Cabell and Wayne counties said plans were not yet ready. After a 1992 study concluded that a $23 million plan for a lodge, cottages, and a golf course could not pay for itself, the 1994 legislature and Governor Caperton approved $92,761 for a study of more modest developments. In 1999, the park received funds for construction of six luxury cabins, a 50-meter swimming pool with bathhouse, and a snack stand. These facilities opened in 2000. The park consists of 3,144 acres and offers 275 campsites with electric hookups. A visitors center and the park headquarters are located at the Bowen entrance to the park, accessible from State Route 10 in Cabell County south of Huntington. The marina, a swimming beach, and other picnic and recreational facilities are located at the Lavalette entrance via State Route 152 in Wayne County.
Written by Tom D. Miller
Miller, Tom. Beech Fork Lodge Sites Down to Two. Huntington Herald-Dispatch, September 15, 1994.
West Virginia Blue Book. Senate Clerk, State of West Virginia. Charleston, 1997.