Beartown State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beartown State Park
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
The walkway at Beartown State Park.
Beartown State Park Location in West Virginia
Location	West Virginia, United States
Area	110 acres (45 ha)
Elevation	3,425 ft (1,044 m)
Established	1970
Named for	American black bear
Governing body	West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

Beartown State Park is a special state park in West Virginia. It covers 110 acres (about 45 hectares) on Droop Mountain. This park is famous for its amazing rock formations. It's a great place to explore nature.

The park is located about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Hillsboro. It sits mostly in Greenbrier County, with a small part in Pocahontas County.

Why Is It Called Beartown?

The park got its name because of the many black bears that used to live here. Local people said the rock openings looked like perfect winter dens for these bears. The black bear is even the state animal of West Virginia!

Another reason for the name is how the rocks look. The deep, narrow cracks form a criss-cross pattern. From above, it looks like the streets of a tiny town.

Discovering Beartown's Unique Rocks

Beartown State Park is known for its incredible rock formations. These rocks are made of a type of Sandstone called Droop or Pottsville sandstone. They formed a very long time ago during the Pennsylvanian age.

You'll see huge boulders, cliffs that hang over, and deep cracks. These features make the park very beautiful. The cliffs have hundreds of eroded pits. Some pits are as small as a marble. Others are big enough for two grown people to stand inside!

It's common to find ice and snow still in the deepest cracks even in the middle of summer. This shows how cool and protected these areas are.

Exploring the Park

When you visit Beartown, you can hike along improved trails and boardwalks. These paths help you get a close look at the amazing rocks. There are also markers along the way. These markers explain how the natural processes work in the park.

The park was created to protect its natural beauty. Because of this, not many buildings or changes have been made. This helps keep the park wild and natural.

A Bit of History

The land for Beartown State Park was bought in 1970. Funds came from the Nature Conservancy. A generous donation from Mrs. Edwin G. Polan also helped. She made the donation to honor her son, Ronald Keith Neal. He was a local soldier who died in the Vietnam War.

Visiting Beartown State Park

The park is easy to reach using U.S. Highway 219. It's about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Hillsboro, West Virginia. Beartown is also close to other cool places. These include Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park and Watoga State Park.

Beartown State Park is open every day from April to October. If you want to visit during the off-season, you can make an appointment. The best part? There is no fee to enter the park!

Accessibility Information

West Virginia University checked the park's Accessibility for people with disabilities in 2005. They found a few things that could be better. For example, some boardwalk ramps were slippery. Also, the signs in the parking lot needed improvement.