park visited . Once completed , you can receive a prize and the title of VIPP . When I found out I could visit all the state parks and earn a prize , I was all in .
Unfortunately , 2020 started with the tragic death of a family friend followed by the looming uncertainty of a global pandemic . By spring , the world had shutdown . Quentin was able to work from home , and , as an essential frontline health care worker , I continued my in-person duties as an ICU nurse . After weeks of staying home , social distancing and exploring our back yard , we felt like we needed to take an afternoon drive . We packed a picnic lunch , our own toilet paper , hand sanitizer , and spent the day exploring the open trails with friends at Holly River State Park . The facilities were all closed , but the trails were wide open . Getting outdoors , feeling the sun on our faces and a little distanced social interaction did our spirits so much good . With few others at the park , it felt like a safe way to reset in a world that had changed so much in just six months .
Esther had not seen her paternal grandparents in months , and we felt that meeting at an outdoor park was a safe option to visit , while keeping a social distance . At Valley Falls State Park in Fairmont , we had a picnic , climbed rocks , explored pools of water and enjoyed the cascading falls .
Once summer officially started , we spent almost every weekend into late fall at a West Virginia state park . We were able to visit 24 new parks during this time by planning our trips based on an area , checking the proximity of other parks and combining multiple park visits into one trip .
Pocahontas County has the highest concentration of state parks and forests in the state . We started at Beartown State Park . Beartown ’ s focal point is a half-mile boardwalk , and it feels like a place out of a storybook forest with the large rock formations , boulders , thick trees and mossy overgrowth .
Only five miles away from Beartown is Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park . This location is known as the site of the last major American Civil War conflict in West Virginia . Droop Mountain boasts a historic museum and a lookout tower . We hiked the overlook trail that follows along trenches used by soldiers during the Civil War . We also climbed the stairs of the lookout tower for vast valley views .
Beartown State Park .
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park .
The Blennerhassett Mansion at Blennerhassett Island
Historical State Park .
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