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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.
Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park is an American Civil War battle site that commemorates the Battle of Carnifex Ferry. It is located on the rim of the Gauley River Canyon near Summersville, a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia. The 156-acre (0.63 km2) park features Patterson House Museum, three views of the Gauley River, hiking trails and picnic facilities. It is one of the oldest state parks in the United States. A Civil War re-enactment takes place on a weekend after Labor Day. As Carnifex Ferry State Park, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
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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.