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Chief Logan State Park has served southern West Virginia since 1960. In that year, the land that was to become the park was purchased by the Logan County Civic Association for $90,000 and deeded to the State Conservation Commission (predecessor to the Division of Natural Resources) for $40,000. Originally designated as a recreation area, it gained state park status in 1968. The park, about four miles north of the town of Logan, consists of 4,000 acres in the Little Buffalo Creek watershed.

Using labor from the State Temporary Employment Program, early park improvements included creek channelization, development of hiking trails, and the establishment of picnic areas. A Kanawha 2700 Class locomotive was donated to the park by the C&O Railway in September 1961, in remembrance of the days of giant steam engines. It remains on display today. The swimming pool was opened in 1964 with subsequent improvements. By 1976, picnic shelters, restrooms, a large restaurant, and an amphitheater were added. The amphitheater is the site of the yearly Aracoma Story production, a drama of the legend of the Indian Princess Aracoma, the daughter of Chief Cornstalk.

The 1996 legislature appropriated $5 million for improvements to Chief Logan State Park. With additional funds, another 682 acres were acquired on the west side of the park, providing access from Corridor G, and a lodge and three four-room cabins were constructed. The lodge features 75 modern rooms and suites, a full-service restaurant, a guest laundry, Wi-Fi, an indoor pool, a fitness room, and a hot tub. The lodge’s Recreation Center has aquatic and fitness centers, a professional sports shop, multipurpose areas, and an elevated walking track.

Since 2003, Chief Logan has maintained a museum in the park’s former restaurant facility; it primarily comprises artifacts from the West Virginia State Museum collection. The park also includes a wildlife center that is home to animals native to the state, including bobcats and black bears.

Old-time musician and storyteller Aunt Jennie Wilson (1900-1992) was born within the park boundaries. In 2023, a Legends & Lore marker was dedicated in the park in her honor.

This Article was written by Robert Beanblossom

Last Revised on November 03, 2023

Cite This Article

Beanblossom, Robert "Chief Logan State Park." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 03 November 2023. Web. 19 April 2024.