No one can characterize the state of West Virginia as a desert. We have so much water to enjoy throughout the state: creeks, rivers, reservoirs, and waterfalls. But are there any natural lakes in WV? It might surprise you to hear despite all of our beautiful bodies of water, there’s only one natural lake in the whole state - and it’s slowly disappearing from sight.
Believe it or not, there's only one natural lake in all of West Virginia.
That lake is located in Hardy County, and you may have heard of it - it's called Trout Pond (formerly, it was known as Old Pond).
For many years, Trout Pond fluctuated between two and three acres in size.
But it was created by a natural sinkhole in an area full of underground limestone that is slowly dissolving away...
...and about 20 years ago, a cave must have shifted somewhere underneath this area, because Trout Pond began to slowly (but noticeably) disappear.
Now, almost 20 years later, Trout Pond is down from three acres in size to a mere puddle (as seen in this photo from September of 2019).
But there is another man-made body of water right next to Trout Pond that's doing just fine, size-wise, at Trout Pond Recreation Area: Rockcliff Lake.
It's a beautiful lake fed by a babbling brook, with interesting rock formations and forests all around, and you can boat, hike, and swim on the beach at this lake.
There's also camping at the Trout Pond Recreation Area, making for a fun weekend getaway to a beautiful spot with plenty to do...
...even if you can't see much of West Virginia's single, slowly disappearing natural lake any more.
Even though there are not many natural lakes in West Virginia, the Trout Pond Recreation Area is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors. Take a tour of the campground in this walk-through video showing the campground and a quick flyover of the beach on Rockcliffe Lake:
Did you get to see Trout Pond back when it was a larger lake? Did you realize how significantly it has shrunk in size since then? Just because there isn't an abundance of natural lakes in WV doesn't mean we don't have plenty of places to enjoy a nice dip on a hot day.
Thankfully, Rockcliff Lake is still a beautiful, vibrant spot. Definitely add it to your list of great camping/hiking/swimming spots in West Virginia! To learn more about this area, visit the Trout Pond Recreation Area page on the US Forest Service website.
For another man-made lake (plus a resort!) to enjoy this summer in West Virginia, try Stonewall Resort.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
