You can go deep into the woods on rugged trails (and maybe see a black bear) or stick to easier paths like the paved accessible 1/4-mile nature trail loop. There are plenty of picnic areas and several playgrounds. Davis Creek runs through the park if you’re in the mood to get your feet wet. No cell service in some areas of the park. You’d never guess you’re just a few miles from West Virginia’s capital city.

We stopped in late August around 730am. There was a high school cross country team practicing and a fitness class but still plenty of open air and space to move. We used the nice restrooms which were very clean, but its very nature-y so there were lots of bugs around because it was right by a creek. We enjoyed the flowers, caterpillars in process and walkways.

Beautiful park, lots to do, and quiet place to camp!! Would love to return.

Beautiful place stayed at campsite number 10. Hidden behind a little noll of a hill with a stream running through your side with a bathroom and shower across the road. Kids can play on playground next to our bathrooms as well. Flat trails and hills.

I take my teens hiking and trail running at KSF. Trails are well maintained.

Very nice, peaceful and wonderful place.

This is such a great place to go for your first true camping trip especially when you have little ones. Its far enough away from everything to be beautifully relaxing but close enough to run to the store if you forget something!

We loved it! My 8 month old Daughter especially. Strapped to her Daddy.

Beautiful area to explore. Hiking is beautiful and can be a great workout. Please be aware of snakes and wear proper gear. Great place to bring the family. The information booth had no information but you can easily look things up on your phone. Be careful if hiking because there is no service in several areas. It will depend on you carrier. I recommend you screenshot any information to be safe.

Clean, well kept roads. Highly recommend to camp, hunt, hike. Theres a place for it all up there.

Beautiful quite well spread out sites! Ours was by a stream! Clean facilities they seem to be updating. Nice staff and host!

Very pretty park with great hiking trails. Only one restroom in the camping area, but it was clean.

Great place to spend time with family!

Great place to go to be outdoors. Plenty of trails to hike, great place to go with the family and pets. They have camping sites as well.

I love Kanawha State Forest. Really miss the pool but love the trails. This is the best space I Charleston. Yoga Power loves hiking and doing yoga here

A wonderful place to hike. You can go in any directions that are awesome and beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful, rugged trails.

Awesome camping spot.. playgrounds, trails.. great place for a campfire and flashlights.. there are no street lights here so it gets completely dark at night.. unless theres moonlight have a powerful flashlight with you.

So close to Charleston, but so far away from the noise and the hubbub of the city. Perfect for family outings, solidarity hikes, or tandem bike rides. Pick up a map from the office on your way in to find the best hike/ride for the day. Sunny weekends are a bit busy, but even so, you can find a place to relax and connect.

Anytime I get to spend a few days in a woodland environment, I am a happy camper....literally. Kanawha state forest campground is a diamond in the rough.It is peaceful and quiet. The rangers are very friendly and courteous. No alcohol, no weapons allowed.No cell coverage. Only wifi available is at ranger huts. Head ranger has plans for improvements and upgrades in the near future. Today, I am the only camper on the backside of the campground. I would definitely stay again.

Its great to be in nature so close to the capital city. A variety of hiking trails, many campsites, programs for all ages, and many picnic tables and shelters. A beautiful forest calms the soul troubled by the pandemic.

Friendly rangers, gorgeous views, and well-maintained campsites and facilities.

Cleanest park we have probably been too the stream is peaceful and the mountains are a delight

Love it a must see while in west va

Nice clean, well maintained forest area. Plenty of things for kids to do between playing in creek to playground areas with plenty spaces for families to gather and relax outdoors.

Its real pretty park nice friendly atmosphere

Absolutely gorgeous! So many beautiful trails.

Absolutely gorgeous, a friend and I went looking for salamanders and found at least seven in the short time we were there. And a small red bellied snake! The shooting range is really nice too, though the ride there is definitely bumpy.

Great trail system. Middle ridge trail is an amazing ride.

Beautiful scenery. Has wheelchair accessible trail. Playgrounds for kids. Nice campgrounds and a group camping area.

This park is a great treasure. So close to Charleston, easily accessible, and no fees to use the park. Had a great hike just before the weather turned bad. I was so happy to find someplace so close yet so remote to have a great experience before returning to winter time Cabin Fever Blues!

Most camp sites provide little room or privacy. Kind of like a trailer park for tents. Also, not great playgrounds or activities o ffered. Be great if they had a pool.

Great camping spot in West Virginia, was able to take a 25 foot travel trailer, love being on the creek at site 30. Super helpful staff.

This place is fantastic. Even though it is so close to the city it maintains its majesty and wildness. Definitely worth spening the day hiking or just taking in the peace and quiet.

What a wonderful place to go to to get away from all the hustle and bustle of life to just sit down and enjoy the sounds of nature and the beauty God has created.

We had a really good time there. The trail markings are some of the best I have scene... The one trail we hiked was very hard upfront but got better.

Beautiful walk in the woods.

So gorgeous and peaceful the foliage is spectacular rn

The Kanawha State Forest is spectacular for hiking and picture taking. Ive been there three times in the past year alone and Ive loved it each time.

The staff was awesome!!! They went out of their way for us in so many ways!!! Steve was so helpful and friendly

Gorgeous road for a drive in the autumn! The twisty road is a thrill to drive and its definitely worth it.Too bad the descent towards Hernshaw is a gravel road. Its not too bad (I had a small Ford Focus and it was OK), but maybe it would be nice for it to be asphalt.

There is a local hiking club that organizes hikes every weekend. I recommend attending if you get the chance.

Love to hike the trails with my dog

Great place to hike and enjoy the outdoors.

The variety of trails is this Forest is amazing. It has something for everyone.

My son graduated this year and had planned an organized trip to Germany which was cancelled. Instead he decided to road trip up the east coast to Maine then return home, staying at Airbnb and campgrounds as long the way to reduce exposure to COVID and keep the young men safe. We would not let him travel alone so he cast a net to his friends and one was able to do the trip with him. He called the campsite the week before, and found that no special arrangements needed to be made. After driving 9 hours, the arrived at the campsite and were told they could not camp there. They were told that only residents of WV were allowed. After quickly making alt arrangements, I contacted the campground and was told that the campground was open to anybody, not just WV residents. Would somebody like to explain to me why my son was turned away last night?

It is a great place to go for hiking and a lot a play grounds for kids and great place for family to spend the weekend.

The mountains are calling and I must go. - John Muir

Never again. We did an rv site, we have a 24ft. Paid over the phone. The lady said GPS doesnt take you there right but it did. You get to the park and drive 3 miles then see a sign for the campground. Then drive another 7 miles which took 30 minutes. Roads are narrow and winding and some areas cliffs with no edging. We were put near the dead end. We had electric and water. No septic but there is a dump station. We were put by a creek. NO cell signal. No Wi-Fi. It was quiet. Left early. Problem is no exit signs. We turned the wrong way and had to disconnect and reconnect the trailer. In the boonies for sure. Not our cup of tea. Wont return.

Wonderful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city

Close to town and easy access, yet quiet and serene

Lots of trails to hike for different levels of experience and endurance. Some easy to travel others not so much. Good place to hike and exercise.

Amazing sites. Will definitely comeback

Found the perfect overlook trail here. A great place for hiking!

I literally live a mile away. So, yea, Id say its a 5 star.

It is a wonderful park with nice view, perfect for family outdoor activity during the weekend!

Quiet and peaceful. Trails are awesome, but make sure you get a map because you can get lost in them. During a busy weekend though this place is full and the sites are to close. The staff drives around and sells ice and fire wood for cheaper than I paid in the store. I will be back :)

Beautiful forest with lots of hiking trails and wild life.

Super cool place! Great little hike while passing through

Love this place..great, well kept trails!

Beautiful place to hike and camp. So close to the city, but silent and peaceful at the same time.

Always clean, and trails are nicely marked. Plenty of room for parking and plenty to explore!

Beautiful place to get out into the mountains

Peaceful, serene, natural trails, fall leaves, crystal clear streams, very few humans., delightful!

The closest to, in the middle of nowhere, that you can get to near Charleston, WV. There are trails for every skill level, from handicap accessible to technical mountain bike trails. There are restrooms and picnic shelters, but no other facilities, and no cell phone service in most of the park, so pick up a trail map at the office, let somebody know where youre going, and pack everything you need. Thats better than getting lost after dark, and making the fire department search for you.

Beautiful and well-maintained park. It would be at least a 4-star, but the roads are narrow and the tree limbs need cutting back for our Class A motorhome. I wouldnt complain, but the reservation website said our pull-through site would fit a 38 max RV. Were 36, but when we arrived at site 22, it looked like a cat track path cut into the hillside with about 10 of semi-level at the top. It was too narrow and dangerous for us to attempt. Fortunately, there were several other beautiful, level sites available, so we spent a wonderfully comfortable night camped alongside the creek. Budget has been approved to add 50-amp service and improve access to the park within 3 years, so by about summer of 2022. But until thats done, I recommend staying out of this park in anything over a 30 RV, unless you are very brave. Warning: If your GPS tells you to take the road to the park with signs warning Not Suitable for Big Trucks, PAY ATTENTION. Theres another, easier, safer route in from the north. It still is a little hair-raising in a large RV, but its a whole lot better than the no big trucks road we took! So take your time, drive smart, and youll be rewarded with a beautiful and peaceful campground.

Great place to send some time outdoors. Awesome trails and friendly staff

Awesome trails for hiking and hearing the peaceful sounds of nature

Great once you get there, very helpful staff. Watch out for that back road in

Beautiful part of West Virginia. We walked some trails and saw abandoned coal mine. This place is for camping with lots of sites with 9,000 plus acres. The staff person, Nancy was such a big help with all the question we asked. Thank you Nancy for your assistance.

Dogs love this place because they can get in the water. I think they need to keep an eye on the speeders.

Great place to ride my horse! I love packing a lunch, meeting my friends and hitting the trails!

Beautiful clean. Great place to let kids play in the creek

Im sorry to say that for the past few years I only saw this place as a shooting range. Thats literally the first left you make when pulling into the park. Ive been through the park Id seen the campgrounds, shelters, picnic places, and everything else. I never knew how amazing it was until I stopped, park my car, and got out. The trails are great, the park personnel are absolutely amazing, and the campgrounds are wonderful.

What a great park! We loved the hiking trails. This park offers fishing, a gun range and so many more amenities.

Enjoyed a fall hike on well-marked and well-maintained trails. Recommend the alligator rock trail for a bit of a challenge.

Great trails, camping and more.. adventure awaits a literally one side of the forest to the other. The rangers are nice and super helpful.

Wonderful local place for a hike or mountain bike ride! The area near the entrance of the park is nice for a picnic or fishing. If you drive to the end of the newly paved road youll find a very nice, free to use and DNR maintained, shooting range with a maximum distance of 100yds.

Found a nice trail thats handicapped accessible: theres even a rope to guide the visually impaired. Its great for children and the elderly. There are numerous sign posts on the way with photos and written descriptions of many of the WV native Flora.

Family reunion is held here and it is a great setting! Shelter has electric, water pump, and toilets nearby. Play area for kids close by for safety. Wish the pool had not closed! It was beautiful, clean and man who ran it was friendly and proud of the pool! Shame on WV for allowing the pool to close!

Puppy approved! Great place to take your pets and family for a walk in the woods

Whats not to love about nature. Definitely rattle snakes here though so be aware of you surroundings!

I have only been here a couple times but I always enjoy being here. I drove in by Kanawha City McDonalds. Takes about 15 minutes after that to get there. Roads are curvy. Theres a pond I see people fish at. Theres a little playground and BBQ areas. People walk and run on the trails. Just go and have fun!I did not try the bathrooms so I dont know what they are like.

Kanawha State Forest is an awesome place to ride.

Kanawha state forest has always been a part of my family growing up.its a great place to play. Or have a family gathering. Or even a company picnic. They have so many different sites there to see and visit plus they have a swimming pool and a shooting range as well everyone I know loves the kanawha state forest

Did a yoga hike and it was awesome !!

A wonderful place to experience West Virginia. There are many trails of varying difficulties. It is always a good time if you enjoy the outdoors and some exercise. They also have a gun range so you can shoot but it is usually crowded. I love Kanawha State Forest.

The only thing I would change is make it easier for people on the road outside the park for turning around with big trailers. I think the State should buy some of the properties just past those hairpin turns so the campers with trailers can turn around to handle those turns better.

Well maintained, marked trails. Lots to do. Pond, playgrounds, shelters, camping, gun range, more.

We enjoy Kanawha state forest but it lacks upkeep in some areas especially the trout pond it is pretty much completely filled with sediment mud and leaves not much room left to fish anymore and the camping is a little high on cost for what is included InThe price. Which is a small lot and a shower/bathroom area not alot of activities but hiking bike riding and a few other things

Awesome spot. Such a beautiful view!!! I love West Virginia!!!

Hiking is the best and planning to camp soon in a tent.

Clean, well kept park

Great hiking!

Great place togo

Beautiful, clean, no one can be in a bad mood in the forest

Very nice trails to hike with your dog(s). Multiple streams in the area are good for animals to play in and cool of in the summer.

Always enjoy it except for the dip in the back road repair needs finished.

My husband & I stayed here in our RV a couple of weeks during the summer. All the park employees were friendly & very helpful. True southern hospitality. The park is beautiful & has lots of trails to explore. Best part of our West Virginia experience.

Weather your looking for a day of peace and tranquility, or fun time with your children, grandchildren, or the entire family. Swimming, Hiking, Fishing, Picnics, Camping, or the simplest things in life as playing in a creek, then you have to visit Kanawha State Forest for a full nature experience. There is something to do for everyone from the youngest to the oldest.