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| Pinnacle Rock State Park
By Andrea B. Bond
One of West Virginia’s oldest and most diminutive state parks, Pinnacle Rock is living proof that good things come in small packages. Seventy years after its founding, the 400-acre day-use facility, with its signature rock formation and breathtaking views, remains a popular stop for motorists traveling U.S. 52 on their way to explore Mercer County’s many attractions.
Pinnacle Rock State Park opened in 1938 when the West Virginia Conservation Commission, the precursor to the Division of Natural Resources, purchased a 26-acre tract of land surrounding the rock. Using labor from the federally funded Works Progress Administration, the commission added a picnic shelter, parking areas, and a walkway. Over the next 30 years, a series of land acquisitions expanded the park to its present size. In the 1960s, a 15-acre lake was added.
The park’s namesake, a sandstone rock tower that forms a spur of Flat Top Mountain, rises 3,100 feet above sea level. A rustic stone staircase winds around the hillside to an overlook area on top of the rock, which offers a panoramic view of surrounding counties.
From the top of Pinnacle Rock, "you can see at least 15 nautical miles, back through the gap of East River and Peters Mountain to the east of us and into Narrows, Virginia," says Frank Ratcliffe, who has served as Pinnacle Rock’s superintendent for the past eight years. "I think one of the unique things about our park is that there are some really spectacular views from different points on our trails."
Pinnacle Rock’s appearance provides an interesting lesson in geology. "The rock is standing on its edge, having moved from the place it was originally laid, and that’s very obvious from an aerial view," Ratcliffe says. "If you’re looking from above, you can see the rock strata."
 According to scientific theory, the Appalachian Mountains began their formation 480 million years ago, when two of the earth’s plates collided, raising and crumbling the land along the seam. "Today you can look on those areas and see 45-degree rock strata," Ratcliffe explains. "Anything to the west of us rose up with a flat plateau, and then the water erosion is what created the Allegheny Mountains. To the east of us you see the ridge and valley, and to the west of us you see the Alleghenies in transition, where the earth’s crust was fractured and pushed completely up on its edge."
These geological wonders can be observed from the park’s 6.5 miles of hiking trails. Pinnacle Rock has seven trails with varying degrees of difficulty that are open to hiking, biking, and horseback riding. "Turkey Rock Trail leads up to another rock that’s very similar to Pinnacle but smaller," Ratcliffe says. "There are many nice sights along that trail, including the rock itself, a big beaver pond, and an old log cabin from the late 1800s."
For a unique perspective of Pinnacle Rock, Ratcliffe recommends Acorn Ridge Trail. "You get a view there that you really can’t see from any other angle, unless you’re in an airplane," he says. "The rock is not that wide of a structure, and there are some places that look like rectangular windows have been carved in there, but they’re natural. It’s really neat."
Acorn Ridge Trail also provides access to the lake, which can be reached by vehicle on County Road 52/5. Formerly known as Nemours Lake, it was dedicated and renamed Jimmy Lewis Lake in 1989. According to Ratcliffe, when the lake was created in the early 1960s, it was not part of the park. In the late 1960s or early ’70s, the state had the lake drained, and a lot of local folks who fished there complained.
In the 1980s, local resident Jimmy Lewis spearheaded a movement to resell the lake, get it fixed back up to standards, and donate it to the state park system. While the lake is stocked regularly with large-mouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and trout, recreational fishing is temporarily on hold until the park can finish some maintenance work on the lake’s gate and drain.
The park’s unique geographic setting allows for a wide variety of plants and animals, making it an ideal location for birdwatchers and other nature lovers. "We’re sitting in the part of the Appalachian Mountains where you get a lot of the southern and northern tree species," Ratcliffe says. "The same goes for birds. For the last couple of summers we’ve had rose-breasted grosbeaks nesting here. Our highest points are just slightly over 3,000 feet, and it’s right at that point where the rose-breasted grosbeak likes to nest."
Ratcliffe notes that the variation in trees makes for some brilliant color in the fall, including different shades of orange, dark red, and purple. "We’re sort of an oak/hickory/maple forest, but there’s so much more out there than that," he says.
The park’s natural beauty makes it a popular place for weddings. "We’ve had weddings at the lake and folks just think that’s a great little setting," Ratcliffe says. "We’ve also had weddings on top of the rock, at the overlook. But the majority of them are held at the old stone picnic shelter. It has a fireplace with a big stone mantle they can decorate."
Built in the 1930s, the shelter seats 75. The park also has several smaller picnic areas with grills. There are handicapped-accessible restrooms at the lake and shelter areas.
The main picnic shelter also has an interpretive room, which is open when a park ranger is available or by special appointment. The room features a relief map of the area and a display on the history of the park, complete with photos and newspaper clippings dating back to the nineteenth century. One historical article dates to 1889 and features an interview with one of the daughters of the original Pinnacle Rock landowner, who recalled her stories of the Yankee raid during the Civil War.
The interpretive room also features a variety of wildlife displays. There are taxidermy animals that have been donated to the park and boxes of nature items, like antlers and turtle shells, for kids to touch. There is also a sandbox with rubber impressions for making animal tracks.
Ratcliffe notes that some aspects of the display are revolving. "We have a live turtle right now—a painted turtle someone caught down by the lake—and a garter snake," he says. "We did have a black snake, but we released it."
Soon there will be even more at Pinnacle Rock State Park for kids to enjoy. "Children will love the new playground unit that we are in the process of installing," Ratcliffe says. "It’s not your typical playground outfit. There are going to be climbing rocks—one for older children and one for younger children. Since we have this beautiful stone shelter, and the rock itself was the reason the park was set aside, we felt like traditional-looking playground equipment would just be a distraction. I think it will be a great addition to the shelter area."
Pinnacle Rock State Park is located near the historic town of Bramwell, the Hatfield & McCoy ATV Trail network, the Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine, and Pipestem Resort and Camp Creek state parks. "We also have two minor league baseball teams in the area: the Bluefield Orioles and the Princeton Rays," Ratcliffe says. "There is a lot of variety in entertainment. Visitors will have no shortage of things to do."
For more information about Pinnacle Rock State Park, visit www.pinnaclerockstatepark.com or call 800.CALL.WVA. For shelter reservations, call 304.248.8565. For additional information about the surrounding area, contact the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.mccvb.com or 800.221.3206.
Cabell County native Andrea B. Bond earned a degree in journalism from Marshall University. She has served as a copy editor for the Charleston Gazette and now works as a writer for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
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