Tygart Lake Shelter

The day use area at Tygart Dam features an overlook of the dam, a visitor center, picnic sites with grills, and a pavilion, with two hiking trails that lead to State Park trails. The shelter itself has four 8-foot metal picnic tables, two electric outlets, two large grills, and flush toilets (seasonal). Visitors enjoy Tygart Lake for boating, fishing, swimming and water activities. It is considered by many to be one of the best bass waters in the area, and in addition to a variety of bass, anglers will find walleye, catfish, muskie, crappie and perch. All species of fish in the lake are sustained through natural reproduction rather than stocking, attesting to the exceptional water quality. Fishing for trout and walleye in the dam's tail waters is also popular; trout are stocked there on a regular basis by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Tygart Lake's 31 miles of shoreline are covered in northern hardwood forest — black cherry, beech, maple, dogwood, eastern redbud and many more — and its deep waters have made the lake a popular site for power boaters and waterskiing enthusiasts. The shoreline also provides many inlets and backwater areas for canoes and small fishing boats to explore, where black bear, deer, turkey and other small game are plentiful, with opportunities to observe osprey and eagles. Open seasonally, Tygart Lake Marina is the main hub for water activities on the lake, from kayak and boat rentals to swimming and fishing. Tygart Adventure Lake has twenty-five giant inflatables on the water and lounge chairs on the beach. Tygart Lake State Park has five distinct trails, ranging from light leisurely strolls to more moderate and challenging hikes, and the Tygart Lake Public Golf Course, opened in 1967, features 18 holes across 6,255 yards. Grafton is known as the Memorial City. Anna Jarvis, a Grafton native, arranged the first Mother's Day observance in 1908 in Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as the International Mother's Day Shrine, and the town welcomes all to visit the Anna Jarvis Museum. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station carried passengers between 1911 and 1960, and Grafton National Cemetery is the only national cemetery in West Virginia.