About the Basin, September 1, 2017

Photo Credit: thisisbossi, “Cacapon state park”

A scenic 2-hour drive west from the D.C. metro area will land you at a state park that looks more like a resort than a park. Cacapon (pronounced “Ca-cape-un”) Resort State Park,

near Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, is still a state park at heart, though. It boasts a small sandy beach for swimming, paddle boat rentals, serene fishing spots, many hiking trails, and a nature center. However, the park’s additional amenities make a weekend at Cacapon more glamping than typical old-fashioned camping. You will also find an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding, a hotel and conference center, and cabins decked out with all the necessities for a weekend away.

Vintage Postcard of the beach at Cacapon Resort State Park

It’s vintage, unostentatious vibe has visitors returning again and again. One online reviewer said it best: “Stop being pretentious and stay here.” Activities at Cacapon bring you back to the good ol’ days. You can make new friends with a pickup game of basketball, get your family together for a game of beach volleyball or challenge your in-laws on the tennis courts. For the techies that just can’t separate themselves from their phone, the hiking trails abound with geocache treasures.

For something a little special, hike up Cacapon Mountain to an observation deck where you can see West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in one sweeping view. It is always a breathtaking site, but even more so during leaf peeping season in October.

If you are looking for something a bit more primitive, check out the Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area just east of Cacapon Resort State Park. This 23,000-acre park offers 75 basic campsites. Many afford an inexpensive waterfront view of Sleepy Creek Lake. Unlike Cacapon Resort State Park, amenities are few and far between in this area that truly embodies West Virginia’s slogan, “Wild and Wonderful”.