Chief Logan State Park Camping
Chief Logan State Park is set amid West Virginia’s southern coalfields at the heart of Hatfield and McCoy country, where the infamous families carried on their often-fatal feud in the 1880s.
Named for an 18th-century chief of the local Mingo Indian tribe, the 4,000-acre park includes an outdoor amphitheater with regular performances, a museum that explores the state’s history and a host of recreational amenities. If you wish to stay overnight, the park has a small campground near the banks of Buffalo Creek.
Campground Setting
The campground at Chief Logan State Park is in the western section of the park, near the park’s Coal Mine Trail, which takes hikers along an old coal mine tram road past abandoned mines and a silo. The campground is within walking distance of the park’s amphitheater and a number of recreational amenities and activities, including fishing in Buffalo Creek, an outdoor pool with water slide, miniature golf course, picnic areas, playgrounds and tennis, basketball and bocce courts.
Campsite and Reservation Information
Chief Logan’s campground includes 26 seasonal campsites suitable for tents, trailers and RVs. Fourteen sites have full hookups, and the other 12 sites have water and electric hookups only. Amenities include a picnic table and grill on each site and a community bath house with hot showers.
The campground typically is open from March to November, and reservations are accepted beginning in mid-February. A minimum stay of two nights is required on weekends and holidays.
Other Park Amenities
Two attractions that make Chief Logan different from a typical state park are its Liz Spurlock Amphitheater and The Museum in the Park. The amphitheater is host to a variety of summer evening performances, including the long-running “Aracoma Story,” a re-enactment of a romance between an Indian princess and a British soldier.
The free museum, operated by the state’s Division of Culture and History, has a collection of exhibits that tell the story of southern West Virginia’s people, mountains and coalfields. The park also has a wildlife center with exhibits of native animals such as black bears, bobcats, wild boar, owls, hawks and various reptiles. Chief Logan is a haven for hikers, with about 18 miles of trails that range from a half-mile to 6 miles. Some of the trails are open to mountain bikers.
Chief Logan Lodge and Nearby Attractions
If you don’t want to stay in the great outdoors on your visit, the nearby Chief Logan Lodge, Hotel & Conference Center is operated by the state’s parks system, although the park and lodge have separate entrances and no connecting road. The hotel has 75 rooms, free Wi-Fi and a restaurant. The adjacent Chief Logan Recreation Center has an indoor pool and tennis courts, elevated walking track and fitness center. A day-use fee is required.
Also within a short drive are the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, a vast 500-mile-plus network of ATV trails, with the Bearwallow trailhead approximately 9 miles southeast of the park. The Hatfield Family Cemetery, where you can view the tombstones of patriarch Devil Anse Hatfield and other family members, is 17 miles south of the park on Highway 44.
