West Virginia's Audra State Park is a great place to spend leisurely days by the river or hike on a scenic cliffside boardwalk.
A weekend getaway is meant to be a change of pace: often, a slowing down, or at least an opportunity to recharge in ways that might not be available to you every day.
Maybe this looks like a day spent floating on the river, or taking a quiet walk. If that sounds good to you, West Virginia's Audra State Park provides a lovely backdrop.
The park is about a 20-minute drive from Buckhannon, a small town in the northern part of the state, along the river of the same name.
Lodging Options at Audra State Park
The campground here is open spring through fall and has two bath houses, laundry facilities, and a campground store with some basic supplies. Campsites can be booked ahead of time.
The state park is a heavily forested area, making the campground a shady retreat. For an extra scenic feel, some of the sites are along the Middle Fork River.
Planning for Food
The closest restaurants are in Belington or Philippi, both small towns about 15 minutes away. There are more options about half an hour away in Buckhannon or Elkins.
If you're going to pack your own food, Buckhannon has the larger grocery stores. Check out some of our favorite camping meals for ideas!
What Is There to Do at Audra State Park?
There's relatively little hiking at this park, though you can check out the short out-and-back Rock Cliff Trail which offers nice views of the river.
The longer (though still not difficult) Alum Cave Trail is the one with the boardwalk and lots of photo ops.
The boardwalk brings you below a rocky sandstone overhang (rather than a true cave) and then gives you access to the Middle Fork River.
Bikes are also permitted on the trails.
There's a concrete "beach" on one side of the river.
Middle Fork is considered something of a "lazy river," and on nice days you'll see people sunning themselves on the rocks or wading, swimming, or lounging on floats.
The river forms certain natural pools that are popular spots for swimming. You might want to wear water shoes, since the rocks and the river bed can be pretty slick.
For avid kayakers, there's also a nearly 3-mile run of whitewater on Middle Fork that's usually Class III-IV. (There are another few miles of whitewater on the connecting Tygart River.)
Nearby Parks to Visit
The closest other state park is Tygart Lake, about a half-hour drive from here.
If you have more time to travel, you might also enjoy checking out Coopers Rock State Forest, which has stunning canyon views, or Blackwater Falls. Both are over an hour's drive from Audra State Park, but would be a nice add-on to your itinerary if you're exploring northern West Virginia.
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