Beartown State Park Overview & History
Park Overview
Unique pathways and rocky views are in your future, with a visit to Beartown State Park. Beartown State Park is a 110-acre natural area located on the eastern summit of Droop Mountain in northern Greenbrier County and a small portion of Pocahontas County. Beartown is known for its unusual rocky formations, massive boulders, overhanging cliffs and deep crevices. The park’s main attraction is a half-mile boardwalk showcasing these spectacular sights. Beartown State Park is open from April through October.
Park History
The land now known as Beartown State Park was purchased in 1970 with funds from the Nature Conservancy and a donation from Edwin G. Polan, given in memory of her son, Ronald Keith Neal, a local soldier killed in the Vietnam War. Since then, development of the park has been minimal so the area’s natural beauty may be preserved. The park’s name comes from residents who claimed the many cave-like openings in the rocks made ideal winter dens for black bears in the area. It also refers to the many deep, narrow crevasses that crisscross the area and appear from above like the streets of a small town.
