Holly River State Park — Attraction in Addison (Webster Springs)

“So what’s the deal with Holly River State Park? It’s not holly, it’s not a river… and yet it might be one of the most unexpectedly delightful spots in the entire West Virginia state park system.

Let’s get into it—this place is fantastic. Not in a loud, overdeveloped. No, Holly River’s got that resort-lite thing going on. You come here to unwind, unplug (but not totally, because the Wi-Fi’s surprisingly decent), and rediscover what it's like to eat a meal without checking your phone every three minutes.

The staff? Top tier. The kind of folks who care, smile, and somehow manage to make a 60-year-old looking bathhouse feel like home. They're quietly running a tight ship in the woods.

Now the cabins—adorable. These are “Where’s my novel and wool blanket?” levels of cute. Tucked into the trees with just enough rustic charm to feel authentic without making you worry that something’s living in the walls.

Camping here? Loads of sites. Some of the best ones are creekside—you can literally walk out of your tent and into a mountain brook like it’s your personal spa. There’s even an equestrian loop, which is basically a campground with built-in horse parking. Pull in, tie up your steed, cook a hot dog, live your frontier dreams.

Oh, and the old schoolhouse—still standing, still charming, and a great little stop for history fans or anyone needing an excuse to stretch their legs and say “Wow, they actually used chalk.” You might even stumble upon a wedding, which speaks to how downright pretty this place can be.

The showers are legendary. Not for their décor—but for their temperature. These are not your average lukewarm drizzles. No, sir. Holly River gives you volcanic, muscle-melting, what-did-I-do-to-deserve-this-hot levels of water pressure.

Okay, now the quirks: It’s remote. Charming, yes—but you’ll want to pack well. There’s a general store down the road for the essentials (chips, s’mores, bug spray), but if you need a trip to Walmart…it ain’t next door.

The bathhouses? Not spring chickens. They’ve got character. And by character, I mean they creak a little and haven’t seen a tile update since maybe the Kennedy administration. But again—clean. And that counts for a lot.

The main campground road is… cozy. Two-way traffic? Technically yes. Practically? You may be trading paint. Towing a big trailer isn’t impossible, just... let’s call it a shared challenge. If you know how to back one up without sweating through your shirt, you’re good. Just be ready to wave people through and maybe lean over the edge of the road like you're playing a polite round of campground chicken. During peak days, expect a minor trailer parade at the dump station.

Now, the pool—it’s nice! Just a little off the beaten path, so you’ll want a vehicle.

Now let’s talk hidden gems:

The Cookout Restaurant – Truly one of the biggest surprises. This isn’t park food. This is comfort food done right. Pancakes in the morning, burgers in the evening, and ice cream on the porch. You also get served on official 1940s West Virginia State Park china. Who knew fried food and nostalgia were such a winning combo?

Frisbee Golf Course – Newly built, slightly wild, and full of personality. Some holes will make you say, “Well that’s a choice,” but that’s half the fun. If you're into disc golf, you’ll appreciate the creativity. If you’re not, good chance you may be by the end.

Nature’s Rock Garden Trail – Hands down one of the coolest short hikes for kids and adults. It’s got logs to climb, rocks to scramble, and stream crossings to test your balance. After a rain? It’s next level. It’s like a playground built by nature—and your kids will talk about it for weeks.

Bottom line?

Holly River is not a quick stop—it’s a whole experience. A soft, scenic landing spot in the mountains where you can unwind, hike, ride, eat incredibly well, and actually relax. Plan on staying two or three days. Bring snacks, bring a book, maybe bring a backup towel for the hot shower situation.

Waterfalls, brooks, comfort food...Holly River is absolutely worth the...

My family has been going to Holly River since my oldest kids were babies 18 years ago, with the exception of 2012 when superstorm Sandy damaged the campgrounds. The entire park is absolutely beautiful and well kept. It's perfect for the solo camper or entire families, wether you're visiting for the day or staying for a longer period.

We've stayed in the cabins the majority of the times we've vacationed there, but we've also stayed in the campgrounds as well. The cabins are really something to behold. They're a bit rustic by today's standards, but they do have electric and running water. They have high ceilings with fans to help keep them cool in the summer, and wood burning fireplaces and electric baseboard heaters for the cooler months.

There are plenty of camping sites, all of them with updated electric service (completely replaced since superstorm Sandy). All of them are accessible from paved roads. Many are "pull through" with enough space for even the most spacious campers and/or RVs. There are four separate camp areas, each with multiple camping/parking areas. Each area has a bath house with toilets, sinks, laundry, and showers. There are also water fountains throughout each area.

As far as things to do, there are multiple hiking trails for every level. Some are very short in distance, and others that are several miles in distance. There is a swimming pool available for a small admission fee (free if you're staying in the cabin). Near the pool you will find a basketball court, volleyball, and shuffleboard. There are a variety of activities offered each week, and you can find out what is going on by checking the schedule posted at the office.

There is a full service restaurant in the same building as the office/gift shop. Good food if you don't feel like cooking. There is a small grocery store/gas station just a couple miles south of the park entrance on Route 20. The nearest towns are roughly 20 miles either north or south of the park. There is free wi-fi around the office/restaurant building. But don't expect any cell phone service other than that. There is supposedly one spot in campground #2 that can get a very small amount of service, but even so that may be dependent on your carrier. So if you're looking for an excuse to ditch the devices, there you go!

Overall, Holly River State Park is a great, relaxing place to truly get away from the hustle and bustle. Definitely take the time to sit by the river and enjoy the silence. You'll thank yourself...

4 campers (family/friends) Stayed in 4 spots # in the mid 80’s (I guess Area 4?)

Pros: free wifi, camper spots are gigantic, baseball field, tons of shade, very woodsy still, good fire pits with grill grate on hinges to move if u don’t want it, water spouts for filling and drinking throughout, it’s not like most grounds that have acreage completely cleared and then a bunch of spots sliced right on top of each other, lots of exploring nearby available. Wildlife preserve is nearby which is cool for kids (bison, elk, bears, eagles, owls, river otters,etc) (but also kind of goofy because it had pretty regular animals on display like skunks, deer). No one said anything about any of our dogs being off leash going between family/friends camp sites. Safe & well patrolled- Tons of kids riding bikes and running back and forth from site to site.

Cons: you’ll probably not have cell service for the last hour of getting there so get your gps set up long before, no lights are on (even though there are lights posted at the entrance) so if you’re coming in after dark, it’s just you and your headlights, the little shack at the entrance is supposedly an office but they have all kinds of signs up outside but no maps available after hours and I don’t recall finding a map online either. We found a map at the camp headquarters near to the campsite that we happened to find as we were trying to find the entrance (also pretty much pitch black, 1 light on the billboard with the map) And this is the map they offer. So if you don’t know how to get to each “area” and you’re coming in after the office is closed and you have no cell service and it’s not well-lit- this is all you have. It doesn’t show HOW to get to these areas from the main roads. There’s no marked park entrance and the route or rd isn’t marked, doesn’t show the nearest forks in the road, but it shows you the river 🤷🏼‍♀️

Make sure to have your state parks reservation email screenshot before you loose service because it says which area # and name you’re in) in the site description of the email.

**Also, people really care about the quiet hours here. We were asked to be quiet at 10:15 because quiet hours...