点评:We visited the park in mid-November so the fall foliage color show was long gone, but the benefit was the park was very quiet and we were able to hike and the like undisturbed by crowds of noisy people.
Know before you go that Watoga is rather isolated and if constant wi-fi connectivity and all night cable TV sports while glued to your cell phone are necessities for you ... go elsewhere. The only wi-fi in the park is at the headquarters and check-in station at each campground. Staff is available after hours for an emergency but you have to go down to headquarters to call them. The upside is that being totally disconnected from everything is rather nice, and the absence of city lights means every night there is a spectacular star and planet show.
We stayed in one of the modern two-bedroom "classic" cabins in the Bucks Run area (and yes, there were deer every morning, including a buck). It appeared to have been recently refreshed - all the appliances were in top shape, the kitchen was well equipped (not always the case at WV state parks) and there were extra pillows and blankets. The bed was reasonably comfortable but the pillows were soft so if that's an issue, bring your own. The bathroom was roomy, water pressure in the shower was good and there was plenty of hot water and towels. The only black marks were the provision for one small bar of soap for the bathroom, shower and kitchen, usually you get a full range of WV-made toiletries at state parks, and the cabin needed a thorough dusting and sweeping.
There was a grill in the corner of the porch, and a fire ring and picnic table just below for outdoor dining. They have charcoal, lighter fluid, food and snacks for sale at the park office if you forget anything - and the souvenirs and gifts are worth checking out. There is also a unique Civilian Conservation Corps museum that is worth a thorough look (Watoga was built by the CCC is the 1930s).
Our cabin had a great fireplace and they provide one bundle of split wood for each night's stay, plus a fire starter and matches. If you want a fire quickly, bring some newspaper and kindling to supplement that.
We did two hikes - the Lake Trail around Watoga Lake and part of the Dragon Draft Trail in the Brooks Arboretum area. The Lake Trail is mostly level with a few mild gradients; it is well marked and the views across the lake and up into the hills are excellent. There is a special map at the park officer for the Arboretum trails with plant checklists and the like. We went later in the day; it was getting chilly and the abundant wet leaves made footing a challenge, so we turned around before the halfway point.
There are lots of things to see and do around Watoga as well - the unique Cranberry Glades Nature Area in the Monongahela National Forest is less than an hour away and the Highlands Scenic Highway has spectacular viewpoints.
翻译:我们是11月中旬去的,所以秋天的枫叶色彩表演早已过去,但好处是公园很安静,我们可以徒步旅行等,不受人群喧闹的干扰。
出发前要知道,瓦托加相当偏僻,如果您需要持续使用 Wi-Fi 连接和整夜看手机看有线电视节目,那么您就去别处吧。公园内唯一的无线网络位于每个露营地的总部和登记站。工作人员在下班后可以处理紧急情况,但您必须去总部给他们打电话。好处是,与一切完全隔绝是相当不错的,没有城市灯光意味着每天晚上都有壮观的恒星和行星表演。
我们住在雄鹿奔跑区的一间现代化的两居室“经典”小屋里(是的,每天早上都有鹿,包括一头雄鹿)。它似乎最近翻新过——所有电器都处于最佳状态,厨房设备齐全(西弗吉尼亚州州立公园的情况并不总是如此),还有额外的枕头和毯子。床相当舒适,但枕头很软,所以如果有问题,请自带。浴室很宽敞,淋浴的水压很好,有充足的热水和毛巾。唯一的缺点是为浴室、淋浴和厨房提供了一小块肥皂,通常你在州立公园会得到全套西弗吉尼亚州制造的洗浴用品,而且小屋需要彻底除尘和清扫。
门廊的角落里有一个烤架,下面有一个火圈和野餐桌,可供户外用餐。如果您忘记带什么东西,公园办公室有木炭、打火机液体、食物和零食出售 - 而且纪念品和礼物也值得一看。还有一个独特的平民保护团博物馆,值得仔细一看(Watoga 是 1930 年代由 CCC 建造的)。
我们的小屋有一个很棒的壁炉,他们为每晚住宿提供一捆劈木,还有点火器和火柴。如果你想快速生火,请带一些报纸和引火物来补充。
我们进行了两次徒步旅行 - 沃托加湖周围的湖边步道和布鲁克斯植物园地区的龙草案步道的一部分。湖边步道大部分是平坦的,有一些缓坡;它的标志很好,湖对面和山上的景色非常好。公园官员有一张植物园小径的特殊地图,上面有植物清单等。我们当天晚些时候去了;天越来越冷,大量的湿树叶给我们的立足带来了挑战,所以我们在中途之前就掉头了。
瓦托加周边还有很多值得参观和游玩的地方 - 莫农加希拉国家森林中独特的蔓越莓林地自然区距离酒店不到一小时路程,高地风景公路上也有壮观的景点。