North Bend State Park is offering two quilter events and those interested may choose one or both!! They are the Quilter’s Getaway Sunday-Friday, Oct. 20-25, 2024 and the Quilter’s Camp Sunday-Friday, Oct. 27-Nov. 1, 2024. 

Enjoy a long, relaxing week of quilting in the peaceful North Bend Lodge. Surround yourself with friends and the rustic charm of Ritchie County WV in the Fall.

Stay for 5 nights and 6 days for 2 people is $559.99. Reservations for the following require the deposit listed to hold your room:

With 1 person in room $107.99

With 2 people in room $127.98

With 3 people in room $147.97

With 4 people in room $167.96

For the Suite with 2 people $127.98

Please take project supplies and equipment. Taking a small lamp with extension cord for extra light is recommended. A coffee, tea and water station is provided. Participants may take refreshments or snacks.

To make a reservation at the Lodge Call  304.643.2931.

Take a hike on the North Bend Rail Trail and experience the beauty of fall at North Bend State Park.

Take plenty of water for this hike.

Reservations may be made by calling 304.643.2931.

Parkersburg Paddlefest is a fun-filled event dedicated to people-powered watercraft. Kayaks, Canoes, and Stand-up Paddleboards are welcome to join us at Point Park for this unique event. The confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers is the setting for the event.

• Paddlefest weekend starts off on Friday night with food trucks and live music from 6 – 8 p.m. followed by a lighted paddle up the Little Kanawha River from Point Park at 8 p.m. Electric lights and glow sticks illuminate the group on this opening night event.

• The main event on Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., provides a unique opportunity to paddle a three-mile stretch of the Ohio River, from Point Park downriver to Blennerhassett Island and back. Safety watercraft will be on hand to slow private motorized craft passing through. On Blennerhassett Island, the staff and volunteers at Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park will be welcoming Paddlefest participants to tours of the Blennerhassett Mansion, horse-drawn wagon rides, and special events and activities. (an additional fee)

10:00am: Horse-drawn wagon rides will start on the hour and run on the hour and half hour for $10 per person.

10:15am: Tours of the Mansion will start at 10:15 and run on the 15 and 45 for $5 a person.

Anytime: Rent a bike for a 1/2 hour for $2 and an hour for $4.

Free Activities: TBA

• Registered Parkersburg Paddlefest Participants are insured by the American Canoe Association (ACA) throughout the duration of the event. 

*If you are planning on registering on the morning of Paddlefest, please bring cash of the correct amount of $20 per paddler.

Marietta Adventure Company and Human Hydro Outfitters are great options for kayak rentals. You’ll need to bring your own transport equipment for pick up. Wild River Kayak Company offers kayak rentals and shuttle services out of Marietta and Parkersburg. If you’re planning on attending the farewell paddle at North Bend Lake on Sunday, they have kayak rentals right on the water at North Bend Outfitters.

DIRECTIONS: GPS Coordinates for Point Park: 39.266376, -81.566279 – At the base of 2nd street drive through the flood wall and turn left. WATCH for “Kayak Drop Off” and “#PKBPaddlefest” Signs! 

Have Questions? Check out their Facebook page by searching Parkersburg Paddlefest 2024

North Bend State Park is hosting its Family Trails Weekend in celebration of the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day Saturday, June 8, 2023..

Celebrate National Trails Day by hiking on one of the m any unique trails in North Bend State Park.

Guided hikes will be offered or you can make your own route.

North Bend may be reached by calling 304.643.2931.

Youth groups throughout the state gather to honor one another for their conservation efforts.

Call Annette Hoskins, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protections at 304.926.0499.

The Great U.S. Route 50 Yard Sale will celebrate 24 years this Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, 2024.

The sale began in 2000 as a way to promote local tourism, encourage re-use, provide participants with additional income, and to provide savings and adventure for buyers. From its origins in North Vernon, the sale has expand across several states as an anticipated annual event.

There are no fees associated with the sale, nor any central clearing house. Sellers are invited to set-up along U.S. 50, subject to local zoning or other rules. Permission ts required to set-up on private property and sellers should be safety conscious about parking, ingress and egress. Community organizations are welcome to use the sale as a way to raise funds.

For information, contact Tom Taylor by emailing totaylor@seidata.com.

Join us for a musical weekend of pickin’ and grinnin’. The festival features two days of live bluegrass and craft vendors at the North Bend State Park Amphitheater.

Bluegrass bands from throughout the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia, as well as from the surrounding region will be performing.  Lose yourself in the rhythm of the music and traditional sounds of our Appalachian heritage.

Set in the picturesque Amphitheer nestled in the hills of Ritchie County, this festival will really get your toes tapping and your hands clapping.

Celebrate springtime and attend the annual Bluegrass Festival a North Bend State Park!

During the festival shop souvenirs as performing bands will have merchandise for sale. Take home a CD of your favorite band! Don’t forget to take your appetite with you to enjoy some true WV festival food.

Please join the North Bend State Park Foundation on Facebook!

Limited seating will be available. Feel free to take your own lawn chairs and outdoor seating. In case of inclement weather, bands will perform under Shelter #3, the picnic shelter adjacent to the Amphitheatre.

Call our front desk at (304)643-2931 and ask about a ticket and stay package.

The schedule of bands and information from the 2023 bluegrass festival is as follows:

Festival Line Up Friday, May 12, 2023

6 pm Laurel Creek

7 pm New Outlook

8 pm The Hillbilly Biscuits

9 pm Staats and Vaughan

Festival Line Up Saturday, May 13, 2023

2 pm Silas Powell and the Powell Family

3 pm New Outlook

4 pm Shortline Junction

5 pm The Mountain State Bluegrass Express

6 pm Buck McCumbers

7 pm Open Highway Bluegrass Band

8 pm Jim and Valerie Gabehart

9 pm Staats and Vaughan

Performers include: Hillbilly Biscuits, Johnny Staats, Jim and Valerie Gabehart, Open Highway Bluegrass Band, Buck McCumbers, Mountain State Bluegrass Express, Stoney Creek Bluegrass Band, New Outlook, Silas Powell and The Powell Family, Laurel Creek and Shortline Junction.

Master of Ceremonies is Rock Wilson and sound by David Chichester, GBS Productions.

2023 Ticket Prices:

Advance weekend (prior to May 3, 2023) for $35 per person

Friday, May 12, $10 per person

Saturday, May 13, $30 per person.

2023 Packages:

“Over the Moon” - 2 people, 2 nights at the Lodge and weekend Bluegrass Festival tickets for $389.

“Under the Stars” - 2 people, 2 nights RV camping with electric and weekend Bluegrass Festival tickets for $180.

Call about cabin rates! Packages must be paid in full upon reservation. Call North Bend at 304.643.2931.

Information for 2024 is not yet available.