Guest Post by Rachelle Bott Beckner For more than seven decades, the Botts have stayed in various cabins at Watoga State Park. The family fished, swam, hiked, and rode horses at the stables. This is Rachelle Bott Beckner’s memories about growing up spending summer vacations at Watoga. Cabins Have Personality Too It’s difficult to choose …
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First Energy contributes to Watoga Dark Sky Project. On July 28th, 2020 Watoga State Park Foundation received a $5000 grant from First Energy for the Dark Sky Project to cover the cost of light fixture replacements in the park. What can you do to reduce your impact on light pollution? Install fully shielded downlight fixtures …
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Synchronous Fireflies This story, like most, has a backstory. What follows is how something extraordinary was recently discovered in Watoga State Park. A little over a year ago Mack Frantz, a zoologist with West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, was informed by a retired biologist from the same agency that she had observed a rare …
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Have you ever seen an arrowhead at Watoga State Park? Recently, I spoke to two gentleman (both named Ken) who found arrowheads at the park. Finding an Arrowhead with your Dad — Priceless Ken Caplinger, former Watoga Assistant Superintendent (1979-1984), later served as West Virginia State Parks Chief and is now a board member of …
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The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted …
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A Fourth of July Uncola Pyramid? With the Fourth of July just a few days away, I was thinking about our country’s 200th birthday in 1976. What was I doing as a teenager growing up at Watoga State Park? Sure, there were picnics, hot dogs, baseball, firecrackers, and the swimming pool. But just why was …
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For more than seven decades, the Botts have fished, swam, hiked, and oftentimes stayed at Cabin 20 at Watoga State Park. This is Flora Jane Bott’s memories about the swimming pool, that cabin next door and the park. Cabin 20 “It was next to impossible to contain our excitement as we drove closer to park …
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Seventy-Two Years at Watoga Four generations of the Bott family have stayed at Cabin 20, nestled in the pines next to the swimming pool at Watoga State Park. For 72 years, the Botts have fished, swam, hiked, and along the way have made countless memories at the state’s largest recreation area. Specifically, from 1957-1967, these …
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The pool officially opens for the season on Saturday, May 30, according to Jody Spencer, park superintendent. Mr. Spencer stated that prior to entering the swim area, each person must have a temperature less than 100 and answer several COVID-19-related questions. The number of admitted swimmers will be limited, and you may wish to call …
A Continuing Series Ahh, Memorial Day weekend is here! And, while growing up at Watoga State Park, the swimming pool is the place to be! This is the last year for the pool (a new one is in the works), but not the last year for memories about this legendary swimming spot. In particular, many …
Read more “The Swimming Pool at Watoga — The Day It Snowed!”