west virginia state wildlife center

Nice place to visit with a family. They have several animals native to WV some of which you get pretty up close to. There is a nice paved walkway that takes you through a wooded area where you will pass by animals like deer, cougar, bear, and turkey. There are two big areas where the bison and the elk are located the elk is located a little off from the walking loop but a nice area to view them. Depending on the time of day some animals may be napping and harder to locate. The pathway has a few sloping areas but at a little over a mile easy to walk there are several benches, bathrooms, and even a weather shelter along the path to make it an even easier walking experience. Cost is very minimum which helps make it a great family experience!

The center has a variety of native West Virginia animals. A nice inexpensive way to spend a couple hours. The otter area is very nice and they seem to enjoy showing off too. All the animals are enclosed in large cages and you may have to search for them at certain times of the day. We were there around three in the afternoon and that's feeding time so there was a lot of action. The cougars are the largest I've ever seen. The center is well kept and worth a visit.

This is a small wildlife "zoo." The animals are native and introduced inhabitants of WV. The trail is paved and accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. It is a nice outing for small children. The only negative I found was on our last visit, a gate was open leading to the main road near the park. When open, it would be easy for a child to wander into the road. The admission fee is low.

The West Virginia State Wildlife Center has large enclosures for the animals to live in. I really enjoyed the Buffalo and Elk. Plan on walking a lot as the distance from the Parking lot to the first animal enclosure is about 1/3 of a mile.