Bluestone National Scenic River is located between Hinton and Athens, West Virginia, and is most easily accessed through its two neighboring state parks, Bluestone State Park and Pipestem Resort State Park. A narrow, graveled park road provides access to the Bluestone Turnpike Trail at the former Lilly town site at the confluence of the Little Bluestone River.
To reach these parks from I-64, take exit 139, then south on Rt. 20. Bluestone State Park is 15 miles and Pipestem is 22 miles. From I-77 take exit 14 to Rt.20 north. Pipestem is 14 miles and Bluestone is 22 miles.
To reach Bluestone National Scenic River from Bluestone State Park, follow signs for Old Mill Campground and then continue to a small parking area near an iron gate. From Pipestem Resort State Park, the Bluestone can be accessed by an aerial tram (fee charged, May-October) hiking down the River trail, or viewed from rim overlooks. The Lilly road access can be reached by turning on Ellison Ridge Road off Route 3 at Nimitz, and following it approximately five miles until turning left on the gravel Bluestone Road ending at the riverside.
For more information contact the Sandstone Visitor Center of nearby New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
