Mont Chateau State Park was formerly a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 located beside Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake is a long reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. The surface area of Cheat Lake is about...

 in Monongalia County

Monongalia County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...

, West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, USA.

Commissioning and operations

Some 42.16 acres (17 ha) of land for park were originally purchased in June 1955. A new lodge was subsequently constructed and opened, along with the beach, on June 7, 1958. After unsuccessfully attempting different ways of managing and operating the park, it was closed in 1977.

Current status

While the park itself was closed, the state has retained a 13 acres (5.3 ha) portion of the site. The former lodge has housed the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, including a small geology museum, since the 1970s. The land also provides access from the Coopers Rock State Forest

Coopers Rock State Forest

Coopers Rock State Forest is a state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Its southern edge abuts Cheat Lake and the canyon section of Cheat River, a popular whitewater rafting river in the eastern US.-History:...

 trail system to Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake is a long reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. The surface area of Cheat Lake is about...

. The other 29.16 acres (11.8 ha) were first leased and then sold to Fred St. Clair in 1985 for recreational use.