Free Public Boat Ramps in West Virginia

West Virginia has 162 free public boat ramps — launches operated by state fish & wildlife agencies, counties, and federal lands with no access fee. The highest-rated is Howell Run Boat Ramp in Nethkin (5.0/5).

Free public boat ramps in West Virginia
#	Name	City	Waterbody	Rating
1	Howell Run Boat Ramp	Nethkin	Jennings Randolph Lake	5.0/5
2	Mason City Boat Ramp	Mason	Ohio River	5.0/5
3	Mudlick Branch Boat Ramp	Brabant	East Lynn Lake	5.0/5
4	Cunard Public Put-In	Fayetteville	Cunard River	5.0/5
5	Fayette Station Public River Access - Lower New River Take-out	Fayetteville	Fayette River	4.9/5
6	Indian Rocks Boat Ramp	Green Spring	Public River	4.7/5
7	Shepherdstown - Dam Four Rd Boat Ramp	Shepherdstown	Potomac River	4.7/5
8	Bartram Branch Boat Ramp	East Lynn	East Lynn Lake	4.6/5
9	Cherry Run Public Boat Access	Hedgesville	Big Pool	4.6/5
10	Buffalo Boat Ramp	Buffalo	Kanawha River	4.4/5
11	Guyandotte Public Access Site	Huntington	Ohio River	4.4/5
12	Scotts Ford Public River Access Site	Elkins	Isner Creek	4.4/5
13	Williamstown Boat Ramp	Williamstown	Ohio River	4.3/5
14	Nitro Boat Ramp	Nitro	Kanawha River	4.3/5
15	Princess Street Boat Ramp	Shepherdstown	Town Run	4.3/5
16	Moulton Park Boat Ramp	Charles Town	Shenandoah River	4.2/5
17	Point Pleasant Boat Launch	Point Pleasant	Ohio River	4.0/5
18	Jackson County Boat Ramp	Ravenswood	Ohio River	4.0/5
19	Blue Ford North Boat Ramp	Springfield	Public River	4.0/5
20	Sportsman's park boat ramp	Elizabeth	Little Kanawha River	3.5/5
21	Buckhannon River Boat Ramp	Buckhannon	Buckhannon River	3.0/5
22	French Creek boating access site	Belmont	French Creek	—
23	Lake Sherwood Boat Ramp	White Sulphur Springs	Lake Sherwood	—
24	Summit Lake Boat Ramp	Richwood	Summit Lake	—
25	Summersville Lake Boat Ramp	Persinger	Summersville Lake	—
26	Buckhannon, West Virginia Boat Launch	Buckhannon	French Creek	—
27	Handicap river access ramp & dock	Davis	Handicap River	—
28	Buffalo Lake Boat Ramp	Thornwood	Buffalo Lake	—
29	Walhonde Water Trail Access Ramp	Madison	Sparrow Creek	—
30	Public River Access, Fishing	Romney	Public River	—
31	Boat ramp Stonecoal Reservoir	Georgetown	Stonecoal Reservoir	—
32	Gilmer–Braxton County Line Access	Gilmer	Little Kanawha River	—
33	Saint Marys boat ramp	St. Marys	The Thoroughfare	—
34	Public River Access	Romney	Public River	—
35	Summersville Lake Boat Ramp	—	Summersville Lake	—
36	Summersville Lake Boat Ramp	—	Summersville Lake	—
37	Summersville Lake Boat Ramp	—	Summersville Lake	—
38	Summersville Lake Boat Ramp	—	Summersville Lake	—
39	St. Albans, West Virginia Boat Launch	St. Albans	Kanawha River	—
40	Public River Access	Springfield	Public River	—
41	Coonskin Boat Launch	Mink Shoals	Mink Shoal Run	—
42	Paden City Park Boat Launch	Paden City	Barnes Run	—
43	R.D. BAILEY LAKE GROUP SHELTERS	JUSTICE	R.D. Bailey Lake	—
44	Thorn Creek Access	—	Thorn Creek	—
45	Plum Orchard Wildlife Manager Headquarters	Dothan	Plum Orchard Lake	—
46	Conaway Run Lake Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	Centerville	Wheeler Run	—
47	The Jug Northern Access (NOT AVAILABLE DURING HIGH WATER)	—	Middle Island Creek	—
48	Meadow River Co Rt 20/5	—	Meadow River	—
49	Meadow River Co Rt 60/18 Access	—	Big Clear Creek	—
50	Allegheny WMA Access	—	Cranberry Run	—
51	Amherst\Plymouth WMA Access St Rt 62	Hometown	Guano Creek	—
52	Amherst\Plymouth WMA Access Co Rt 5	—	Manila Creek	—
53	Hughes River WMA Southern Access Road and Info Sign.	—	Flint Run	—
54	Bluestone Lake Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	Indian Mills	Indian Creek	—
55	Beury Mountain North Access Road	—	Davis Branch	—
56	Beury Mountain South Access Road	Chestnut Knob	Slater Creek	—
57	Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Manager Headquarters	—	Sixteenmile Creek	—
58	Smoke Camp Access	—	Right Fork Freemans Creek	—
59	Ritchie Mines Co Rt 1/7 Access	Mellin	Gillespie Run	—
60	Ritchie Mines Access	Mellin	Macfarlan Creek	—
61	Tug Fork WMA Access Rd	Premier	Moorecamp Branch	—
62	Tate Lohr Wildlife Manager Headquarters	Kellysville	Big Spring Branch	—
63	Tate Lohr Access Road	—	Big Spring Branch	—
64	Stonecoal North End Hunter Access	—	Stonecoal Reservoir	—
65	Hershman Run Hunter Access	—	Stonecoal Reservoir	—
66	McClintic Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Pond Number Nine	—
67	Horse Creek Lake Access	—	Horse Creek Lake	—
68	Hillcrest Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	Fairhaven	North Fork Tomlinson Run	—
69	Mill Creek Access Road	—	Left Fork Mill Creek	—
70	Panther WMA Headquarters	—	Lick Branch	—
71	Moncove Lake State Park Headquarters	Roxalia	Moncove Lake	—
72	Moncove Lake State Park Swimming Pool	Roxalia	Moncove Lake	—
73	Monocove Lake Co Rt 8 Access	Roxalia	Moncove Lake	—
74	Green Bottom Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Ohio River	—
75	Burnsville Lake Wildlife Manger's Headquarters	Falls Mill	Little Kanawha River	—
76	Upper Mud River Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	Palermo	Mud River	—
77	Gerald R Freeman Access	Holly	Sutton Lake	—
78	Sutton Dam Access	—	Sutton Lake	—
79	Hilbert WMA Co Rt 13/2 Access Road	—	Laurel Fork	—
80	Elk Creek Co Rt 11/1 Access Road	—	Dingess Run	—
81	RD Bailey Visitor's Center	—	R. D. Bailey Lake	—
82	RD Bailey Co Rt 6/2 Access Rd	Guyan	Road Branch	—
83	Wallback Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Cookman Fork	—
84	Bear Rock Lake Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Todd Run	—
85	Big Ugly Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Laurel Creek	—
86	Berwind Lake Wildlife Manager Headquarters	Berwind	Lake Berwind	—
87	Berwind Lake Pool	Berwind	Lake Berwind	—
88	South Branch Access	McNeill	Stony Run	—
89	Pleasant Creek Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Tygart Lake	—
90	Nathaniel Mountain Access	—	North Fork Little Cacapon River	—
91	Beech Fork Lake Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	Booton	Beech Fork Lake	—
92	Widmeyer Access	Sir Johns Run	Potomac River	—
93	Sleepy Creek Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Sleepy Creek Lake	—
94	Lewis Wetzel Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Buffalo Run	—
95	East Lynn WMA Co Rt 37 Access	—	Spruce Branch	—
96	Stonewall Jackson Lake Headquarters	Roanoke	West Fork River	—
97	Georgetown Hunter Access	Georgetown	Stonecoal Reservoir	—
98	Rush Run Hunter Access	—	Rush Run	—
99	Bennett Run Hunter Access	Walkersville	Right Fork West Fork River	—
100	Sideling Hill Access	—	Cacapon River	—
101	Kumbrabow State Forest Headquarters	—	Potatohole Fork	—
102	Greenbrier State Forest Headquarters	Harts Run	Harts Run	—
103	Camp Creek State Forest Headquarters	—	Mash Fork	—
104	Calvin Price State Forest Access	—	Beaver Creek	—
105	Cabwaylingo State Forest Headquarters	Doane	Sweetwater Branch	—
106	Seneca State Forest Headquarters	—	Thomas Creek	—
107	Kanawha State Forest Access Road	Loudendale	Davis Creek	—
108	Elk River Wildlife Manager's Headquarters	—	Spruce Fork	—
109	Headquarters	—	Beech Fork Lake	—
110	Visitor Center	—	Beech Fork Lake	—
111	Park Headquarters	New Manchester	Tomlinson Run Lake	—
112	Lodge/Park Headquarters	—	Shays Run	—
113	Classic Cabins	—	Shays Run	—
114	Vacation Cabins	—	Blackwater River	—
115	Park Office/Headquarters	Brookside	Rhine Creek	—
116	Cottage A Area	—	Bluestone River	—
117	Cottage B Area	—	Bluestone River	—
118	Cottage C Area	—	Sun Valley Lake	—
119	McKeever Lodge	—	Bluestone River	—
120	Mountain Creek Lodge	—	Bluestone River	—
121	Little Beaver State Park Headquarters and Lake	Crow	Little Beaver Lake	—
122	Tygart Lake State Park Lodge	Park View	Tygart Lake	—
123	Tygart Lake State Park Marina	Park View	Tygart Lake	—
124	Main Office for Lost River State Park	—	Howards Lick Run	—
125	Park Office	—	Bluestone Lake	—
126	Marina	—	Bluestone Lake	—
127	Pit Area	—	Bluestone Lake	—
128	Babcock State Park Headquarters	Landisburg	Davis Branch	—
129	Little Beach Mtn FS385/183B	—	East Fork Glady Fork	—
130	Goodwin Run FS 933	Moore	South Branch Haddix Run	—
131	Bonifield Run FS 929	Location	Little Mill Run	—
132	Burnsville WMA	Napier	Burnsville Lake	—
133	Left Branch FS 731	—	Dogway Fork	—
134	Spice Run FS 787	—	Williams River	—
135	Elk River WMA	—	Sutton Lake	—
136	Hillcrest WMA	Fairhaven	North Fork Tomlinson Run	—
137	Hughes River WMA	—	Hughes River	—
138	Span Oak FS 224	—	Elklick Run	—
139	Panther Ridge FS 298	—	Laurel Run	—
140	Five Lick FS 153/153A	—	Five Lick Creek	—
141	Back Ridge FS 814	—	Sawmill Branch	—
142	Marlin Mtn FS 300	Dilleys Mill	Lake Sam Hill	—
143	Rimel WMA	—	Laurel Run	—
144	Dry River Hollow FS 151H	—	Sugar Run	—
145	Sleepy Creek WMA	—	Sleepy Creek Lake	—
146	Sleepy Creek WMA	—	Roaring Run	—
147	Crooked Fork FS 251	—	Crooked Fork	—
148	Wallback WMA	—	Elk River	—
149	Brushy Fork FS 973	—	Left Fork Clover Run	—
150	Buckeye Branch FS 273	—	Big Laurel Creek	—
151	Bear Track FS 882	—	Meadow Creek	—
152	McClintic	—	Pond Number Nine	—
153	Lewis Wetzel	—	Buffalo Run	—
154	Cedar Branch	Crumps Bottom	Horse Fork Branch	—
155	Stonewall Jackson Lake WMA	Roanoke	West Fork River	—
156	Wallback Lake Parking Area	—	Right Fork Big Sandy Creek	—
157	Desert Branch FS#946	—	South Fork Cherry River	—
158	Little Indian Creek WMA	—	Little Indian Creek	—
159	Beury Mountain	—	Butler Branch	—
160	Stonewall Jackson Lake	Roanoke	West Fork River	—
161	Stonewall Jackson Lake Wildlife Management Area	Roanoke	Dunkin Run	—
162	R.D. Bailey Lake Wildlife Management Area	Baileysville	Guyandotte River	—

Frequently Asked Questions

Are public boat ramps free in West Virginia?▾

Most public boat ramps in West Virginia are free to use — they're operated by state fish & wildlife agencies, counties, and federal lands. BoatLaunchMap lists 162 free public launches in West Virginia. Some charge a small daily launch fee or require a parking permit.

How many free public boat ramps are in West Virginia?▾

West Virginia has 162 free public boat ramps mapped on BoatLaunchMap, each with GPS coordinates, ratings, and directions.

What is the highest-rated free boat ramp in West Virginia?▾

Howell Run Boat Ramp in Nethkin is the highest-rated free public boat ramp in West Virginia, with a 5.0/5 Google rating.

All West Virginia Boat Ramps Public Ramps by State Best in West Virginia