Accommodations
Cabins, campgrounds, resorts, and the occasional splurge - everywhere we've actually laid our heads.
Every summer, we spend the better part of a week in July taking a family vacation. Traditionally, this has been to Virginia Beach. We started going there when the kids were young and fell in love with the beach, Motor World, Ocean Breeze Water Park the boardwalk and Watermans Restaurant.
In 2023, we decided to take an adventure trip within West Virginia. After a bit of searching - there's a lot to choose from in southern WV - we decided to rent a cabin at Ace Adventure Resort in Fayette County, WV for four days - Thursday through Sunday.
Accommodations
We rented a 1 Bedroom Cozy Cabin which sleeps 4+. The layout has a living room and kitchen in the main area, a bedroom with a double bed and then a loft area above the bedroom. It also has a deck that looks out over the valley with partial views of the lake. We assumed that both of our kids (teenagers) would be able to sleep in the loft but one of them decided to sleep on the couch instead. The loft itself had a pretty short ceiling.
Overall, I would say that the cabin was just big enough for the four of us but we would probably opt for a bigger cabin if we went back.
Activities
The cabin was nice enough but we really went for the adventures! With a limited amount of time, we had to choose wisely so we chose the following adventures…
- All Day Waterpark Pass - Friday
- Summersville Lake Multi-Sport Pontoon - 3/4 Day - Saturday
- Waterpark Movie Night - Jaws - Saturday Night
The Waterpark
The waterpark is a blast! Up for some adventure? Have a friend (a bigger friend) launch you off of the blob and hope you land feet-first. Looking for something a little more tame but still exciting? Slide down their 80ft water slide, plunging into the lake at the bottom. I reached a speed of 17mph (according to my GoPro telemetry). Looking to just chill out with a cocktail while your kids go crazy? They have a pretty extensive sitting/beach area with plenty of lounge chairs and a restaurant and bar.
At this point I should say that if you have a GoPro or other action camera, bring it. This is what they're made for.
In addition to the adventure slides, zip lines, and blobs, the lake also has a bunch of inflatables to help you figure out how weak your core muscles actually are! Seriously, hoisting yourself up out of the water onto some of the inflatables can be a challenge. You will also get to challenge your balance (running along an inflatable track that moves with every ripple of the lake) and bravery (as you jump off the top of a 20 ft inflatable that looks much higher from the top). Did I mention that you can just chill out with a cocktail on the beach?
If you're going to ACE, you're probably going for the waterpark. If not, you should!
Pontoon Boat on Summersville Lake
This was, without a doubt the highlight of the trip. We were booked for a half day on the lake with the boat launch scheduled for 9AM. The day started early as we had to meet our guide who picked us up and drove us to the lake which is about half an hour from ACE. Along the way, we stopped to pick up the boat as well. Once we arrived at the lake, our guide launched the boat and took us to a popular lagoon-type area where we'd spend most of the day. On the way, he gave us a tour of the lake and a bit of history about the area and the creation of Summersville Lake.
Fun Fact #1 - the name of the dam that created the lake is Summersville Dam. Typically, a dam would be named after the town. In this case, the town's name was Gad. That would have led to the unfortunate sounding name of Gad Dam. Is this true? That's what our guide told us. Whether it's true or not, it's a great story and you should never let the facts get in the way of a great story.
Fun Fact #2 - Summersville Lake has a lighthouse. Why is there a land-locked lighthouse in West Virginia? I'm glad you asked. The lighthouse stands 104 feet tall with a top elevation of 2,164 feet above sea level. We caught a glimpse of it from our pontoon boat on the lake (see image in the gallery below).
The views of the lake were stunning (as you can see in the photos below). We spent most of our day in a verdant, tree-lined area with a waterfall and overhanging cliffs perfect for cliff jumping into the lake. There were a variety of cliff sizes to jump off of ranging from short all the way up to (a debatable) 70'. I say debatable because I used the number 70' in a YouTube video that I posted and it created a lot of let's say, "discussion." Whether it's 70 feet or not, I can't say. That's what our guide said. I can say that I jumped off one of the intermediate cliffs and it felt like a mile high when you're about to go over the edge.
From around 9:45 to 11:00 we had the area largely to ourselves. By the time we left, there were a number of other boats in the same lagoon. For most of the time we were there, we swam, got up the nerve to jump off cliffs and paddled around on the paddle boards that our guide brought. ACE also supplied a picnic lunch that we had on the boat - sandwiches, chips and sodas.
Being mid-July, the weather was perfect and the water temperature was great for water activities. Our guide was knowledgeable and gave us some tips to help keep us safe. I would highly recommend the ACE Pontoon Boat Rental. It's not cheap but I've spent a lot more for a lot less.
Waterpark Movie Night - Jaws
This was a bit of a dream for me. First, I love the movie Jaws. Top 5, all time for me. The idea of watching it while on a body of water? I loved it. Count me in! I heard about Alamo Drafthouse doing something like this in Austin, TX and I was envious. Well, here was my chance.
Unfortunately, this was Saturday evening after spending half of the day on the lake. Needless to say, we were all too tired to go hang out in the lake to watch the movie. We could hear it from our cabin - for better or worse, but we just didn't have it in us to head down and watch it.
That's one of the disadvantages of pre-booking all of your activities. You become slave to your schedule. I assumed that this would be a sold-out event but they were still selling tickets the day of the event. In hindsight, I would have waited to see how we felt before purchasing our tickets.
Final Thoughts
Our adventure at ACE Adventure Resort was a refreshing change from our usual beach vacations, and it certainly delivered on excitement. From the thrills of the waterpark to the breathtaking beauty of Summersville Lake, it was an unforgettable experience that pushed us outside our comfort zones in the best way.
Would we do it again? Absolutely—with a few tweaks! A bigger cabin, a more flexible schedule, and maybe a little more energy reserved for nighttime activities like Jaws on the lake. But overall, this trip proved that adventure can be just as fun as relaxation, and that sometimes, the best vacations are the ones that challenge you a little.
If you’re considering an outdoor adventure in West Virginia, ACE is well worth checking out. Just don’t forget your GoPro, a good dose of courage, and maybe a backup plan for when exhaustion wins out over ambition.
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