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Lake · Mountaineer Country

Cheat Lake

A long, narrow 1,730-acre impoundment of the Cheat River just east of Morgantown, with a shoreline rail-trail, boat access and the closest flatwater paddling and lakeside recreation to the city.

1,730 ac · Lake13 mi · Length

Know before you go

  • The Cheat Lake Trail runs along the western shore
  • Morning is calmest for paddling
  • CLEAR is the local group working on lake water quality and access

What you can do here

Flatwater Paddling

Apr–Oct

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

May–Sep

Boating & Motorboating

Apr–Oct

Fishing

Year-round

Rail Trails

Year-round

Road Running

Year-round

Sailing

May–Sep
AdvertiseThis space is available

Guides, gear and lodging near Cheat Lake

Place-level placement for operators within range of this trailhead, put-in or crag.

List your business here

Who looks after it

Friends of the Cheat Nonprofit Cheat River restoration, recreation, water trail, access, events and conservation. Its work specifically combines restoration with promoting recreational opportunities. Visit Friends of Deckers Creek Nonprofit Deckers Creek restoration, trails, water quality and outdoor recreation in Monongalia and Preston counties. Visit Guardians of the West Fork Nonprofit West Fork River watershed protection, cleanup and river access advocacy. Visit Upper Monongahela River Association Nonprofit Monongahela River recreation, boating, riverfront development and quality-of-life initiatives. Visit Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR) Nonprofit Cheat Lake water quality, shoreline recreation and lake access advocacy. Visit Upper Mon River Water Trail Nonprofit Monongahela River water trail access from Fairmont to the Pennsylvania line. Visit Mon River Rail-Trails Conservancy Nonprofit Maintains the Mon River, Caperton and Deckers Creek rail-trails through and around Morgantown. Visit Visit Mountaineer Country Government Morgantown, the Cheat, Coopers Rock and the Mon River rail-trail system. Visit

Nearby in the Mountaineer Country

State Forest · Mountaineer Country

Coopers Rock State Forest

A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon.

12,747 ac forest1,200 ft above the cheat
River · Mountaineer Country

Cheat Canyon

One of the classic big-water runs of the East: roughly 11 miles of Class IV–V through a remote gorge below Albright, with named rapids including Big Nasty, Coliseum and Pete Morgan.

11 mi canyon runClass IV–V at high water
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Mon River Rail-Trail System

About 48 miles of connected crushed-limestone rail-trail through Morgantown: the Caperton Trail along the riverfront downtown, the Mon River Trail running north to the Pennsylvania line and south toward Prickett's Fort, and the Deckers Creek Trail climbing 19 miles east to Reedsville.

48+ mi connected19 mi deckers creek trail
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Area

Purpose-built modern singletrack in Preston County, the anchor project of a regional effort to link northern West Virginia into a single mountain bike destination.

Growing mileagePurpose-built design
Trail · Mountaineer Country

Big Bear Lake Trail Center

A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.

50+ mi trailsLake on site
State Park · Mountaineer Country

Cathedral State Park

133 acres of virgin eastern hemlock, the last substantial stand of old-growth mixed forest remaining in West Virginia.

133 ac old growth90+ ft hemlock height

Almost Heaven Swings