If you go onto the website for West Virginia’s Summersville Lake State Park, you might notice that the first featured activity is climbing. It’s a nationally known location, with well-known crags and climbing areas spread across its 177 acres.
But Summersville Lake State Park doesn’t actually include Summersville Lake, and the people who manage the lake, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’, don’t look at climbing quite the same way. Summersville Lake is a hot spot for deep water soloing, where climbers free solo routes over bodies of water. While climbing isn’t technically prohibited in the lake, falling definitely is.
According to WBOY, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntington District enforce a no cliff jumping/diving rule at the lakes that they manage. Entering lakes from a height greater than one’s own height, often around 6 feet, is prohibited. So while you can technically climb, falling has the potential to earn you a $5,000 fine or worse. YouTuber Climbing Stuff took a look at the location, digging into the area’s rules and regulations.
“Deep Water Soloing in Summersville Lake. It gets pretty silly.“