Elkins, W.Va., (WVDN) — The Monongahela National Forest is offering two new group picnic shelters for advanced rental to accommodate families and large groups this season. The shelters are located at Summit Lake Campground and Cranberry Mountain Nature Center.
The rental season is May 18, 2026, through October 3, 2026. Reservations for the 2026 season can be made now through Recreation.gov.
Each shelter accommodates up to 75 people, has picnic tables, a charcoal grill, and trash receptacles. The group picnic shelter at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center has lights as well as electric outlets. The group picnic shelter at Summit Lake is positioned along the shoreline of Summit Lake with convenient access to the boat launch, fishing pier, and Summit Lake trail. It does not have electricity.
For more information about recreation opportunities on the Monongahela National Forest, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/monongahela.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
