CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) — West Virginia State Parks officials announced that Mountain Creek Appalachian Cuisine Restaurant at Pipestem Resort State Park will officially open on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
The restaurant is located at Pipestem’s Mountain Creek Lodge, a 30-room mid-century Bauhaus style lodge at the bottom of the Bluestone Gorge and along the Bluestone River. To get to this lodge, you must take the aerial tramway from the Canyon Rim Center and descend 1,200 feet into the Bluestone Gorge.
According to Dillard Price, Chief of West Virginia State Parks, Mountain Creek Appalachian Cuisine is the newest restaurant concept in West Virginia State Parks’ restaurant inventory. Operated by Pipestem Resort’s Chef Marion Ohlinger, Mountain Creek is one of the most unique restaurants in the state, not only because of its remote and beautiful setting, but also because you can only access the restaurant by riding the aerial tramway.
Mountain Creek Menu
Chef Marion curated an amazing menu that he calls “Upscale Appalachian.” His menu fuses old Appalachian homestead staples with locally sourced ingredients.
Guests will have an opportunity to experience Chef Marion’s creativity with entrees such as:
- Crawdad fritters
- Fried green tomatoes
- Twice-fried chicken
- Sumac-rubbed prime ribeye steak
- Brown sugar & spruceberry pork tenderloin
- Buttermilk-poached walleye pike
- Confit duck shanks
The restaurant will also offer weekend brunch, featuring a rotating selection of time-tested favorites and adventurous options.
About West Virginia State Parks
West Virginia’s state parks and forests are the vacation destination of choice for more than seven million people each year. Made up of 36 parks, nine forests and three rail trails, the West Virginia State Parks system provides endless opportunities for family fun and adventure. Make memories that last forever. Book your adventure at WVstateparks.com.
West Virginia State Parks is managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, a division of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
