West Virginia Botanic Garden

Cheat Lake, West Virginia, United States

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West Virginia Botanic Garden is an 85‑acre nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located between Morgantown and Cheat Lake, near the drained basin of the old Tibbs Run Reservoir in West Virginia.

It is the state’s only botanical garden and features about 4.5 miles of walking trails, eight themed gardens, and a mix of wetlands, woodlands, and meadows that support native plants, wildlife, and cultivated display areas.

Founded in 1983 by a West Virginia University professor and volunteers, the site was formally leased from the city in 1999 and has since been developed largely through volunteer effort, with recent upgrades including repaved paths, boardwalks, new signage, and fossil‑related interpretive sections.

The garden is open year‑round from dawn to dusk, admission is free with a suggested donation, and it offers educational programs, events, and quiet spaces for walking, relaxing, and connecting with plants and the natural environment.