Point Park

The Ohio River and its tributaries were, for thousands of years, highways and gathering places for the Shawnee, the Lenape, and other nations whose ancestral homeland this was and whose descendants continue elsewhere today. The point where the Little Kanawha joins the Ohio was a natural meeting and crossing place long before any town stood here.

Parkersburg grew up at this junction, using the rivers to move goods, timber, oil, and gas out into the wider world. Point Park preserves the very tip of that geography as public green space, so visitors can stand at the confluence and watch the smaller river slip into the great one, just as travelers and traders have done for centuries.

The park's biggest draw is that it is the boarding point for rides to Blennerhassett Island, which lies a short way down the Ohio. Sternwheeler boats depart from the riverfront and carry visitors to the island, where a reconstructed Georgian mansion, gardens, and walking paths recall the estate of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett.

The island's history is worthy of a novel. In the early 1800s it became entangled in the schemes of Aaron Burr, the former vice president accused of plotting to carve out an empire in the West. The estate was abandoned and later burned, and the mansion that stands today is a careful reconstruction, reached by that scenic ride from Point Park.

Beyond serving as a boat landing, Point Park is simply a pleasant place to be beside the water. Walking paths and green space invite a stroll, benches face the river, and the passing barges, boats, and birdlife give the place a steady, restful motion. It anchors the downtown end of Parkersburg's riverfront.

From the park it is an easy walk into Parkersburg's historic downtown, with its old storefronts, and a short trip to the Julia-Ann Square Historic District, one of the largest collections of Victorian homes in the state, built in part on the wealth of the oil and gas boom. The Oil and Gas Museum nearby tells that industrial story.

Spring and summer are the liveliest times at Point Park, when the sternwheeler runs, the riverbank greens up, and festivals and events sometimes fill the waterfront. The open river catches every breeze, making it a fine spot to escape a hot afternoon.

Fall brings cooler air and color to the far bank, and the low, slanting light on the water is lovely. Winter is quiet, the river gray and wide, but a walk to the point still rewards you with the meeting of the two rivers and the long views that first drew people to this place.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Point Park, in downtown Parkersburg in western West Virginia, marks the point of land where the Little Kanawha River flows into the broad Ohio River, a scenic green riverfront gathering place. The park offers walking paths, open space, monuments, and long views up and down the rivers, and it serves as the departure point for the sternwheeler riverboat to Blennerhassett Island. A pleasant riverfront spot at the heart of Parkersburg, Point Park is a place to stroll, relax, take in the river scenery, and connect to the city's history and the island. With its river confluence, riverfront paths, and views, Point Park offers a delightful destination in West Virginia.

You can stroll the riverfront paths and open green space, take in views up and down the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers at their confluence, see monuments and historical markers, watch riverboats and barges, and board the sternwheeler to Blennerhassett Island in season. The river views, the pleasant riverfront setting, and the connection to the island boat are the draws, making it a relaxing stop in downtown Parkersburg. It also hosts events and festivals. With its river confluence, paths, and views, Point Park offers an enjoyable riverfront experience in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Late spring through fall offers the most pleasant weather to enjoy the riverfront park, its paths, and river views, with summer lively and the season for boarding the Blennerhassett Island sternwheeler, and fall bringing pleasant weather and color along the rivers. The park hosts festivals and events in the warmer months. For the best combination of pleasant weather and the island boat running, aim for late spring through fall at Point Park in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Point Park serves as the mainland departure point for the sternwheeler riverboat that carries visitors across the Ohio River to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, so the two are closely linked, with a visit to the historic island beginning with a ride from Point Park. The park's riverfront location at the confluence makes it a natural gateway to the island. Because the boat runs seasonally, checking the current schedule at Point Park is wise. This role as the launch point for the island riverboat adds to the appeal of Point Park in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Point Park is in downtown Parkersburg in western West Virginia at the confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers, the departure point for Blennerhassett Island, within reach of the Julia-Ann Square Historic District, the Oil and Gas Museum, and the mid-Ohio Valley. That makes Point Park a delightful stop to combine with Blennerhassett Island, the Parkersburg historic districts, and the other attractions of the mid-Ohio Valley on a visit to West Virginia.