PIPESTEM, W.Va. — Officials say that it has been another big summer season at Pipestem Resort State Park so far.
Michael Buechler, CEO of Pipestem Adventures told MetroNews that the action is on once school lets out and stays in full-swing until around Labor Day.
Buechler said that while the summer got off to a slower start due to all the excessive rain we’ve been having this year, that certainly hasn’t put a stop to the significant numbers of visitors they typically see over the course of the summer season.
“You know, we’ve had some ups and downs with the weather that we’ve all been experiencing in West Virginia, it has been an incredibly wet summer so far, but now that we’re getting some dry days and this heat coming out, we’re seeing a bunch of increases in visitorship,” Buechler said.
Buechler said that visitors can zipline through the treetops and over the Bluestone Gorge during the Pipestem Peaks Zipline Tour, or play on around 25 different inflatable water toys at the Pipestem Adventure Lake.
He said the Pipestem Peak Zipline Tour is definitely the attraction he recommends if one is seeking the thrill of a lifetime.
“We have nine total zips and the last three are going to go over the Bluestone Gorge on three separate occasions, you’re going to be at over 250 feet in the air at the highest point with zips exceeding 1,500 feet long, and you’ll be going faster than 50 miles per hour at certain points,” he said. 
Buechler said they also offer whitewater rafting on the Bluestone River and their Adventure Zone which offers skeet shooting, 3D archery, disc golf, and mini golf.
He said while the Adventure Zone, which opened about four years ago, used to feature up to eight different activities, they made the decision to scale back on it some this year and took out the previously-offered e-biking, laser tag, and ax throwing activities.
A long-awaited attraction that has been undergoing construction for quite some time now, Buechler said the tram is finally set to return and become fully-operational again sometime by the end of August.
He said they are really excited about opening the newly-built state-of-the-art tram as it always proves to be a popular attraction for many at the resort.
“I’m amazed at how many people come to Pipstem just for that tram, it’s such a huge draw,” he said. “I think it has all to do with the fact that the little tiny ones all the way to the grandparents can all do something together, and it will take you down to that Bluestone River where you can do some fishing and the Mountain Creek Lodge is down there as well.”
Construction on the new tram has been in the works for a couple of years now after the previous tram, which was over 60 years old, was shut down.
Buechler said that the new ADA accessible tram is going to be able to accommodate more people and will operate much faster.
Buechler encourages everyone to take the opportunity to come have an adventure at the state park that’s nestled between Summers and Mercer County before the summer comes to an end.
“Most of our activities stay open through Labor Day with the only exception, the zipline stays open through the end of October,” Buechler said. “So, if you want to come visit us, you can go to the state park website to book, you can call reservations.”
And you can also book your reservations directly on their website as well.
Buechler adds you may want to consider booking for the zipline after the summer season ends.
“I also highly recommend people come check us out in the fall when the colors change for that zipline,” Buechler said. “Those oranges and yellows in the Bluestone Gorge are just beautiful come fall time.”