The Summersville Lake Lighthouse was erected overlooking Summersville Lake in Mount Nebo, West Virginia on October 17, 2012.  Standing 104 feet tall with a top elevation of 2,164 feet above sea level, the 77,000 lb. structure was a cylindrical tower constructed entirely of 1/2 inch thick steel.  With a base diameter of 12 feet receding to 8 feet at the top, visitors can climb 122 steps to reach a 360 degree gallery deck offering unparalled views of Summersville Lake and the Gauley River National Recreation Area.

OPEN Daily - April thru October            By Reservation - November thru March

All Lighthouse Tours are weather permitting and is subject to change without notice.  Summersville Lake Lighthouse tokens are available at the Gift Shop. Open 9am-6pm   Admissions: $7 – Adults and Children 12 years & older, $5 – Children ages 3 years to 11 years & Seniors 65+, $20 – Family (2 adults & up to 3 children)  GRoup rates available.  Sunset Tours - $15 per person and Fireworks Tour - $20 per person  (Limit to 12 people only)  Watch the video of the day the cranes lifted the Lighthouse into place at the Summersville Lake Retreat.

If you ever played with an erector set as a kid, you may enjoy this footage that was taken the day that we lifted the Lighthouse.  On October 20th, 2012 All-Crane of St. Albans, West Virginia used a 230 ton header crane and 150 ton tail crane to do the erection....check it out....then come climb the 122 steps to the top....

Summersville Lake Lighthouse Festival & Car Show

August 26th ~ 10am - 6pm

  Join us for the 4th Annual Summersville Lake Lighthouse Festival on Saturday, August 26th, 2017 from 10am to 6pm here on the Lighthouse grounds.  Cabela's is the Official Sponsor of the Event and will be on hand all afternoon teaching archery this year.  Tamarack Artisans and Crafters from throughout the state will be showcasing their skills along with live Appalachian music, great food, entertainment, raffles and a Classic Car Show.  Live entertainment at the Gazebo includes EmmaLea Deal from 11am to 2pm who is headlining for “Rudy Elvis” performing from 3pm to 5pm.  The Humane Society and the Nicholas County Animal Shelter will have kittens and puppies available for adoption.  All Lighthouse Tours will be $5 per person on the day of the Festival. New this Year will be Gotcha! Archery Games which features Archery Tag, $5 per player per game or $15 for unlimited. 

Don't forget to stop at the booth to sign a card for a soldier from WV Ambassadors for Adopt A US Soldier and sign up for a membership with the Air Evac Life Team who will have their 16' Air Evac Helicopter on display. New this year for the kids is Face Painting, Balloon Animals and Henna Tattoos by Paint MisBehavin'. Also Woodbine Jams & Jellies, Girl Scouts Bake Sale, Hackworths Wood & Steel, Moss Scroll Works, Saw Dust & Festhers and CJH Outdoor Creations are just a few of the booths you must stop to see.  At the Food Court is the Almost Heaven Sunset Slush, Dickies BBQ and the Rolling Stove, along with the Lemon Lemonade Booth, Kettle Corn & Funnel Cakes. 

The Cruise In that was held during the 2015 festival drew over 55 Classic Hot Rods and Vintage Automobiles from every era.  Farthest driven was Kenny Smith's pristine 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS from Akron, Ohio.  Crowd favorite was Bill Bibb's 1953 Rolls Royce Silver Dawn from Oak Hill, West Virginia.  2016 was our 1st Car Show which was a success. The Best of Show was Chris Kappler's 1937 Packard from Oak Hill and the Best Classic was Oak Hill's Bill Bibb with his 1929 Lincoln Continental.  This year we are listed on the National Street Rod Associations Calendar of Events for West Virginia. As there are only 100 spaces available for 2017 Summersville Lake Lighthouse Festival & Car Show, those of you planning to show your ride should not delay in contacting our office to register for this year and "Save the Date!  August 26th".  Summersville Lake Retreat Representatives will be picking the "Best of Show" and a Celebrity from WSAZ TV 3 will be picking the winner of the "Best Classic", Cabela's will be picking the "Best Truck" and United Bank has sponsored the "People's Choice" Trophy.  We will also be having a "Kid's Choice" Trophy sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment for the first 50 kids to pick their favorite vehicle.

Cabela's Fishing Kayak Package Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10 which gets you a chance for the drawing held at the Gazebo after the last performance at 5pm.  Tickets can be purchased any time before the Festival and until 4:30pm on August 26th.  Winner must pick up prize within 7 days or prize is forfeited.

2017 Sponsors

A sincere, thank you to all who have shown an interest in the Lighthouse Project and have asked about ways that they may help contribute.  We have set up ways that folks can participate at whatever level that they are comfortable with.

Honestly, it all started over a joke. Back in 2009, an interesting fellow from Ontario, Canada by the name of Rick Butler had spent the summer as one of our guests here at the Summersville Lake Retreat while working as part of the crew erecting wind towers at Beech Ridge, a wind farm project in neighboring Greenbrier County, West Virginia. As luck would have it, we were located near the transportation route that the tower components traveled to reach their destination. On more than one occasion, we had marveled at their size as they passed by, just one blade stretched over half the length of a football field! Because of our unique location above the cliffs overlooking Summersville Lake, one evening we offhandedly ribbed Rick that if he would be kind enough to divert one of the tower sections in our direction, that we would keep it and disguise it as a Lighthouse, to which he replied with a classic deadpan expression on his face, “Funny that you say that Mate, we just lost one over the hill.” As it turned out, torrential rains had recently undermined the crib blocks supporting one of the newly delivered tower sections, and it had indeed rolled 75’ down an adjacent hillside, (leveling several medium sized trees in the process), deeming it unsuitable for wind production.