Chief Logan State Park is named for a leader of the Mingo tribe, who lived in the area before the Revolutionary War. The area that would eventually become the state park was first purchased by a local commission, then sold to the DNR. It opened as a state Recreation Area in 1960, and then became a State Park in 1968. Early work to build hiking trails and picnic areas was done by the State Temporary Employment Program. By 1984, Chief Logan was the second most visited park in West Virginia. At 4,000 acres it is a primary recreation destination for southern West Virginia, and has an amphitheater, swimming pool, wildlife center, and mini museum. In 2015, Chief Logan had an economic significance of $10,458,430.