Holly River State Park, the second largest West Virginia state park, was unofficially created in 1938 as a reclaimed conservation site after being destroyed by over fishing, over hunting, timbering, and poor farming practices. The Department of Agriculture began to buy this land in Webster county, relocating the Swiss families living there, and started reforesting and reintroducing several species of native wildlife, primarily using it as a game refuge. In the 1950s and 60s, more infrastructure was added, creating a more welcome environment for hikers, campers, and fishers. More land purchases over the decades increased the size of the park to just over 8,000 acres, including the featured attraction Potato Knob, which offers a beautiful view of the park.
One of the first liming devices in the country was installed in 1980, after park personnel noticed trout kills in the spring as the snow began to melt, an indicator of heavy acid rain. When the lime doser was installed by the DNR and Trout Unlimited, the trout rebounded, setting a precedent for trout stream management for the rest of the country to follow.
Today, Holly River State Park hosts a festival every Labor Day weekend and hosts over 93,000 visitors annually. As of 2015, it had an economic significance of $2,891,130.
