Curtis Tate Published

Pipestem Resort’s Aerial Tram Back In Operation Sept. 4

An aerial tramway under construction at the edge of a deep river gorge in early summer with a mostly clear sky.
The Pipestem tram was still under construction in June.
Curtis Tate / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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After a nearly two-year replacement project, the tram at Pipestem Resort State Park will return to service Thursday.

The aerial tram at Pipestem will reopen after a ceremony Thursday morning, taking visitors into the Bluestone Gorge for the first time since December 2023.

The $15 million project replaced a tram that had been operating since 1971.

Pipestem’s Mountain Creek Lodge, which has a restaurant and a gift shop, also received updates.

The new six–passenger gondolas can operate at higher wind speeds – 54 mph vs 24 mph – and will be ADA compliant.

Passengers can also bring kayaks, bicycles and sporting gear.

Pipestem is a 4,000-acre park in southern West Virginia that opened 55 years ago this month.