Summersville is a small town on US-19 in central West Virginia, useful at first glance and better than that once you get off the highway. Its real claim is the water and rock just south of town: Summersville Lake, the state's largest lake, backed by cliffs and the Gauley River gorge.
The town works as a one-day base for a very West Virginia mix of lake swimming, sandstone climbing, whitewater, and Civil War history. Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park sits on the rim of the Gauley canyon, while the Gauley River National Recreation Area starts below Summersville Dam.
Summersville itself is not a polished mountain resort. It has highway services, a courthouse square, and practical places to eat. But if you are already crossing West Virginia and have a spare day, the lake and gorge make stopping here a much better choice than driving straight through.