An add-on for Hillcrest guests · Chester City Park, Chester WV
Ten minutes from the estate, our Sun Tracker pontoon sits ready. Fishing, cruising, and sunsets on flat water — added to your stay.
The river is waiting
Ten minutes from the estate, down at the Chester City Park dock, the water opens up.
The Ohio at Chester is one of the finest stretches of the upper valley — wide, calm, and flanked by the forested hills of West Virginia and Pennsylvania on both sides. A river that has moved people, goods, and history for centuries. From the middle of it on a clear day you can see both states at once.
Whether it's quiet water and a fishing rod, a slow stretch with no agenda at all, or a sunset that finishes the perfect day — the river is the other half of a stay here.
The boat
A proper river boat — stable, comfortable, and built for exactly this kind of day. Plenty of seating for your group, a shade canopy overhead, and the Ohio River in every direction.
Four ways to take the river
Bass, catfish, walleye and more in the upper Ohio. Still water, the West Virginia hills on one side and Pennsylvania on the other, and a rod in hand.
The kind of outing that reminds you what it feels like to slow down completely.
Best for couples, small groups, and dedicated anglers.
No agenda, no schedule. Just the boat, the water, the hills, and your people. Bring your own drinks and snacks, anchor in a quiet cove, watch the river traffic pass.
Let the afternoon go wherever it takes you.
Best for groups, families, and anyone who just wants to float.
The Ohio at sunset is something else. The sky turns amber and gold over the Pennsylvania hills, the water goes mirror-flat in the evening calm, and the last light catches the ripples.
The evening starts on the river and ends back at Hillcrest — hot tub, fire pit, and West Virginia stars.
Best for romantic couples and anniversary celebrations.
The morning after your Hillcrest wedding. Your inner circle — the people who were at the ceremony, who toasted you at the pub bar, who stayed the whole weekend — boards for a farewell brunch cruise.
Nobody wants the weekend to end. This extends it perfectly.
For wedding weekend bookings.
What's included
BYOB. Bring your own drinks, snacks, and food for the river — pick up supplies in Chester or Weirton on your way to the dock.
Add-on rates
The pontoon is available exclusively as an add-on for guests booked at Hillcrest — the cottage, Skyview cabin, pub unit, or an event weekend. We don't offer standalone boat hire.
Two hours on the river at golden hour. The most romantic option we offer.
Your choice of how to spend it — we'll work out timing together.
A full river day, start to finish.
By arrangement for wedding weekend bookings.
Available seasonally, May through October, and subject to weather and river conditions. If conditions aren't safe we'll reschedule rather than cancel — your river day still happens. Book early; availability is limited in summer and through fall foliage season.
Who it suits
A sunset cruise after a day at Hillcrest is the kind of memory that doesn't fade. Pairs naturally with a cottage or Skyview stay.
Wake in the field above the estate, spend the afternoon on the Ohio, return to the hot tub under the stars.
The upper Ohio is excellent water, with bass and catfish the primary targets.
An afternoon on the pontoon with your people and your cooler is the kind of afternoon that becomes a story.
Two hours on the water does more for a team than any conference-room exercise ever invented.
The Sunday farewell cruise turns a two-day celebration into something people talk about for years.
Combine it
Three days, three experiences, one historic West Virginia estate. Our most popular combination.
Settle into the Skyview cabin. Fire pit in the evening, stars overhead, nothing on the schedule.
An evening in the 1890s pub room — carved mahogany bar, pot belly stove, homemade snacks, and the covered porch bar under the West Virginia sky.
Meet at the Chester City Park dock and head out on the Ohio. Fishing or cruising — the farewell your weekend deserves.
Chester City Park · Chester, West Virginia
We meet you at the Chester City Park dock, minutes from the estate — a seamless extension of your stay rather than a day trip. Get in touch to add a river day to your booking.
