Did you know there is an underwater ghost town in West Virginia?!
Iconically known as West Virginia’s largest lake and one of the most popular spots for water activities of all kinds, Summersville Lake spans nearly 3,000 acres and boasts 60 miles of shoreline. However, what most don’t know is that where the lake stands was once the site of the farming community of Gad. 😮
The town of Gad: an Appalachian Atlantis
🗺️ That’s right, beneath the surface of the pristine waters of Summersville Lake lies an Appalachian Atlantis. From the early 1800s to 1960, the village of Gad was full of families, homes, farm land, a post office and more.
👻 The town was sold to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1960s to construct Summersville Lake, forcing all the residents to move away. The expansive lake was completed and opened on September 3, 1966, making the remains of Gad an underwater ghost town.
🔍 Now the lake is drained every ten years for dam maintenance and inspections, giving way to glimpses of the roadway, foundations and rock carvings of a life that once was.
🌊 Today guests visit Summersville Lake to enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, paddle boarding and even scuba diving. Home to the clearest freshwater east of the Mississippi River, this slice of Almost Heaven is known as “The Little Bahamas of the East”. Explore depths of up to 327 feet with stunning visibility, and who knows – you might even . Check out Sarge’s Dive Shop for equipment and a guided tour.
🏕️ A portion of the lake was named West Virginia’s newest state park in 2023 and is now equipped with a variety of RV-hookup sites as well as primitive campgrounds.
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This post was last updated on July 10, 2025