Blue Bend Recreation Area is a day-use and camping area in the Monongahela National Forest, run by the U.S. Forest Service's White Sulphur Ranger District. It sits on Anthony Creek in northern Greenbrier County, at about 1,860 feet in a wooded valley below Round Mountain. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it between 1936 and 1938, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Blue Bend Forest Camp. The log picnic shelters, stone work and trails still date from that era, and new kiosks near the parking lot explain the CCC history.

From White Sulphur Springs, drive about 8 miles north on State Route 92 to Alvon, turn left (west) onto State Route 16 (Anthony Road), and continue roughly 4 miles to the recreation area. Parking is at the Blue Bend day-use lot beside the creek, close to the picnic pavilion and restrooms. Recreation.gov warns that the access roads are prone to flash flooding and can become impassable until the water drops, so check the weather before heading out after heavy rain.

The swimming hole is the wide bend in Anthony Creek right next to the road and just below the picnic pavilion. A CCC-era rock masonry platform slopes into the water and gives swimmers a flat place to sit. The upstream edge is shallow enough for small children, and the pool deepens as the creek curves around the bend, with the deepest water at the far end. The bottom is natural creek bed, and both depth and bottom shape change after floods and during droughts, so check the water before every jump. Do not dive. The water is a cold mountain stream and stays cool all summer. No lifeguard is listed for this site, and hot summer weekends bring heavy crowds.

Swimming here is free. The Forest Service charges only for camping (single sites $16 per night, electric sites $20 and $40 on the current Forest Service page, with higher rates of $20 to $50 approved for 2026) and for reserving the group shelter or pavilion ($25 per day). The forest's 2026 fee changes added a per-vehicle swimming fee at Lake Sherwood but not at Blue Bend. The area is open from late March through November, though the Forest Service notes the season may end in September. The Forest Service page says potable water is not available, while Recreation.gov describes seasonal running water and a spring and fall hand pump, so bring your own drinking water.

The 21-site campground is next to the day-use area and can be reserved on Recreation.gov. Across the swinging footbridge, the Blue Bend Trail (TR 614) climbs Round Mountain in a 5-mile loop with three overlooks and a trail shelter, and it leads into the 5,144-acre Big Draft Wilderness. The level Anthony Creek Trail (TR 618) follows the creek downstream to quieter pools, with one ford that is hard in high water. Anthony Creek is stocked with trout, and anglers need a West Virginia fishing license with conservation and trout stamps. Black bears live in this valley, so keep food locked in your vehicle. Cell service is weak to nonexistent. The White Sulphur Ranger District can be reached at 304-536-2144.