Welcome to West Virginia

West Virginia is world-famous for rugged, natural beauty — which includes dense forests, waterfalls, and rolling hills — but it also has a stacked roster of some of the most charming small towns in the Appalachian Mountains.

The Mountain State has it all: rivers, 36 state parks, nine state forests, our newest national park, and a nearly million-acre national forest.

West Virginia’s Blue Ridge peaks, dramatic gorges, and rushing rivers put it on the map for hikers, rafters, and rock climbers.

The combination of New River Gorge hiking and the quaint historical town of Lewisburg makes this the perfect kickoff to an epic road trip.

Perhaps one of the country’s most unsung – but most beautiful – destinations, West Virginia is a foliage fan’s dream.

West Virginia’s New River Gorge, encompassing more than 70,000 acres, became the country’s newest national park and preserve in December.

Take in a gorgeous panorama of fiery fall foliage from a boat on 202-acre Plum Orchard Lake. If fishing is your thing, this is a popular spot for catching channel catfish and largemouth bass.

Whitewater rafting, a treetop obstacle course and the precarious Bridge Walk across the New River Gorge Bridge are particular highlights for families with big kids and tweens.

Although barely a five-hour drive from the Washington D.C. suburbs, this area is enveloped in enough national forest land to allow extra-clear skies.

West Virginia is a beauty queen of a state, with ragged mountains to hike or ski and white-water rapids to paddle. It’s also stuffed with Civil War history and charming small towns. To explore it all, you’ll need a home base.

Our collective obsession with the outdoors this past year turned out to be fortuitous timing for West Virginia.

West Virginia is home to breathtakingly beautiful small towns among its mountains—retreats with close-knit community vibes and natural surroundings.

After the discovery in Watoga, the Division of Natural Resources submitted a letter of support to the International Dark Sky Association, ultimately helping the park achieve its Dark Sky designation in 2021.

Located on more than 70,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountains of the state’s southern region, the park’s titular waterway snakes through densely wooded hills and imposing sandstone cliffs.

America’s newest national park is one of the world’s finest river-rafting destinations. The site protects a slice of the New River, one of the oldest in the world, as well as the 876ft-tall New River Gorge Bridge.

When it comes to our national parks, there's definitely something of a hierarchy not too unlike Hollywood.

Situated in the scenic mountains of West Virginia, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is home to more than 70,000 acres of public lands.

West Virginia has been getting the word out about all its spectacular nature of late—notably the churning whitewater, forested trails and sandstone cliffs of America’s 63rd national park.

The Ascend West Virginia initiative pays remote workers to move to one of five participating communities, with some extra perks aimed at attracting outdoor enthusiasts in particular

Rail Explorers — which already operates railbike tours in California, New York, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Iowa — opened a new location in Clay, West Virginia. The 12-mile round-trip route runs along Elk River and Buffalo Creek and through the lush woodlands of West Virginia.

Two rivers border Harpers Ferry, a charming small town located between the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.

With five participating communities, Ascend West Virginia is a public-private initiative with an impressive pedigree: Its founders are West Virginia native Brad D. Smith, former CEO of software company Intuit, and his wife Alys.

One of West Virginia’s best treasures is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, a 70,000-acre park where the world’s second-oldest river cuts through a vast valley of geological formations and ecological wonders.

Of the free, primitive campgrounds offered at New River Gorge National Park, we like Grandview Sandbar best for its easy river access, shady picnic tables, and designated fire rings.

New River Gorge, in West Virginia, became America’s newest national park in December 2020.

This former mining town has been reborn as an adventure hub with quick access to world-class rock climbing and whitewater rafting inside the New River Gorge.

Not only is this new national park a hub for world-class rafting and rock climbing (visit in September or October for your shot at descending the notorious Gauley River), but it’s also home to some surprisingly beautiful trails for hiking and mountain biking.

West Virginia is world-famous for rugged, natural beauty — which includes dense forests, waterfalls, and rolling hills — but it also has a stacked roster of some of the most charming small towns in the Appalachian Mountains.

The Mountain State has it all: rivers, 36 state parks, nine state forests, our newest national park, and a nearly million-acre national forest.

West Virginia’s Blue Ridge peaks, dramatic gorges, and rushing rivers put it on the map for hikers, rafters, and rock climbers.

The combination of New River Gorge hiking and the quaint historical town of Lewisburg makes this the perfect kickoff to an epic road trip.

Perhaps one of the country’s most unsung – but most beautiful – destinations, West Virginia is a foliage fan’s dream.

West Virginia’s New River Gorge, encompassing more than 70,000 acres, became the country’s newest national park and preserve in December.

Take in a gorgeous panorama of fiery fall foliage from a boat on 202-acre Plum Orchard Lake. If fishing is your thing, this is a popular spot for catching channel catfish and largemouth bass.

Whitewater rafting, a treetop obstacle course and the precarious Bridge Walk across the New River Gorge Bridge are particular highlights for families with big kids and tweens.

Although barely a five-hour drive from the Washington D.C. suburbs, this area is enveloped in enough national forest land to allow extra-clear skies.

West Virginia is a beauty queen of a state, with ragged mountains to hike or ski and white-water rapids to paddle. It’s also stuffed with Civil War history and charming small towns. To explore it all, you’ll need a home base.

Our collective obsession with the outdoors this past year turned out to be fortuitous timing for West Virginia.

West Virginia is home to breathtakingly beautiful small towns among its mountains—retreats with close-knit community vibes and natural surroundings.

After the discovery in Watoga, the Division of Natural Resources submitted a letter of support to the International Dark Sky Association, ultimately helping the park achieve its Dark Sky designation in 2021.

Located on more than 70,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountains of the state’s southern region, the park’s titular waterway snakes through densely wooded hills and imposing sandstone cliffs.

America’s newest national park is one of the world’s finest river-rafting destinations. The site protects a slice of the New River, one of the oldest in the world, as well as the 876ft-tall New River Gorge Bridge.

When it comes to our national parks, there's definitely something of a hierarchy not too unlike Hollywood.

Situated in the scenic mountains of West Virginia, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is home to more than 70,000 acres of public lands.

West Virginia has been getting the word out about all its spectacular nature of late—notably the churning whitewater, forested trails and sandstone cliffs of America’s 63rd national park.

The Ascend West Virginia initiative pays remote workers to move to one of five participating communities, with some extra perks aimed at attracting outdoor enthusiasts in particular

Rail Explorers — which already operates railbike tours in California, New York, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Iowa — opened a new location in Clay, West Virginia. The 12-mile round-trip route runs along Elk River and Buffalo Creek and through the lush woodlands of West Virginia.

Two rivers border Harpers Ferry, a charming small town located between the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.

With five participating communities, Ascend West Virginia is a public-private initiative with an impressive pedigree: Its founders are West Virginia native Brad D. Smith, former CEO of software company Intuit, and his wife Alys.

One of West Virginia’s best treasures is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, a 70,000-acre park where the world’s second-oldest river cuts through a vast valley of geological formations and ecological wonders.

Of the free, primitive campgrounds offered at New River Gorge National Park, we like Grandview Sandbar best for its easy river access, shady picnic tables, and designated fire rings.

New River Gorge, in West Virginia, became America’s newest national park in December 2020.

This former mining town has been reborn as an adventure hub with quick access to world-class rock climbing and whitewater rafting inside the New River Gorge.

Not only is this new national park a hub for world-class rafting and rock climbing (visit in September or October for your shot at descending the notorious Gauley River), but it’s also home to some surprisingly beautiful trails for hiking and mountain biking.