These 27 places know EVERYTHING about West Virginia
Have you consulted a local convention and visitor’s bureau when planning your trip? These organizations are staffed by friendly and knowledgeable folks who are happy to help you tailor your getaway to fit the needs of everyone in your group. Whether you’re planning a quick day trip or a weeklong family reunion, CVBs have the tools to assist you in finding lodging, dining, shopping, outdoor recreation and entertainment in the area.
Just take a look at some of the fun and diverse things you can see and do around the state, and the CVBs that have handle those regions. To learn more, just give them a call or visit the CVB website where you can sign up for e-newsletters, order regional travel guides and find local events and activities.
- Pack up the camper and boat and head to Beech Fork State Park. The park is a favorite destination for hiking, and boating and swimming is popular on the 3,144-acre Beech Fork Lake.
- Experience early pioneer life through living-history demonstrations and exhibits at Heritage Farm & Village, the state’s only Smithsonian Affiliate. The site includes a homestead, blacksmith shop, log church and even a petting zoo for the little ones.
- Head to Cabwaylingo State Forest, one of the state’s first parks!
- Scale a towering rock formation using the unique via ferrata (fixed anchor) system at NROCKS Outdoor Adventures. The views from the top are amazing!
- Find out why the South Branch of the Potomac River has some of the best trout fishing around. Eagles Nest Outfitters offers fishing trips and scenic river trips.
- Marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites inside Smoke Hole Caverns. The Seneca Indians once used the caverns to smoke wild game, prompting early settlers to call the place Smoke Hole.
- Plan a celebration or conference at Bridgeport Conference Center. The 17,000-square foot facility has all the amenities you need for a successful event, including full-service catering and nearby lodging.
- Take a picnic lunch to Watters Smith Memorial State Park and then go for a hike or visit the restored homestead on the premises.
- Shop for locally grown produce and handmade arts and crafts at Bridgeport Farmers Market.
- Enjoy breathtaking views of the Cheat River Canyon at Coopers Rock State Forest. The forest has 50 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.
- Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Visit with over 30 different species of exotic wildlife at Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo.
- Grab a bite to eat at local favorites like Atomic Grill or Colasante’s Ristorante and Pub and find out why the Charleston Gazette-Mail named Morgantown “Tastiest Town.”
- Plan a getaway at North Bend State Park, where you can stay in the lodge, a cabin or campground. Don’t forget to bring your bicycle: The 72-mile North Bend Rail Trail runs right through the park!
- Shop for old-timey gifts and goods at Berdine’s Five and Dime in Ritchie County. Said to be America’s oldest dime store, it has been in business since 1908.
- Board the ferry to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park and tour Harman Blennerhassett’s elegant early 19th-century mansion.
- Take in a show at Lewisburg’s very own Carnegie Hall – one of only four Carnegie Halls in the world.
- Take a walk or bike ride on the Greenbrier River Trail, but you might want to pack in some fishing gear, too. The 78-mile trail runs alongside the pristine Greenbrier River.
- Visit The Greenbrier, a luxurious resort nestled in the mountains. Whether your ideal vacation is a game of championship golf, fine dining, shopping at designer boutiques or enjoying the mineral spa, there’s something for everyone at The Greenbrier.
- Take a sightseeing trip on the Potomac Eagle Scenic Rail Excursion Train. Chances are good you’ll see a bald eagle flying over the Trough looking for fish.
- Visit Ice Mountain Preserve to learn about the unique refrigerator effect created by the talus (loose rocks) at the base of the mountain.
- Walk the trail loop at Fort Mill Ridge. Built by Union troops in 1863, it’s one of the best-preserved Civil War trenches in the nation.
- Enjoy a weekend getaway at Guest House Lost River. The award-winning bed and breakfast has everything you need for a cozy escape to the mountains.
- Take a hike to the Cranny Crow overlook at Lost River State Park, where on a clear day you can see into five counties.
- Shop for handmade and handcrafted arts and goods at Lost River Artisans Cooperative.
- Plan a stay at Stonewall Lake and Resort, where you can boat, golf, or even schedule a relaxing spa treatment.
- Take a guided tour of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum to learn about a rich history that includes Civil War raids, a gold robbery, and even rumors of hauntings.
- Stroll the beautiful grounds of Lambert’s Winery and enjoy a tasting of red, white and blush wines.
- The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are one of the largest off-highway vehicle trail systems in the world.
- Stop by Chief Logan State Park, one of the most visited parks in the state parks system, to explore hiking trails, campgrounds, a historical museum and more.
- Try one of the three drive-in restaurants in the area: Morrison’s Drive Inn, Parkway Drive In and Janet’s Park & Eat.
- Have a picnic beside the tumbling waters of the Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls State Park.
- Stop by Prickett’s Fort State Park to see a representation of historical life on the late 18th-century Virginia frontier.
- Visit the birthplace of the pepperoni roll—Country Club Bakery—and pick up a bag of fresh-baked rolls. Pepperoni roll inventor, coal miner Giuseppe Argiro, opened the bakery in 1927.
- Relive the magic of childhood at Wonderment Puppet Theater set in a charming Victorian house in town.
- Learn about famous hauntings of Martinsburg on the Haunted History & Legends Tour.
- Plan a hunting or fishing excursion at Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area. The WMA also has 75 primitive camping sites.
- Enjoy 35 miles of hiking trails and fishing on seasonally stocked trout streams at Camp Creek State Park.
- Marvel at the stately mansions in Historic Bramwell, once home to the most millionaires per capita in all of the U.S.
- Plan a spooky visit to Lake Shawnee. The abandoned amusement park is said to be haunted. (Tours are by appointment only but the park also hosts a Dark Carnival every October.)
- Learn fascinating bits of history on a tour of the former West Virginia Penitentiary, where some of the region’s deadliest criminals were once housed.
- Ride a zipline and climb in the aerial adventure park at Grand Vue Park overlooking the city of Moundsville.
- Visit Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, which The Insider considers to be one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. The magnificent Hari Krishna temple was built in the 1970s and is open for public tours.
- You might spy an American bald eagle flying over the rivers of southern West Virginia, but if you don’t, you’re sure to see one at Three Rivers Avian Center.
- Take in the jaw-dropping views before boarding the aerial tram ride to the bottom of the Bluestone River Gorge at Pipestem Resort State Park.
- Stop by Bluestone State Park, the state’s largest body of water.
- Take in breathtaking views of the New River Gorge at Hawks Nest State Park.
- Go whitewater rafting with Adventures on the Gorge. Afterward, try your hand ziplining, rock climbing, biking and more! End your day at one of the delicious restaurants on-site.
- Spend a long weekend at ACE Adventure Resort, where you can play all day on the lake inflatables and waterslides or book an adrenaline-rushing whitewater rafting trip on the New River.
- For even more fun in this whole area, check out Visit Southern West Virginia.
- Stay in a historic company house or get a bite to eat at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
- Stroll the boardwalk at Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and learn about the unique ecosystem that promotes growth of plants normally found in the Arctic Tundra.
- Head to Watoga State Park, the state’s largest park, with 10,100 acres of land!
- Sign up for standup paddleboard lessons at Appalachian Boarding Company. The company provides rentals and guided tours on rivers and lakes throughout West Virginia.
- Visit Gritt’s Fun Farm in the fall, where kids can pick their own pumpkins, play in the corn maze, ride a giant slide and pet the friendly farm animals.
- Watch a horse show or rodeo at Winfield Riding Club.
- Book a scenic train ride on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, where you can visit remote beautiful areas like the High Falls of Cheat.
- Pack your fly rod and plan a quiet getaway at Elk Springs Resort tucked away on the banks of the Elk River.
- Visit Big Timber Brewing Company and ask for a sample of their many offerings, from IPAs to stouts to seasonal brews.
- Plan a trip to Cedar Lakes in July for the annual Mountain State Arts and Crafts Fair, one of the state’s largest shows.
- Find out why Ripley bills itself as the USA’s largest small-town Independence Day celebration.
- Enjoy fresh seafood in a landlocked state at Crabby Patti’s Bayside, one of West Virginia’s 101 Unique Places to Dine.
- Learn about Civil War history at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park. From the Patterson Trail you can also access overlooks of the Gauley River with its crashing Class V rapids.
- Spend the day on Summersville Lake. The 2,700-acre lake is a popular spot for boating, fishing, swimming, rock climbing and even scuba diving.
- Visit Kirkwood Winery for the annual Grape Stomping Festival, where you can get barefoot and smash grapes the old-fashioned way!
- Sleep in a yurt at Tomlinson Run State Park—West Virginia’s northernmost state park.
- Try your luck at Mountaineer Casino in New Cumberland with slots, table games, poker, and more!
- Snap a selfie at Chester’s famous roadside attraction, the World’s Largest Teapot.
- Enjoy the waterfalls and overlooks of the magnificent Blackwater River Canyon at Blackwater Falls State Park.
- Plan a ski trip at Canaan Valley Resort.
- Wind down for the evening at Purple Fiddle Café. A popular venue on the Mountain Music Trail, the Purple Fiddle hosts live music several nights a week.
- Enjoy a tubing trip on the rippling waters of the Middle Fork River at Audra State Park.
- View live exhibits and learn about native and introduced wildlife at West Virginia State Wildlife Center.
- Pick your own blueberries at Floral Acres. The farm boasts more than 3,200 bushes of different varieties.
- Plan a whitewater rafting trip and zipline canopy tour at River Expeditions.
- Take a hike and discover the two waterfalls that form the namesake of Twin Falls Resort State Park.
- Stop by Little Beaver State Park to enjoy fishing in the 18-acre lake year-round.
- Plan a relaxing stay at Oglebay Resort, where you can enjoy amenities like golf, spa services on the beautifully landscaped grounds.
- Enjoy an exciting night on the town at Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack.
- Take a walking tour of Historic Wheeling to see famous landmarks like the Capitol Theater, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge and Eckhart House.
- Stop by the Back Home Festival on June 29-July 1 for live entertainment by the Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, The Travelin’ McCourys, The SteelDrivers, Billy Strings, The Last Waltz Live, The Grass Is Dead, David Gans, and many others.
- Drop by the Wetzel County Museum to learn about local history and maybe even catch some live jazz music.
- Drive through the Fish Creek Covered Bridge. Built circa 1881, the kingpost truss bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where is your next trip taking you?
This post was last updated on September 14, 2023