West Virginia Explorer - Travel, News & History

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Water divining endures as one of Appalachia’s most distinctive folk traditions

The Williams River winds through one of the most scenic and remote sections of West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. Temporary road closures beginning July 20 will affect access to parts of the river corridor while the U.S. Forest Service repairs flood damage and improves stream crossings for native wildlife. (Photo: David Sibray)

National Forests

Road closures planned across Monongahela National Forest as repairs, stream projects begin

Clyde Craig July 17, 2026

Bob and Jeff Tinnell speak about their filmmaking.

Arts

Netflix success gives West Virginia filmmakers new credibility in Hollywood

West Virginia Wesleyan student photographer

Higher Education

West Virginia Wesleyan College chosen to nurture state’s top young artists through 2030

George Washington meets Seneca leader Guyasuta beside the Ohio River during his 1770 expedition into the western frontier. Washington later wrote that Native ceremonial customs delayed his departure as the two men discussed the country beyond the Ohio, a meeting that reflected the diplomacy shaping the future American frontier.

History / Prehistory

Before he was president, George Washington explored the Ohio Valley of today’s W.Va.

Communities

A bobcat watches visitors from its woodland habitat at the West Virginia Wildlife Center near French Creek. The facility, home to native wildlife species from across the Mountain State, will host its 10th annual Rendezvous Celebration on July 31 and Aug. 1, combining living-history demonstrations with opportunities to experience West Virginia's natural heritage.

W.Va. Wildlife Center rendezvous celebration returns with history, native wildlife

Clyde Craig July 13, 2026

FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — Frontier blacksmiths will hammer glowing iron. Scouts will demonstrate wilderness survival. Cooks will prepare meals over open fires while historical reenactors recreate life as it unfolded in the Appalachian backcountry. Yet perhaps the most

Smoke gathers above the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve during a wildfire. Researchers at West Virginia University are developing an artificial intelligence system that could help satellites detect and track wildfires more quickly across rugged, heavily forested landscapes.

WVU develops AI wildfire detection system for one of America’s most forested states

Clyde Craig July 13, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In West Virginia, where forests cover nearly four of every five acres, a wildfire can ignite on a remote mountainside far from roads, fire stations, cameras, or anyone likely to report the first signs of

Cyclists cross a bridge on the Clear Fork Rail Trail, one of several recreation projects helping expand outdoor opportunities in Raleigh County.

Beyond the New River Gorge: Raleigh County is reinventing itself through outdoor recreation

July 13, 2026

Mountain bikers enjoy one of Putnam County's growing trail systems. Local officials say expanding outdoor recreation opportunities are helping redefine the county as a destination for hiking, biking and other outdoor adventures in West Virginia.

Once known for sports tourism, Putnam County is becoming an outdoor recreation destination

July 11, 2026

A couple tours a mountain property with a West Virginia Realtor while overlooking a historic barn and rolling Appalachian hills.

What out-of-state buyers should know before purchasing property in West Virginia

July 9, 2026

A black bear crosses a rural West Virginia road. While bears now occupy every county in the state, wildlife officials say the recent surge in social media sightings is also driven by the widespread use of smartphones and home security cameras.

Why more West Virginians are seeing black bears this summer

July 9, 2026

Attractions

Diners gather inside Oddfellers in downtown Richwood, where locally sourced Appalachian ingredients and from-scratch cooking have helped make the restaurant a destination for visitors exploring the surrounding mountains, trout streams, and hiking trails.

Food historian says West Virginia’s culinary scene is finally finding its flavor

David Sibray July 12, 2026

WHEELING, W.Va. — For generations, ambitious chefs were expected to leave Appalachia to make a name for themselves. Big cities offered larger markets, broader audiences, and greater opportunities than West Virginia’s small cities and mountain towns. But according to

The hidden mountain behind West Virginia’s Pinnacle Rock State Park

David Sibray July 10, 2026

BRAMWELL, W.Va. — For nearly a century, visitors have stopped beside U.S. 52 to admire Pinnacle Rock, assuming it is an isolated sandstone tower. It isn’t. The famous landmark is only one visible fragment of a giant geologic

David Sibray visits the historic Peter Tarr Furnace near Weirton, one of the oldest surviving iron furnaces west of the Allegheny Mountains and an important landmark in the early industrial history of the Ohio Valley.

Why the Peter Tarr Furnace is one of West Virginia’s most important historic landmarks

July 7, 2026

A family enjoys a quiet moment overlooking the New River Gorge Bridge. Many first-time visitors underestimate the size of the national park region and end up wishing they had planned a longer stay, local tourism officials say. (Photo: David Sibray)

Visitors keep making this mistake when visiting the New River Gorge, tourism officials say

July 6, 2026

Mount Pisgah Church, founded in 1877 in Berkeley Springs, served generations of African American worshipers before falling into disuse. Community leaders are now working to preserve the historic landmark as the Town of Bath prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026.

Forgotten Black church in Berkeley Springs may find new life after decades of neglect

July 6, 2026

Visitors walk the Carriage Trail past the stone monument commemorating two unidentified women whose reported Civil War-era deaths remain one of Charleston's enduring historical mysteries.

Did two women really die as Civil War spies on Charleston’s Carriage Trail?

July 3, 2026

Recreation

An American woodcock pauses on the forest floor during its annual migration through Appalachia. The secretive bird depends on young forests and moist woodlands that provide shelter and abundant earthworms as it travels between its northern breeding grounds and southern wintering habitat.

As autumn migration approaches, West Virginia sets seasons for dove, rail, woodcock

Will Reedy July 14, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Every autumn, millions of birds stream south across eastern North America, filling Appalachian forests, farm fields, and wetlands with migrants bound for warmer climates. Among them are mourning doves, American woodcock, Wilson’s snipe, and elusive

An instructor guides educators through the Lower New River Gorge, where whitewater rafting offers hands-on lessons in geology, hydrology and teamwork. (Courtesy of ACE Adventure Resort)

West Virginia teachers invited to discover the New River Gorge as an outdoor classroom

David Sibray July 8, 2026

OAK HILL, W.Va. — Teachers who first experience the New River Gorge on a recreational whitewater rafting trip often return with their students, turning one of Appalachia’s best-known adventure destinations into an outdoor classroom for lessons in geology,

West Virginia has stocked more than 50 lakes and ponds with channel catfish for the summer, giving visitors and residents fresh opportunities to fish at state parks and public waters across the Mountain State. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)

West Virginia stocks more than 50 ponds and lakes with catfish for summer fishing season

Will Reedy July 6, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Summer travelers looking for an easy way to experience West Virginia’s outdoors have a new reason to pack a fishing rod. State wildlife officials have stocked channel catfish in more than 50 lakes and ponds

A hunter walks through a forest during West Virginia's fall hunting season. The state has released updated hunting and trapping regulations for the 2026-27 seasons, including changes affecting deer, bear and turkey hunters. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)

New West Virginia hunting rules could affect thousands of hunters this fall

June 29, 2026

Illustration of a commercial rafting trip running whitewater beneath the New River Gorge Bridge in southern West Virginia. The state's combination of nationally recognized rivers, dramatic mountain scenery, and outdoor adventure has made it one of the East's premier rafting destinations.

Here’s why West Virginia is the East’s premier whitewater rafting capital

June 26, 2026

A mature wild turkey gobbler displays during the spring breeding season in West Virginia. Once scarce across much of the state, wild turkeys have made one of North America's greatest wildlife recoveries and are now found in every West Virginia county. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Division of Natural Resources)

West Virginia’s wild turkeys have made one of America’s greatest wildlife comebacks

June 25, 2026

More New River Gorge hikers are leaving Endless Wall for the Grandview Rim Trail

June 15, 2026

Volunteers gather on Peters Mountain near Franklin to help build a new trail system in the Monongahela National Forest during a hands-on trail-building workshop.

New Peters Mountain Trail System takes shape in Monongahela National Forest near Franklin

June 12, 2026

Rock climbing in the New River Gorge near the New River Gorge Bridge

Interior Department opens review of rock climbing policies affecting New River Gorge

June 11, 2026

Youth gather for a fishing tournament at the Bowden Fish Hatchery near Elkins, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)

Bowden Fish Hatchery to host free Youth Fishing Derby during W.Va. Free Fishing Days

June 9, 2026

Fisheries experts say the upward trend in fishing records is the result of several factors, including better stocking and water quality improvement.

Here’s why fishing records are being broken more often now in West Virginia

May 25, 2026

The Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant and widespread North American birds and a popular gamebird.

South Branch ends mourning dove permits; controlled hunt begin at Stonewall Jackson

May 11, 2026

Culture

Water Divining: A water diviner walks an Appalachian hillside with a forked branch in this artist's rendering, illustrating a folk tradition that generations of mountain families sometimes consulted when choosing locations for new wells.

Water divining endures as one of Appalachia’s most distinctive folk traditions

Clyde Craig July 12, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Long before hydrogeologists, groundwater maps, or drilling contractors, families across Europe and North America sometimes sought the help of a water diviner before digging a well. Few places, however, embraced the tradition as enduringly as

A young girl gathers ripe blackberries from a fencerow during the height of midsummer berry season, a tradition that has marked summers in rural America for generations. (Getty Image)

How midsummer wild berries connect people, wildlife, and West Virginia’s forests

David Sibray July 9, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In midsummer, West Virginia’s forests yield one of their richest annual harvests. Blackberries spill over abandoned fence rows. Raspberries brighten sunny hillsides. Blueberries and huckleberries ripen on the state’s highest mountains. For generations, families have

An illustration depicts Deputy Sheriff T.S. "Flintlock" Perry confronting an angry mob outside the Kanawha County jail. According to later accounts, Perry offered his own life in an attempt to prevent a lynching. (WVExplorer Illustration)

The West Virginia deputy who stood between a lynch mob and justice

David Sibray July 8, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — On a cold winter night in 1875 in West Virginia’s capital city, an angry mob surrounded the county jail demanding justice. Inside stood Deputy Sheriff T.S. Perry, determined to protect the prisoners entrusted to his

Mood Food: A family prepares a meal featuring leafy greens, berries and other nutrient-rich foods. West Virginia University nutrition experts say diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and other whole foods may help support emotional well-being while reducing inflammation. (Getty Image)

Lore and Legend

Effie "Aunt Effie" Wells of Tyler County recalled a family story that linked her household to John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

Real Estate

Construction crews build new homes in West Virginia, where communities are working to expand affordable housing and meet growing demand for workforce housing and rural economic development.

History and Prehistory

Champe Rocks rise above the South Branch Valley in Pendleton County, West Virginia. The towering sandstone formation is named for Revolutionary War Sgt. Maj. John Champe, whom George Washington selected for a daring mission to capture Benedict Arnold. (Photo Rick Burgess)

State Parks

West Virginia Explorer publisher David Sibray explores a remote section of Tomlinson Run within Tomlinson Run State Park. The park protects one of the largest remaining forested watersheds in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle and supports plant communities uncommon elsewhere in the region.

Hunting

Black bears: The 2025 black bear harvest fell just ten bears short of the 2024 total of 2,479.

Fishing

John Terry, of Gallagher, in Kanawha County, set a new state record for tiger trout on March 19 by catching a 29.13-inch, 11.04-pound tiger trout from Seneca Lake in Pocahontas County.

Hiking

Held at 21 state parks and forests across West Virginia, the First Day hikes are part of a nationwide New Year’s Day tradition designed to promote outdoor recreation.

Skiing

White Grass has long been a magnet for visitors from Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mountain River Media)

National Parks

Sandstone Falls, near the southern end of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, spans nearly the entire width of the New River and offers one of the park's most impressive landscapes. (Photo: Rick Burgess)

Kayaking

Motorboats with engines larger than 10 horsepower are now permitted to operate at no-wake speed on Elk Fork, North Bend, O’Brien, Stonecoal, and Woodrum lakes.

Whitewater Rafting

Biking

One of the largest networks on the East Coast, the routes activate thousands of miles of gravel roads across the Mon Forest for visitors and communities. (Photo: Getty Images)

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National Forests