West Virginia News

West Virginia Explorer

WVExplorer delivers the latest West Virginia news and original reporting on communities, travel, culture, history, recreation, and life across the Mountain State. View our West Virginia Travel Guide!

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In the 1850s, a mysterious lawyer came to West Virginia and started renaming towns

A couple walks a wooded trail at Pipestem Resort State Park, where the West Virginia Trails Conference will be held Nov. 8–10, 2026.

Hiking

West Virginia trails conference looks to turn outdoor recreation into community growth

David Sibray August 24, 2026

A vehicle promoting Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, passes Independence Hall in Philadelphia as part of a 12-week tourism campaign connecting the spa town's 250th anniversary with the nation's semiquincentennial. Photo courtesy Travel Berkeley Springs.

Travel / Transportation

Berkeley Springs takes 250th birthday campaign to Philadelphia as tourism grows

Participants run through a cloud of colored powder during a previous Color Dash for Hope at ACE Adventure Resort near Oak Hill, West Virginia. The 5K returns Saturday, Aug. 29, to raise funds for addiction recovery efforts across Appalachia. Photo courtesy ACE Adventure Resort.

Festivals / Events

Colorful New River Gorge 5K returns Saturday to support Appalachian recovery

An illustration depicts traditional lye-soap making, in which water was passed through wood ashes to produce lye that was boiled with animal fat. The process was once practiced in West Virginia households. Illustration: West Virginia Explorer

Arts

West Virginians once made soap from ashes and meat scraps—and it could take your skin off

Latest West Virginia News

Historic buildings line German Street in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where Shepherd University will celebrate the 30th Appalachian Heritage Festival Sept. 24-26, 2026. Photo by Acroterion/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Festivals / Events

Near Washington, West Virginia festival marks 30 years of challenging Appalachian stereotypes

August 23, 2026

Crews replace aging water lines in Chapmanville, West Virginia, where the water system had been losing more than half its treated water through leaks. Photo courtesy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Health and Medicine

West Virginia targets water crisis with $145 million investment

August 22, 2026

In Thomas Dunn English’s day, the Guyandotte River valley was a pastoral landscape of farms and small settlements tucked between the river and steeply forested mountains, decades before railroads and coal mining transformed southern West Virginia. (WVExplorer.com illustration)

History / Prehistory

In the 1850s, a mysterious lawyer came to West Virginia and started renaming towns

August 21, 2026

Morgantown angler Robert Glover holds the 9.76-inch pumpkinseed sunfish he caught at Cheat Lake, setting the West Virginia record for a category that has now been broken three times in little more than a month. (Photo courtesy W.Va. DNR)

Fishing

West Virginia fishing record broken for third time in little more than a month

August 21, 2026

West Virginia National Guard members navigate a partially destroyed road near Buckhannon following severe flash flooding in July 2026. More than seven inches of rain fell in parts of Upshur County, including 4.5 inches in just 37 minutes. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Edwin L. Wriston)

Health and Medicine

Why August can be especially dangerous for flash flooding in West Virginia

August 21, 2026

A new statewide multiple listing service is challenging the traditional way real estate listings are shared across West Virginia, arguing that today's digital market no longer requires brokers to rely exclusively on regional systems.

Lodging and Real Estate

West Virginia brokers challenge state’s patchwork of real estate listing services

August 21, 2026

Communities

Deer crossing rural road in West Virginia

What is West Virginia’s deadliest animal? It’s probably not the black bear

Clyde Craig August 20, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Black bears roam the mountains. Timber rattlesnakes hide among rocks. Copperheads turn up around homes and woodpiles. But the animal most likely to be involved in a fatal encounter with a person in West Virginia

Students train at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in Morgantown. WVU operates the state's only dental school and says more than 85% of dentists practicing in West Virginia are graduates of the school. (WVU Photo)

West Virginia’s only dental school expands as state faces shortage of dentists

David Sibray August 19, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University has opened the first phase of a major expansion of the state’s only dental school, as federal figures show nearly 720,000 West Virginians live in areas designated as having shortages of dental health

Autumn color brightens a morning near Cabins in Grant County, West Virginia, as fall foliage spreads across the Potomac Highlands.

West Virginia releases 2026 fall foliage map as autumn countdown begins

August 19, 2026

A sequence shows the moon passing through Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse. West Virginians will see an unusually deep partial lunar eclipse overnight Aug. 27–28, 2026. Photo courtesy Steve Bush

Nearly all the moon will go dark over West Virginia next week

August 18, 2026

A surviving version of West Virginia Explorer from Aug. 18, 2000, shows the website helping readers explore the Mountain State months before Wikipedia launched in January 2001.

Before Wikipedia, this website was helping people explore West Virginia

August 17, 2026

Professional staff members of the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane in Weston pose outside the institution circa 1894–1900. Dr. Lorilla F. Bullard, who testified during the 1899 investigation of Superintendent W.E. Stathers, is standing at front left. The historic photograph has been digitally enhanced for clarity to improve accessibility for readers with limited vision. (West Virginia and Regional History Center, WVU Libraries)

Women accused the head of West Virginia’s famous asylum. Then came a mysterious train trip, controversial verdict

August 16, 2026

Attractions

The New River winds through a landscape where railroads, communities, industrial history and outdoor recreation remain intertwined inside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

National Park Week starts Saturday: Why West Virginia’s New River Gorge is different

David Sibray August 19, 2026

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — National Park Week begins Saturday, spotlighting hundreds of America’s most celebrated landscapes. But in West Virginia, the national park experience is a little different. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve isn’t simply wilderness

A debris slide blocks a road in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve following torrential rainfall Sunday. Flooding, washouts and fallen trees closed several roads and recreation access points across the park. (NPS photo)

Flash flooding closes roads across New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia

Clyde Craig August 16, 2026

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Torrential rainfall has washed out roads, triggered slides, and toppled trees in the northern New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, closing several routes into the gorge and cutting off access to popular river

Bear Lake is one of several small fishing lakes at Bear Rock Lakes Wildlife Management Area in Ohio County, West Virginia. Fishing access is temporarily closing while the state modifies two dams at the property. (Photo by Brian M. Powell/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Fishing closes at Bear Rock Lakes WMA as $1.5 million dam project begins

August 13, 2026

Visitors stroll through the recreated 19th-century village at Heritage Farm Museum and Village near Huntington, West Virginia, the state's only Smithsonian Institution Affiliate. The 150-acre destination combines Appalachian history, artisan demonstrations, wildlife and outdoor adventure.

Heritage Farm, West Virginia’s only Smithsonian affiliate, belongs on every Ohio Valley road trip

August 2, 2026

Cyclists ride the Rend Trail, one of the easiest and most scenic routes through New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The historic former railroad corridor is scheduled to reopen in 2027 following an $11.8 million rehabilitation project.

One of New River Gorge’s easiest trails is closing for two years—but it will return better than ever

July 31, 2026

Conceptual rendering: The historic Prince Brothers General Store restored as a welcoming destination for visitors, offering local foods, outdoor gear, and Appalachian products while serving as a gateway to the New River Gorge.

Instead of demolishing New River Gorge history, a new plan would put it back to work

July 31, 2026

Recreation

Participants learn outdoor skills during a Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop in West Virginia. The nationally recognized program introduces women to hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities in a supportive setting.

More women are taking up hunting and fishing; these West Virginia workshops may be helping

David Sibray August 18, 2026

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Women make up only about 17 percent of America’s active hunters, yet they now account for a remarkable 33 percent of newcomers to the pursuit. Some say it signals the world of hunting and fishing

Visitors descend into Organ Cave in Greenbrier County, one of the many West Virginia caverns around which generations of history, tradition and folklore have accumulated. Photographer to be determined.

West Virginia cave lore—strange stories from beneath the Mountain State

David Sibray August 17, 2026

GRAFTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is riddled with caves, rock shelters, sinking streams, and dark openings in the mountains, so it is perhaps no surprise that generations of stories have accumulated around them. Some involve pioneers. Others involve

Filmmaker Emma Crow-Willard pauses beside a mountain stream while hiking West Virginia's 320-mile Allegheny Trail. Her month-long journey combines backpacking with interviews exploring the changing economies of communities along the route.

Most hikers have never heard of the Allegheny Trail. One filmmaker set out to discover why

David Sibray August 3, 2026

DURBIN, W.Va. — Millions of Americans know the Appalachian Trail as one of the nation’s premier hiking destinations. Far fewer realize that another long-distance footpath crosses West Virginia’s mountains, winding through forests, rivers, and remote communities before joining

West Virginia anglers Ken Neer (left) and Sierra Adamson each caught state-record pumpkinseed sunfish in summer 2026. Adamson's catch surpassed Neer's record just 19 days after it established the species' first official place in the state's record books.

West Virginia’s new state fishing record lasted 19 days before another angler broke it

July 30, 2026

Two cyclists bike the West Fork Rail Trail near Durbin in the Monongahela National Forest.

Expedia will help two West Virginia towns build new trails into the Monongahela National Forest

July 30, 2026

Kayakers paddle around Big Rock on the lower Greenbrier River near Hinton, West Virginia.

Big Rock: A Greenbrier River landmark where the Civil War didn’t end

July 17, 2026

A white-tailed doe pauses in a West Virginia forest. The state's controlled antlerless lottery hunts are designed to manage deer populations while protecting forests and wildlife habitat.

Hunters can apply for rare deer hunts in West Virginia state parks

July 16, 2026

Hikers enjoy panoramic views from North Fork Mountain Trail, where miles of exposed ridgeline overlook the South Branch Valley in eastern West Virginia.

10 best hiking trails in West Virginia for scenic views and adventure

July 15, 2026

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

July 14, 2026

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

July 8, 2026

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

July 6, 2026

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

Culture

The Floating Bethel carried Church of God evangelists along the Ohio River in the 1890s, stopping at communities to hold religious services. The vessel later reached Moundsville, W.Va., where it burned in 1898. (Historic image, colorized)

A floating church once carried evangelists along the Ohio River

David Sibray August 20, 2026

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — In the 1890s, an unusual vessel began traveling the Ohio River, stopping at towns in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It had no engine or rudder and was steered by enormous oars. When it reached

The Greenbrier rises above the grounds at White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., in this historic photograph. The resort traces its origins to 1778 and has played roles in American history ranging from the Civil War to World War II and the Cold War. (Courtesy West Virginia & Regional History Center, WVU Libraries)

The Greenbrier is back in the national news. Here are five remarkable facts from its 248-year history

David Sibray August 14, 2026

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Greenbrier is entering another chapter in its remarkable history after Friday’s completion of a $500 million joint venture that gives a New York investment firm a controlling interest in the historic West

The Céloron lead plate buried at present-day Point Pleasant in 1749 asserted France's claim to the Ohio Valley amid a territorial struggle that would help ignite the French and Indian War and the global Seven Years' War.

The strange lead plate buried in West Virginia that helped start a world war

David Sibray August 12, 2026

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — On Aug. 18, 1749, French soldiers stopped at the mouth of the Kanawha River in present-day Point Pleasant and buried a lead plate beneath an elm tree—a declaration of ownership in a territorial struggle

The ruins of William “Coin” Harvey’s Monte Ne resort stand along the shore of Beaver Lake in Arkansas, remnants of the ambitious community he developed in the Ozarks in the early 20th century.

Lore and Legend

An aerial view of Wood Mountain rises above U.S. 19 near Glen Jean in Fayette County. For decades, residents have reported unexplained lights over the forested ridge, making it one of southern West Virginia's lesser-known folklore mysteries.

Real Estate

An aerial view of the historic Pence Springs Hotel in Summers County, W.Va., shows the former mineral springs resort surrounded by the forests and rolling hills that made it one of Appalachia's best-known mountain retreats. The 138-acre property is now being offered for sale through Foxfire Realty.

History and Prehistory

An 1863 map depicts Virginia after the creation of West Virginia, illustrating the only permanent change to the map of the United States during the Civil War.

State Parks

Mountain Creek Lodge glows in the evening at the bottom of West Virginia's Bluestone Gorge, where the new Mountain Creek Appalachian Cuisine restaurant welcomes diners arriving by Pipestem Resort State Park's iconic aerial tram.

Hunting

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)

Fishing

Hiking

Skiing

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

National Parks

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)

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

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.

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)

More West Virginia News

Hiking