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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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West Virginia filmmaker turns state’s history of extraction into monster movie ‘Dark Hollow’

A gray squirrel feeds on an acorn. Production of acorns and other forest foods known as mast can influence the movements of deer, squirrels, bears and other wildlife in West Virginia.

Hunting

Fewer acorns could mean more deer sightings for West Virginia hunters this fall

Will Reedy October 1, 2026

West Virginia Explorer publisher David Sibray stands beside a bat-friendly gate at an abandoned mine portal in the Piney Creek Gorge near the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Such gates allow bats to enter abandoned mine workings while restricting human access.

Wildlife / Conservancy

Tiny cellular trackers follow endangered bats through New River Gorge

A hiker overlooks fall color from the high-elevation landscape of Dolly Sods Wilderness in eastern West Virginia. The region is among the first areas of the state to show autumn color. (Photo courtesy West Virginia Department of Tourism)

Botany and Forestry

West Virginia’s first fall colors are appearing in these high mountain areas

adventure tourism have become increasingly important drivers of the state's visitor economy. (Photo: David Sibray)

State Parks, Forests

Nearly $20 million in upgrades coming to West Virginia state parks

Latest West Virginia News

A researcher works in a laboratory at West Virginia University’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, which will introduce nuclear engineering coursework in 2027 as West Virginia explores a larger role in the nation’s nuclear industry. (WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit)

Higher Education

WVU prepares nuclear workforce as West Virginia weighs role in nation’s nuclear industry

September 28, 2026

The New River Gorge Bridge rises above the New River amid autumn foliage in southern West Virginia. Fall brings cooler weather, whitewater recreation and changing colors to the national park region.

National Parks

Autumn changes the New River Gorge and gives travelers new reasons to visit

September 28, 2026

June Schreiner stars in Dark Hollow, an Appalachian horror film written and directed by West Virginia-raised filmmaker Daniel Byers. Byers said his father trained Schreiner to handle the pump-action shotgun used in the film. (Courtesy Brainstorm Media)

Arts

West Virginia filmmaker turns state’s history of extraction into monster movie ‘Dark Hollow’

September 27, 2026

A sign marks the Beaver Dam Cooperative Wildlife Management Area in Monongahela National Forest, one of several areas where the U.S. Forest Service and West Virginia Division of Natural Resources cooperate on wildlife management.

National Forests

Why West Virginia manages wildlife inside a federal national forest

September 26, 2026

West Virginia’s archery and crossbow seasons for white-tailed deer, black bear and wild boar open Sept. 26, 2026.

Hunting

West Virginia archery season opens Sept. 26 for deer, bear, and wild boar

September 25, 2026

Chillers, the 1988 cult horror film by West Virginia filmmaker Danny Boyd, is returning to theaters as a series of screenings celebrates Boyd’s filmmaking legacy.

Arts

Nearly 40 years later, a cult horror film made in West Virginia is returning to theaters

September 24, 2026

Communities

Glenville State University rises above the small Gilmer County seat of Glenville in central West Virginia, where the university has played a prominent role in the community since its founding in 1872.

Glenville State establishes College of Business as programs expand beyond campus

Clyde Craig September 24, 2026

GLENVILLE, W.Va. — A small public university in rural West Virginia is expanding the reach of its business education beyond the Appalachian community it has served for more than 150 years, establishing a College of Business after adding

The September equinox marks the astronomical beginning of autumn, though seasonal change is already underway across West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Michael and Diane Weidner)

Why fall arrived twice in West Virginia this September

Clyde Craig September 23, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fall officially arrived in West Virginia Tuesday night, but depending on where you live and how you define the season, autumn may have started weeks ago or may still seem a long way off. The

West Virginia University is launching a three-year effort to recruit, train and retain teachers as the state faces a shortage of nearly 1,200 certified educators. The program will include pathways for aspiring teachers and school employees already working in West Virginia communities. (WVU Photo)

West Virginia is short nearly 1,200 teachers as a new program aims to bring them home

September 23, 2026

Fall foliage spreads across the mountains at Lost River State Park in Hardy County, West Virginia. Elevation, slope, moisture and forest type can cause autumn color to develop differently across the state's mountainous landscape.

West Virginia’s fall colors can defy the forecast, forester says

September 22, 2026

The Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park is one of West Virginia's most recognizable tourism landmarks, photographed and shared around the world for decades. The state's new tourism secretary says West Virginia's next challenge is turning growing national attention into repeat visits and economic opportunity.

West Virginia has been discovered; new tourism chief says what comes next

September 21, 2026

The Mingo Oak towers above the surrounding forest in Mingo County shortly before it was felled in September 1938. More than 2,000 people gathered to watch lumbermen bring down the centuries-old white oak after it had died.

More than 2,000 gathered to watch one of West Virginia’s greatest trees fall

September 17, 2026

Attractions

The center hall at Arthurdale , West Virginia

West Virginia town built as Great Depression experiment wins national honor

David Sibray September 22, 2026

ARTHURDALE, W.Va. — A small West Virginia community built from the ground up by the federal government during the Great Depression has received one of the nation’s major historic preservation honors. Arthurdale Heritage received the 2026 Trustees’ Emeritus

The New River Gorge Bridge spans New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia, which recorded nearly 2 million recreation visits in 2025. (NPS photo/Gary Hartley)

New River Gorge ranks among 20 most-visited national parks in North America

David Sibray September 20, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia’s New River Gorge has joined some of the continent’s best-known landscapes among the 20 most-visited national parks in North America. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve ranked No. 17 in a new

Snow and ice coat the high-elevation spruce forest at Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. Winter conditions can arrive in the Allegheny Mountains while lower elevations remain snow-free. (Photo courtesy Rick Burgess)

Winter comes early to West Virginia’s highest mountains as forest sites begin closing

September 18, 2026

Steps descend inside the stone enclosure of the historic Janutolo Well in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The water source dates to the Civil War era, while the surrounding stonework was added in the early 20th century. (WVExplorer.com photo)

Civil War-era stone well hides in plain sight in this West Virginia tourist town

September 16, 2026

A steam-powered excursion train travels through the mountains at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. A new 100-site campground has opened at the popular railroad and outdoor recreation destination.

New 100-site campground opens at popular West Virginia mountain destination

September 15, 2026

A hiker follows the boardwalk beneath the Alum Cave rock overhang along the Middle Fork River at Audra State Park. The photograph won the outdoor recreation category. (Photo by Stasha Ray)

Family gives 47 acres to expand scenic West Virginia state park

September 11, 2026

Recreation

A child climbs a tree while exploring the woods. Outdoor educator Levi Moore says adults can help children develop a lasting connection with nature by giving them opportunities to explore, play and discover outdoors.

Want your children to spend more time outdoors? Start with yourself, educator says

David Sibray September 16, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Parents who want their children to put down their phones and spend more time outdoors may need to start by examining their own habits, according to a West Virginia outdoor educator who has spent years

Chefs from 10 West Virginia state parks are preparing dishes including rabbit pot pie, venison chili, shredded duck tacos, burgoo and other foods for National Hunting and Fishing Day at Stonewall Resort State Park.

Rabbit pot pie, venison chili, duck tacos on menu at West Virginia outdoor celebration

David Sibray September 16, 2026

ROANOKE, W.Va. — Rabbit pot pie, venison chili, shredded duck tacos, and burgoo are among the dishes West Virginia state park cooks will bring to Stonewall Resort State Park near Weston Saturday for a celebration of the state’s hunting, fishing,

Mountain bikers ride a wooded trail in Beckley, West Virginia, where an expanding trail network is part of an effort to develop the city as an outdoor recreation destination.

West Virginia city eyes 40-mile trail network near New River Gorge

David Sibray September 10, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — A West Virginia city near the nation’s newest national park is developing a recreational trail system that could grow to more than 40 miles as part of an effort to transform it from a transportation

A young shooter receives guidance while handling a firearm. West Virginia has eliminated the minimum age for its special youth hunting seasons, although hunters younger than 15 must still be accompanied by a licensed adult. Photo credit: Remy Gieling

West Virginia eliminates minimum age for youth hunting seasons

September 10, 2026

Wesley Scarbrough helps his brother-in-law, Justin, fire a gun while squirrel hunting near Rock Creek, West Virginia, in 1995. The photograph by Lyntha Scott Eiler is part of the Library of Congress Coal River Folklife Project.

Long a West Virginia rite of passage, squirrel hunting returns Saturday

September 10, 2026

Tyler Harmon holds the 72.75-pound blue catfish he caught in the Ohio River in Jackson County as a West Virginia Division of Natural Resources official assists with the record certification. The fish set a new state weight record and was released alive. (WVDNR photo)

West Virginia brought back a giant native fish that now keeps breaking records

September 4, 2026

A bicycle rests beside the Meadow River along the Meadow River Rail Trail, an 18-mile route between Rainelle and Nallen in southern West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Meadow River Rail Trail)

New 18-mile trail is revealing a hidden West Virginia river valley

September 4, 2026

Rafters charge through whitewater on the Gauley River during Gauley Season in West Virginia. The six-week fall season draws thousands of whitewater enthusiasts to the river each year. (NPS photo)

Six weeks of legendary whitewater are about to begin on the Gauley in West Virginia

August 26, 2026

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

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

August 24, 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)

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

August 21, 2026

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

August 18, 2026

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

August 17, 2026

Culture

Crowds fill downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, during the annual Apple Butter Festival, which returns Oct. 9–11 for its 51st year despite spring freezes that damaged the region’s apple crop.

Despite damaging spring freezes, apple butter will simmer again in Berkeley Springs

Clyde Craig September 24, 2026

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Spring freezes devastated apple crops across parts of the Mid-Atlantic this year, but organizers of a 51-year-old West Virginia festival say its giant copper kettles will still be bubbling in October. The Apple Butter

Low clouds spread across an Appalachian landscape in autumn. As summer fades, towering convective clouds become less common while broad layers of stratus and stratocumulus become more conspicuous during colder-season weather.

Why the sky changes when summer ends in Appalachia

David Sibray September 23, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Changing leaves may get most of the attention, but another seasonal change happens overhead as summer gives way to fall. The towering cumulus clouds and afternoon thunderstorms common during the warmest months become less frequent.

A miniature replica of the Mothman stands at the feet of the original stainless-steel statue created by Bob Roach in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Roach’s daughter, Kelly Roach Miller, has helped preserve the story behind her father’s famous sculpture.

The man behind West Virginia’s famous Mothman statue left an unusual legacy

David Sibray September 23, 2026

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Before Bob Roach built the famous Mothman statue, he talked with people who said they had seen the mysterious creature decades earlier. Their descriptions helped shape the stainless-steel figure that has stood on Main

An artist’s interpretation of the “Panther Killer” legend associated with Ephraim “Big Eaf” Hatfield, father of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield. A 1952 Logan County history related a tradition that Hatfield killed a panther with a hunting knife near present-day Red Jacket, West Virginia. Contemporary evidence establishing the episode as fact has not been found.

Lore and Legend

Kanawha Valley historian Forrest Hull illustrated the old association between autumn, “Indian summer” and frontier stories in this drawing preserved with his writings. The terminology reflects the period in which Hull wrote and is reproduced here as part of the historical record.

Real Estate

The 80-foot Red Oak Fire Lookout in the Monongahela National Forest is now available for overnight stays in Webster County, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service)

History and Prehistory

Daniel Boone prepared this survey of ten acres along Crooked Creek in Kanawha County on June 14, 1791. The original manuscript, signed by Boone, is preserved by the West Virginia State Archives. (West Virginia State Archives)

State Parks

A young forager gathers wild berries. Foraging for edible plants is the focus of Nature Wonder Weekend, a West Virginia tradition held at North Bend State Park since 1968. (Getty image)

Fishing

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.

Hiking

Skiing

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

National Parks

Historic buildings line the railroad at Thurmond, a former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway boomtown now largely preserved within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The town is challenging National Park Service plans to demolish several historic structures.

Kayaking

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

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)

More West Virginia News

Hunting