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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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What happens when a town stops believing the worst things people say about it?

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

Biking

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

Clyde Craig July 30, 2026

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.

State Parks, Forests

This W.Va. restaurant can only be reached by descending by tram into a mountain gorge

A couple enjoys the cool shade of a West Virginia forest during a summer hike. The state's high elevations, dense woodlands and frequent passages of cool Canadian air often create refreshing conditions that have drawn travelers to the mountains for generations.

Travel / Transportation

Why summer heat never lasts in West Virginia and why travelers have loved it for generations

Food

West Virginia’s food scene isn’t what outsiders think, chef says

Latest West Virginia News

Hikers document an apparently ill white-tailed deer they encounter along a wooded West Virginia trail, illustrating the kind of observation that can now be reported through the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources' new online Wildlife Disease and Mortality Reporting Tool.

Wildlife / Conservancy

West Virginia launches online tool for reporting sick and dead wildlife

July 29, 2026

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.

Lodging and Real Estate

One of America’s forgotten mineral springs resorts is for sale and awaiting its next chapter

July 29, 2026

A kayaker paddles through a spectacular bloom of pink water lilies at Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area near Pax, one of southern West Virginia's most peaceful paddling destinations. The 202-acre lake is known for its quiet coves, excellent fishing and abundant wildlife.

Travel / Transportation

Hidden New River Gorge lake, Plum Orchard welcomes visitors after $1.2 million makeover

July 29, 2026

Krissy Stiver and Heather Stiver pose beside a pickup truck loaded with scrap metal collected during a community cleanup in Winona, W.Va. Volunteers removed abandoned metal, tires, and other debris as part of an effort that cleared nearly 7.7 tons of trash from the former coal community.

Economic Development

What happens when a town stops believing the worst things people say about it?

July 29, 2026

Tourists visit the Coal Run Company Store near the New River Gorge

Lodging and Real Estate

One of the New River Gorge’s best-known landmarks is looking for its next life

July 27, 2026

Musicians gather in an informal jam session beneath the trees at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival near Clifftop, W.Va. Unlike most music festivals, the heart of the event is found in hundreds of spontaneous circles where participants play together, preserving the traditions of old-time Appalachian music.

Festivals / Events

Why the world’s old-time musicians make a pilgrimage to this West Virginia mountaintop

July 26, 2026

Communities

WVU researchers help tourism communities grow without losing what makes them special

David Sibray July 22, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As tourism continues to reshape rural communities across Appalachia, researchers at West Virginia University in Morgantown are helping local leaders answer a difficult question: How can towns welcome more visitors without sacrificing the qualities that

A child sits alone while coping with the loss of a loved one. About one in seven West Virginia children will experience the death of a parent or sibling before age 18, highlighting the need for grief support programs such as Camp Erin West Virginia. (Photo: Getty Images)

One in seven West Virginia children lose a parent or sibling. A free camp wants to help

Clyde Craig July 21, 2026

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. — For many West Virginia children, grief arrives far earlier than most people imagine. About one in seven children in the Mountain State will experience the death of a parent or sibling before reaching adulthood—the second-highest

A spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) adult winged.

Spotted lanternfly reaches Kanawha County as invasive pest spread across West Virginia

July 21, 2026

A driver approaches a busy interstate interchange, where merging traffic, unfamiliar routes and a loss of control can trigger anxiety for some motorists. Researchers at West Virginia University say driving anxiety is more common than many people realize. (Photo: Samuele Errico Piccarini)

You’re not alone: Why driving anxiety happens—and how to keep it from taking over

July 21, 2026

Appalachian Escapes: Straight out of the ’80s: David Sibray, Nate Adams, and Rachel Adkins swap stories in a replica Pizza Hut. (Photo: Holly K. Clark)

This may look like a 1980s Pizza Hut, but it’s a vacation rental in West Virginia

July 18, 2026

George Washington and the Seneca leader Guyasuta overlooking the Ohio River near the mouth of Big Sandy Creek during Washington's 1770 expedition through the Ohio Valley. The two longtime acquaintances camped together before discussing the frontier lands that would later become part of West Virginia.

George Washington’s lost West Virginia: Five places you can still visit today

July 17, 2026

Attractions

A drone view captures Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park in the Ohio River near Parkersburg, where the reconstructed Blennerhassett Mansion stands amid mature trees. Once the estate of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, the island became the setting for Aaron Burr's mysterious western expedition and today is one of West Virginia's most distinctive historic destinations.

After killing Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr ventured to this legendary island in W.Va.

David Sibray July 23, 2026

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — The duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton remains a defining episode in early American history. Even those with only a passing knowledge of the nation’s founding may remember how the sitting vice president fatally

Our Lady of the Pines, a tiny chapel near Silver Lake in Preston County, is among the unexpected West Virginia landmarks featured in Peggy Stanton's new book The United "Saints" of America. Built in 1958 by Lithuanian immigrant Peter Milkint, the chapel has become one of the state's most distinctive places of worship.

United Saints of America author discovers West Virginia’s unexpected Catholic landmarks

Clyde Craig July 21, 2026

WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia is rarely considered a destination for Catholic pilgrimage. Settled largely by Virginians and Scots-Irish pioneers before later immigrant communities arrived, the Mountain State has long been associated more with frontier Protestantism than with

Historian and West Virginia Explorer correspondent Cody Straley stands before the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, whose clean lines and imposing Brutalist design have made it one of the state's most recognizable public buildings since opening in 1976.

The W.Va. Culture Center at 50: The story behind one of the state’s great public treasures

July 18, 2026

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)

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

July 17, 2026

A tourist photographs a historic home in the Middleway National Historic District in West Virginia.

National Trust joins legal fight over proposed plant near one of West Virginia’s oldest villages

July 15, 2026

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

July 12, 2026

Recreation

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

David Sibray July 17, 2026

HINTON, W.Va. — Today, Big Rock is one of the best-known landmarks along the lower Greenbrier River, a towering sandstone outcrop where generations of paddlers and tubers have stopped to climb, picnic, and wade into the cool water.

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

Will Reedy July 16, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters seeking an opportunity to pursue white-tailed deer in some of West Virginia’s most scenic public lands can now apply for a series of controlled lottery hunts designed to manage deer populations while protecting forests

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

David Sibray July 15, 2026

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va — From windswept mountain summits to dramatic river overlooks, West Virginia is home to some of the most scenic hiking trails in the eastern United States. While beauty is subjective, certain trails consistently leave visitors speechless,

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

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

Culture

A young George Washington surveys the lands along the Ohio River during one of his frontier expeditions in the early 1770s. As a Virginia surveyor, soldier, and land speculator, Washington traveled the upper Ohio Valley to evaluate its forests, waterways, and settlement potential, helping shape the region's early colonial history. (WVExplorer Illustration)

Before the American Revolution, West Virginia almost became Britain’s 14th colony, Vandalia

David Sibray July 25, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Long before West Virginia became America’s 35th state, it came remarkably close to becoming something very different—Britain’s 14th colony. Only a few years after Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War, influential English politicians,

A secluded road near present-day Countsville recalls the isolated Roane-Jackson border country, where a series of murders and acts of vigilante violence unfolded in 1877.

The West Virginia farmer that some believed God struck down with lightning

David Sibray July 24, 2026

GANDEEVILLE, W.Va. — In the turbulent years after the Civil War, a remote corner of the border country between Roane and Jackson counties became the scene of one of West Virginia’s least remembered outbreaks of vigilante violence. A

The collapsed Silver Bridge lies submerged in the Ohio River after its catastrophic failure on Dec. 15, 1967. Although not the deadliest disaster in West Virginia history, the collapse claimed 46 lives and transformed bridge inspection standards across the United States.

West Virginia’s deadliest disasters—10 tragedies that changed U.S. history

David Sibray July 24, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s mountains are often celebrated for their beauty, but they have also shaped some of the deadliest disasters in American history. Narrow river valleys have turned heavy rains into catastrophic floods. Rich coal seams

Edna Moreland and Brother Ginevan display freshly gathered pawpaws near Paw Paw, West Virginia. The state's annual Pawpaw Festival celebrates the unique native fruit and the Appalachian traditions surrounding its harvest.

Lore and Legend

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.

Real Estate

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

History and Prehistory

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)

State Parks

Hunting

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

Fishing

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

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

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

Biking