West Virginia Explorer - Travel, News & History

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

A smiling child with colorful face paint enjoys a day at the State Fair of West Virginia. Fair officials and community partners are providing complimentary all-day midway ride passes to eligible foster children during this year's event, helping more young people experience one of the state's most cherished summer traditions. (Photo courtesy Jeremiah Lawrence)

Festivals / Events

State Fair of West Virginia, state’s biggest festival, opens its midway to foster children

David Sibray July 21, 2026

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)

Health and Medicine

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

A spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) adult winged.

Agriculture

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

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)

Health and Medicine

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

Communities

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

Clyde Craig July 17, 2026

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — Long before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington was an explorer, surveyor, soldier, and ambitious young land speculator drawn to the vast wilderness beyond the Appalachian Mountains. Much of what

West Virginia Wesleyan student photographer

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

Clyde Craig July 17, 2026

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — A small private college in the Appalachian Mountains will remain a summer gathering place for some of West Virginia’s most promising teenage artists through the end of the decade. West Virginia Wesleyan College has been

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata) is an invasive species native to Asia. It showed up in Pennsylvania in 2014. Above, a spotted lanternfly visits a log in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster County, Pa., on Oct. 5, 2018. (Photo by Caitlyn Johnstone/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Spotted lanternfly spreads across West Virginia, threatening vineyards, forests and farms

July 16, 2026

An AI concept based on a press release from WVU envisions Appalachia as a future hub for advanced energy innovation, where research, resilient electric grid technologies, and modern manufacturing coexist with the region's forests, rivers, and mountain communities.

$321 million science initiative aims to make Appalachia America’s next energy innovation hub

July 15, 2026

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

July 13, 2026

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

July 13, 2026

Attractions

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

Clyde Craig July 17, 2026

ELKINS, W.Va. — Travelers planning to explore the high mountains of eastern West Virginia this summer should expect significant road closures in parts of the Monongahela National Forest as major construction projects begin to repair storm damage, improve

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

Bianca Bosworth July 15, 2026

MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. — One of the nation’s leading historic preservation organizations has joined the legal battle over a proposed industrial water-extraction and bottling facility near one of West Virginia’s oldest villages, arguing that the project would irreparably damage

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

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

July 10, 2026

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

Recreation

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

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

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

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

Culture

Bob and Jeff Tinnell speak about their filmmaking.

Netflix success gives West Virginia filmmakers new credibility in Hollywood

David Sibray July 17, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia filmmakers have reached a milestone few would have imagined a decade ago. Earlier this year, two films produced by the Morgantown-based Allegheny Image Factory—Gaslit and The Bad Guardian—simultaneously ranked among Netflix’s five most-watched

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.

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

David Sibray July 16, 2026

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — Six years before the Declaration of Independence and nearly two decades before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington embarked on one of the most remarkable journeys of his life. The

New West Virginia Explorer events program helps advertisers reach larger markets faster

Clyde Craig July 14, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — If you’re organizing a fair, festival, concert, race, museum exhibit, or community event, you know that attracting visitors can be as challenging as planning the event itself. Social media no longer reaches people the way

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.

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

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

History and Prehistory

Wounded Confederate Capt. DeLaguel receives water and shelter from the White family after reportedly crawling for three days through the Allegheny wilderness following the Battle of Rich Mountain in July 1861. The scene is based on a long-preserved Randolph County tradition. (WVExplorer illustration)

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

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

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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Festivals / Events