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David Sibray

David Sibray is the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of West Virginia Explorer, a news and travel magazine devoted to the state’s history, tourism, outdoor recreation and economic development. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390 or at editor@wvexplorer.com
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.
Travel / Transportation

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

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After years of trying to convince travelers to discover West Virginia, the state’s new tourism secretary says the next challenge is giving them reasons to return. Kayla Kessinger, the incoming secretary of the W.Va. Department of Tourism, used Monday’s appearance at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism to outline priorities focused on repeat … Read more

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.
History / Prehistory

Before Devil Anse Hatfield, there was a giant

by David Sibray

RED JACKET, W.Va. — Long before William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield became one of the most famous figures in Appalachian history, another Hatfield was remembered as a mountain giant along the Tug Fork. His name was Ephraim Hatfield, though generations knew him better as “Big Eaf.” He was the father of Devil Anse and several … Read more

Rafters descend the Gauley River in West Virginia, one of the world’s celebrated whitewater runs. A form of the river’s unusual name appears in records dating to at least 1774, though its origin remains uncertain. (Photo courtesy ACE Adventure Resort)
Lore and Legend

How did West Virginia’s Gauley River get its unusual name?

by David Sibray

SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — Every autumn, thousands of paddlers descend into West Virginia’s mountains to run the Gauley River, one of the world’s celebrated whitewater runs. They come for rapids named Pillow Rock, Lost Paddle, and Sweet’s Falls, as scheduled releases from Summersville Dam send enormous volumes of water through the river’s rugged gorge. But the … Read more

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)
National Forests

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

by David Sibray

ELKINS, W.Va. — Autumn is just beginning across much of West Virginia, but preparations for winter are already underway in the state’s highest mountains, where recreation facilities in the Monongahela National Forest have begun closing for the season. The closures reflect a defining characteristic of the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia: elevation can produce … Read more

Civil War soldiers are depicted as apparitions near the observation tower at Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, where stories of soldiers, cannon fire and other unexplained encounters have circulated for generations. The Pocahontas County battlefield has been added to the West Virginia Paranormal Trail for 2026. (WVExplorer illustration)
Lore and Legend

West Virginia Civil War battlefield known for ghost stories joins paranormal trail

by David Sibray

HILLSBORO, W.Va. — Visitors to a West Virginia Civil War battlefield have reported hearing galloping horses and cannon fire and seeing soldiers who seemingly disappear. Now Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park in Pocahontas County is joining the West Virginia Paranormal Trail, a statewide tourism route devoted to places associated with ghosts, cryptids and other unexplained … Read more

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.
Hunting

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

by David Sibray

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, and food traditions. Kitchens from 10 state parks are participating in A Taste of West Virginia State Parks, … Read more