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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 dome of the West VIrginia Statehouse rises above one of the nation's new biking destinations. (Photo courtesy Charleston CVB)

Communities

Charleston, West Virginia, celebrates record-breaking year in tourism

December 29, 2025 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s reputation as a destination for sports tourism was on full display in Charleston in 2025 when major athletic events brought visitors, national attention, and millions of dollars in economic impact to the region. From cycling championships and high school tournaments to national basketball events and marquee car shows, the Capitol … Read more

David Sibray visits the Ebenezer Church (est. 1880) beyond the Low Gap at the head of Skull Run.

Culture

The horrors of Skull Run recounted by late West Virginia historian

December 28, 2025 by David Sibray

SKULL RUN, W.Va. — A traveler motoring through the pastures in this wooded section off the Ohio River might have little idea of the dark tales that have arisen there. With its grazing cattle, it seems a world away from warfare, but according to the late historian Nathan Goff Carder, its red clay isn’t all … Read more

Solomon Spaulding claimed to have uncovered ancient plates along Prickett's Creek in Marion County, West Virginia.

Culture

Giant skeletons and buried copper plates—a strange Marion County folktale

December 25, 2025 by David Sibray

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — In the hills and river bottoms of Marion County in north-central West Virginia, stories have long circulated that blur the line between frontier memory and myth. Few are as strange or as enduring as a tale recorded by the late historian Glenn D. Lough in his book “Now and Long Ago: A … Read more

Frosty the Snowman leads children in the 1969 animated Christmas television special. (Photo still courtesy Rankin/Bass Productions)

Arts

Beloved story of “Frosty the Snowman” was born in snowy highlands of West Virginia

December 24, 2025 by David Sibray

KEYSER, W.Va. — One of America’s most enduring holiday songs—and the animated television specials it inspired—has roots that trace back to the snowy Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia. Though its lyrics never name a place, “Frosty the Snowman” was co-written by a native of northern West Virginia, and its origins are closely tied to the … Read more

Frank James, the older brother of Jesse James quietly rode into Princeton, West Virginia, and walked straight into the Bank of Princeton—not to rob it, but to study it.

Culture

Frank James entered a West Virginia bank in 1872 — and left without robbing it

December 23, 2025 by David Sibray

PRINCETON, W.Va. — In 1872, when the name Frank James still carried the weight of fear and notoriety across the border states, the older brother of Jesse James quietly rode into Princeton, West Virginia, and walked straight into the Bank of Princeton—not to rob it, but to study it. The incident, preserved in a March … Read more

Culture

Colonel Ludington’s legendary giant ox was real, and it weighed 4,450 pounds

December 22, 2025 by David Sibray

FRANKFORD, W.Va. — Long before viral videos and roadside attractions, West Virginia produced a creature so outsized that stories about him drifted into legend. Yet, despite decades of exaggeration, the animal at the center of the tale did exist. According to the late Jim Comstock, the renowned West Virginia storyteller and publisher of the West … Read more

The Screen-Free Summer campaign invited digitally exhausted travelers to unplug in West Virginia.

Communities

West Virginia Tourism wins gold Adrian award for ‘Screen-Free Summer’ campaign

December 22, 2025 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Tourism has earned international recognition for its consumer branding efforts, receiving a Gold Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International for its “Screen-Free Summer” campaign. Now in its 69th year, the Adrian Awards are the world’s largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition, honoring … Read more

West Virginia University (WVU) has reached a 10 year high in applications, according to university President Michael T. Benson.

Communities

WVU reports 10-year high in applications as graduation, retention rates climb

December 19, 2025 by David Sibray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is seeing its most substantial application numbers in a decade, alongside steady gains in student retention and graduation rates, signaling momentum as the flagship institution prepares for commencement and the next incoming class of Mountaineers. WVU President Michael T. Benson shared the update Friday, Dec. 19, during a meeting … Read more

With roughly 200 students per class, the school is the largest medical school in West Virginia. During the 2024–25 academic year, enrollment in its Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program totaled 810 students, according to the report.

Communities

W.Va. medical school leads in training doctors who serve rural communities

December 18, 2025 by David Sibray

LEWISBURG, W.Va. — A small medical school located in the mountains of southern West Virginia is quietly becoming one of the state’s most effective tools for addressing physician shortages in rural America, according to a new statewide report on health sciences education. The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, based in Lewisburg, a historic town … Read more

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.

Hiking

West Virginia state parks to ring in 2026 with 24 First Day hikes across the state

December 17, 2025 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia state parks will welcome the New Year by inviting residents and visitors to step outside, lace up their boots, and explore the state’s public lands during 24 free, guided First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2026. Held at 21 state parks and forests across West Virginia, the hikes are part … Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As autumn migration approaches, West Virginia sets seasons for dove, rail, woodcock

David Sibray

Charleston, West Virginia, celebrates record-breaking year in tourism

The horrors of Skull Run recounted by late West Virginia historian

Giant skeletons and buried copper plates—a strange Marion County folktale

Beloved story of “Frosty the Snowman” was born in snowy highlands of West Virginia

Frank James entered a West Virginia bank in 1872 — and left without robbing it

Colonel Ludington’s legendary giant ox was real, and it weighed 4,450 pounds

West Virginia Tourism wins gold Adrian award for ‘Screen-Free Summer’ campaign

WVU reports 10-year high in applications as graduation, retention rates climb

W.Va. medical school leads in training doctors who serve rural communities

West Virginia state parks to ring in 2026 with 24 First Day hikes across the state