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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
Bones of Megalonyx illustrated in Caspar Wistar’s 1799 paper accompanying Thomas Jefferson’s account of fossils discovered in what is now West Virginia. The specimens helped scientists identify the animal as an extinct giant ground sloth. Courtesy Biodiversity Heritage Library/Public Domain.
History / Prehistory

West Virginia cave fossils helped Thomas Jefferson discover an extinct giant

by David Sibray

UNION, W.Va. — Fossil bones discovered in a West Virginia cave in 1796 and sent to Thomas Jefferson helped scientists identify an extinct giant, although researchers now believe the fossils came from a different cave than the one traditionally associated with the discovery. Local tradition attributed the fossils to Organ Cave in Greenbrier County, but … Read more

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

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first fall colors of 2026 are beginning to appear in West Virginia’s mountains, with the earliest changes being witnessed in some of the state’s highest-elevation destinations. The W.Va. Department of Tourism reports that early color is emerging in Tucker and Pocahontas counties, where cooler mountain conditions typically give visitors some of … Read more

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

by David Sibray

BEAVER, W.Va. — Visitors to West Virginia state parks will find new campsites, expanded snowmaking, renovated facilities and extensive infrastructure improvements as the state invests nearly $20 million in parks and forests across the Mountain State. Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced $19.725 million in projects Wednesday at Kanawha State Forest near Charleston. The new campground will … Read more

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

by David Sibray

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Autumn doesn’t simply change the color of the New River Gorge. It changes how visitors experience one of America’s newest national parks. Cooler weather makes hiking more comfortable. Falling leaves begin to reveal pieces of the gorge’s industrial past that summer foliage can conceal. Whitewater season reaches a crescendo on the nearby … Read more

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

by David Sibray

ELKINS, W.Va. — Much of the wildlife habitat inside West Virginia’s largest national forest isn’t managed by the federal government alone. For generations, biologists with the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources have worked alongside the U.S. Forest Service to manage trout streams, wildlife habitat, and sensitive species across the Monongahela National Forest. The two agencies … Read more

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

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly 40 years ago, a college professor gathered actors and filmmakers in West Virginia and made a strange little horror movie about five people waiting for an overdue bus. Chillers, released in 1988, went far beyond West Virginia. The independently produced anthology horror film found international distribution and became the first feature … Read more

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.
Festivals / Events

Why the sky changes when summer ends in Appalachia

by David Sibray

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. As the year progresses toward winter, larger weather systems play a greater role, bringing broad cloud decks, … Read more