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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

Culture

Harpers Ferry national park to host Christmas weekend December 6-8

November 26, 2024 by David Sibray

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is hosting an early December weekend of historical Christmas events and demonstrations that bring to life the holidays in 1864 when the U.S. Army transformed the town into a major supply center. The park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. … Read more

Dining In Pocahontas County, West Virginia

Culture

After an adventure in Pocahontas County, nothing beats good food

November 23, 2024 by David Sibray

MARLINTON, W.Va. — Skiing, hiking, biking, and other outdoor pursuits in the West Virginia highlands can work up monster appetites. That’s why the travel bureau in Pocahontas County, where those pursuits are chief, is celebrating its diverse restaurants. “After a big day on the slopes and trails, there’s nothing like a big meal,” says Jake … Read more

The gilded dome of the West Virginia Capitol stands out amid foliage at Charleston, West Virginia, in Kanawha County, in the Metro Valley Region.

Culture

Then, there was the time that West Virginia had four governors at once

November 18, 2024 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Think there’s too much government? As complex as politics get in West Virginia, there was a time in the late 1800s when the Mountain State had four governors at one time. As baffling as that might seem, the matter is a remarkable demonstration of conflicting state laws and legal opinions. During that … Read more

Culture

Kanawha Valley in W.Va. had highest concentration of burial mounds

November 14, 2024 by David Sibray

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha Valley in western West Virginia once had the highest concentration of burial mounds in North America, though most were destroyed. According to the late archaeologist Darla Spencer, author of Woodland Mounds of West Virginia, more than 400 mounds have been recorded in West Virginia, and their presence was once … Read more

The West Virginia Short Line Railroad meandered along Fishing Creek through Jacksonburg, West Virginia, in Wetzel County.

Culture

A little girl once saved a train on the West Virginia Short Line Railroad

November 9, 2024 by David Sibray

PINE GROVE, W.Va. — Short-line railroads in West Virginia were built to serve communities and industries not reached by significant railroad companies. While the Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio built robust rail networks where they benefited most, other areas relied on smaller rail enterprises. One of the best-known in the Mountain State was … Read more

New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville, West Virginia, New River Gorge Region

Attractions

Park ranger lists the four must-see attractions in the New River Gorge

November 9, 2024 by David Sibray

THURMOND, W.Va.—Visiting America’s newest national park? There are countless trails to walk, rocks to climb, and streams to paddle, but there are four places every visitor should see in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia. According to park ranger Jodi French-Burr, the following four must-see destinations are worth visiting … Read more

Culture

Did one of earliest UFO reports in the U.S. originate over West Virginia?

November 5, 2024 by David Sibray

MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. — Though details are obscure, one of the first UFO sightings reported in the U.S. may have originated in West Virginia over the region that’s now part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The encounter allegedly occurred in January 1950 near Beckley, West Virginia, and over what is now … Read more

Moss grows thick on the north side of a tree in Wyoming County, West Virginia.

Botany and Forestry

Forest lore: Is it true that moss grows only on the north side of trees?

November 4, 2024 by David Sibray

BARKERS RIDGE, W.Va. — You might have heard that moss grows only on the north sides of trees. That bit of lore originated as a way to help travelers navigate strange forests. The mossy north face of a tree, or so it was said, could serve as a natural compass. It is true that moss … Read more

Cliffs in Hacker Valley, Webster County, Allegheny Highlands Region

Culture

Isolated Webster County in West Virginia once declared itself a state

November 3, 2024 by David Sibray

WEBSTER SPRINGS, W.Va. — Perhaps no county in West Virginia is as isolated as Webster County. Entirely mountainous, no expressway or U.S. highway ventures into it, and many densely forested sections haven’t been explored in years except by enterprising hunters and foresters. Only three percent of its 356,000 acres are in farmland—a remarkably small amount—and … Read more

Culture

Horrific origin of West Virginia city name Wheeling: “Place of the Skull”

October 29, 2024 by David Sibray

WHEELING, W.Va. — To the average motorist hurtling through the City of Wheeling on Interstate 70, nothing about the place might seem particularly nefarious. An old rust-belt city, one might suppose its name, “Wheeling,” is associated with the wheel. The city is inextricably tied to the history of American travel and has always been a … 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

Harpers Ferry national park to host Christmas weekend December 6-8

After an adventure in Pocahontas County, nothing beats good food

Then, there was the time that West Virginia had four governors at once

Kanawha Valley in W.Va. had highest concentration of burial mounds

A little girl once saved a train on the West Virginia Short Line Railroad

Park ranger lists the four must-see attractions in the New River Gorge

Did one of earliest UFO reports in the U.S. originate over West Virginia?

Forest lore: Is it true that moss grows only on the north side of trees?

Isolated Webster County in West Virginia once declared itself a state

Horrific origin of West Virginia city name Wheeling: “Place of the Skull”