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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

Fresh vegetables are harvested at a West Virginia farm. Locally grown produce from farms across the Mountain State will headline the 2026 West Virginia State Parks Farm-to-Table Dinner Series, where park chefs create seasonal menus showcasing regional ingredients. (Getty Image)

Food

West Virginia state parks farm-to-table dinners return with local chefs, Appalachian flavors

August 6, 2026 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Some of West Virginia’s best meals this fall won’t be served in city restaurants. Instead, they’ll be prepared by state park chefs using fresh ingredients from nearby farms and enjoyed against the backdrop of forests, lakes and mountain landscapes. The annual Farm-to-Table Dinner Series returns to W.Va. State Parks beginning Aug. 21, … Read more

President Abraham Lincoln reviews documents in late 1862 as he weighs whether to sign the legislation admitting West Virginia to the Union, a decision that would permanently change the map of the United States.

History / Prehistory

West Virginia—the American state that Abraham Lincoln almost didn’t create

August 5, 2026 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — By the final days of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln faced one of the most unusual decisions of his presidency. The Civil War had entered its second winter, Confederate armies still occupied much of the South, and the Union’s future remained uncertain. Yet waiting on Lincoln’s desk was legislation unlike anything any previous … Read more

Cast members from Oglebay Institute's Parcel Players perform in Guys and Dolls at Towngate Theatre in downtown Wheeling. The summer youth theater production runs Aug. 6-9 and features performers ages 13-21.

Arts

Classic Broadway musical gives travelers one more reason to discover historic Wheeling

August 4, 2026 by David Sibray

WHEELING, W.Va. — For travelers looking for an easy weekend getaway from Pittsburgh, Columbus or Cleveland, downtown Wheeling offers more than historic streets and riverfront views. This week, one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals is adding another reason to make the trip. Oglebay Institute‘s Parcel Players will present Guys and Dolls Aug. 6-9 at Towngate … Read more

A light snowfall dusts Cathedral Cafe in downtown Fayetteville as residents gather during winter. Organizers of Fayetteville Creates hope the annual artist residency will help establish the New River Gorge community as a year-round creative destination.

Arts

Fayetteville artist residency helping make New River Gorge town a year-round creative hub

August 4, 2026 by David Sibray

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Long after the last whitewater rafts are pulled from the New River and winter quiet settles over the nation’s newest national park, one Fayette County town hopes artists will keep visitors coming. The community of Fayetteville, perched on the edge of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, is best known … Read more

Hiking

Most hikers have never heard of the Allegheny Trail. One filmmaker set out to discover why

August 3, 2026 by David Sibray

DURBIN, W.Va. — Millions of Americans know the Appalachian Trail as one of the nation’s premier hiking destinations. Far fewer realize that another long-distance footpath crosses West Virginia’s mountains, winding through forests, rivers, and remote communities before joining the Appalachian Trail at the Virginia border. Known as the Allegheny Trail, the route stretches approximately 320 … Read more

An 1863 map depicts Virginia after the creation of West Virginia, illustrating the only permanent change to the map of the United States during the Civil War.

History / Prehistory

Why are there two Virginias? Here’s how the Civil War changed the map of America

August 3, 2026 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Most Americans know there is a Virginia and a West Virginia, but far fewer know why. The answer is not simply that the Civil War divided the nation. It also divided Virginia, producing the only permanent change to the map of the United States during the conflict. Before the war began in … Read more

Stargazers walk a forest road in Dolly Sods Wilderness, where high elevations, expansive horizons and minimal light pollution make the Monongahela National Forest one of the premier places in the eastern United States to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower.

Festivals / Events

The Perseid meteor shower peaks soon; West Virginia may offer the East’s best view

August 1, 2026 by David Sibray

MARLINTON, W.Va. — The annual Perseid meteor shower arrives during one of the busiest travel months of the year, and for millions of people across the eastern United States, one of the best places to experience it may be hiding in plain sight: the mountains of West Virginia. While much of the East Coast contends … Read more

Cyclists ride the Rend Trail, one of the easiest and most scenic routes through New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The historic former railroad corridor is scheduled to reopen in 2027 following an $11.8 million rehabilitation project.

National Parks

One of New River Gorge’s easiest trails is closing for two years—but it will return better than ever

July 31, 2026 by David Sibray

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Hidden beneath the forests of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is one of the easiest ways to experience one of America’s newest national parks. Unlike many of the gorge’s steep, rugged trails, the Rend Trail follows the nearly level grade of a former railroad line. Families, cyclists, older hikers, … Read more

Illustration depicting West Virginia senators secretly leaving Charleston in 1911 to deny a quorum and prevent the Legislature from electing two U.S. senators, creating one of the state's most dramatic political crises.

History / Prehistory

The time West Virginia senators fled the state to stop Congress from gaining two new members

July 31, 2026 by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In one of the strangest episodes in American political history, half of the West Virginia state Senate fled the state Capitol, boarded a train to Ohio, and effectively shut down state government. They weren’t prompted by war, natural disaster, or criminal charges. It was political. For more than a week in 1911, … Read more

Mountain Creek Lodge glows in the evening at the bottom of West Virginia's Bluestone Gorge, where the new Mountain Creek Appalachian Cuisine restaurant welcomes diners arriving by Pipestem Resort State Park's iconic aerial tram.

State Parks, Forests

This W.Va. restaurant can only be reached by descending by tram into a mountain gorge

July 30, 2026 by David Sibray

PIPESTEM, W.Va. — Long before the first plate of crawdad fritters reaches the table, dinner at Mountain Creek begins with a remarkable descent. Visitors board an aerial tram at Pipestem Resort State Park in the mountains of southern West Virginia and glide 1,200 feet into the forested depths of the Bluestone Gorge, where a secluded … Read more

West Virginia high school closed for 13 years is becoming apartments

Five stunning photos capture summer in West Virginia’s state parks

Behind the walls of West Virginia’s massive Gothic prison, now a tourist attraction

National Park Week starts Saturday: Why West Virginia’s New River Gorge is different

Two unbanded peregrine falcons confirmed at New River Gorge Bridge

Weight-loss drugs are changing American bodies; Fashion may be changing with them

West Virginia elk are roaming farther as restored herd grows

Injured athletes may be hurting their recovery by trying too hard, WVU researcher says

Ancient spirit ‘underwater panther’ carved in stone survives in West Virginia

Fall begins Tuesday in West Virginia with temperatures in the mid-90s

They thought it was morning fog, then this West Virginia train hit a burning trestle

West Virginia’s mysterious island will glow by candlelight for two nights this fall

Six weeks of legendary whitewater are about to begin on the Gauley in West Virginia

West Virginia trails conference looks to turn outdoor recreation into community growth

West Virginia fishing record broken for third time in little more than a month

More women are taking up hunting and fishing; these West Virginia workshops may be helping

David Sibray

West Virginia state parks farm-to-table dinners return with local chefs, Appalachian flavors

West Virginia—the American state that Abraham Lincoln almost didn’t create

Classic Broadway musical gives travelers one more reason to discover historic Wheeling

Fayetteville artist residency helping make New River Gorge town a year-round creative hub

Most hikers have never heard of the Allegheny Trail. One filmmaker set out to discover why

Why are there two Virginias? Here’s how the Civil War changed the map of America

The Perseid meteor shower peaks soon; West Virginia may offer the East’s best view

One of New River Gorge’s easiest trails is closing for two years—but it will return better than ever

The time West Virginia senators fled the state to stop Congress from gaining two new members

This W.Va. restaurant can only be reached by descending by tram into a mountain gorge