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 W.Va. Division of Forestry predicts peak fall foliage will emerge in late September in the Allegheny Mountains.

West Virginia tourism releases 2022 fall foliage map

The West Virginia Tourism Office has released its 2022 predictive map for fall foliage, estimating the peak of the leaf-peeping season to begin in the Allegheny Mountains in late September. The end of the peak should fall one month later, at the end of October, in the West Virginia lowlands in the northern panhandle, the … Read more

An enigmatic stone face carved into mossy sandstone along the rim of the New River Gorge is attracting increased attention.

Remarkable stone face attracting curious in New River Gorge

An enigmatic stone face carved into mossy sandstone along the rim of the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia is attracting increased attention as tourism grows in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Though its origins are popularly regarded as a mystery, the bas-relief countenance was likely carved in the 1950s, and … Read more

Berries at a farmer's market

Farmers’ markets in W.Va. nearly triple over four years

CHARLESTON, W.Va.—Over the last four years, the number of farmers’ markets in West Virginia has nearly tripled, according to the W.Va. Department of Agriculture. In 2019, there were 93 registered markets across the state. Now there are 267, according to Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “Coming out of a pandemic that shut down food manufacturers, … Read more

Entrance to former W.Va. Penitentiary

W.Va. Penitentiary at Moundsville focus of strange history

The former West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville, West Virginia, in Marshall County, was a castellated gothic-style prison in operation from 1876 until 1995. It is now a tourist attraction popular with historians and paranormal enthusiasts. In 1863, West Virginia had only just seceded from Virginia and suffered a shortage of public institutions, including prisons. … Read more

Sharon Rynard says she enjoys have a full parking lot, but US-19 may now need traffic signals.

National Park expressway traffic increasing at Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va.—Thanks to the dramatic increase in visitation to America’s newest national park, motor vehicle traffic in and around Fayetteville is building remarkably, leading officials and business leaders to recommend exploring safety measures that could include traffic signals. Sharon Rynard, whose commercial property on US-19 sees some of the highest traffic in the region, says … Read more