David Sibray
Historians once assumed that West Virginia had been shaded by a vast unbroken forest, but an expert on old forests in the Mountain State says the region was, instead, a patchwork landscape of woodlands and fields opened by Native Americans. “I’ve heard it said that a squirrel could run limb-to-limb across West Virginia without touching … Read more
THURMOND, W.Va. — Perhaps no small town in West Virginia has gained the worldwide notoriety that the tiny Town of Thurmond has enjoyed. A ghost town located deep in the heart of America’s newest national park, the community has long captured the imaginations of historians and photographers. A railroad boomtown that now includes only seven … Read more
Though it might sound cliche, time really does stand still in the Indian Creek valley in southern West Virginia. A winery has opened. Farmers are experimenting with new crops. A small retirement community has been established where the old school once stood. But for the most part, little has changed, and most residents like it … Read more
A labyrinth of uncharted caverns extends for hundreds of feet beneath much of the scenic farmland in eastern West Virginia, and while some of the state’s show caves are well known to visitors, this secret world goes largely overlooked. The subterranean world beneath Monroe County came into focus earlier this winter when two dogs that … Read more
Gov. Jim Justice and the W.Va. Department of Tourism today announced that West Virginia has been selected as one of the best places to go by both Frommers and USA Today. This recognition follows a series of recent notable announcements by Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and TIME Magazine, which together rank West Virginia as … Read more
One of the most publicized cases of extrasensory perception (ESP) reported in West Virginia involved the deaths of a mother and six children in the town of Sutton, near the very center of West Virginia, on February 19, 1911. The tragedy unfolded shortly after midnight in Sutton, though the incidence of second sight was reported … Read more
Guided hikes have been scheduled for January 1, 2022, at eight state parks in West Virginia in concert with the national First Day Hikes program. The hikes vary in length and difficulty, though most range from one to three miles and are suitable for all ages. The First Day Hikes are free and designed to … Read more
When George Washington first visited Point Pleasant in present-day West Virginia in 1770 he discovered a sycamore that measured 44 feet and 10 inches around—or roughly 14 feet across. That’s not quite the size of a 2021 Cadillac Escalade, but it’s close. You won’t find trees that size in West Virginia anymore, though you can … Read more
A husband and wife living in a remote corner of Fayette County in southern West Virginia claim to have encountered and photographed a bigfoot only a stone’s throw from America’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Billy Humphrey, of Danese, says that before the incident he had ridiculed such claims … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Trail guide Levi Moore has been hiking the New River Gorge for decades. Now that it’s become part of the The upper falls on Big Branch tumble out of the highlands in the southern New River Gorge. (Photo: Ed Rehbein)[/caption] “I recommend Big Branch because of the multiple waterfalls and stream crossings—with … Read more
