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Attractions in West Virginia offer something for every traveler, from stunning natural landscapes and historic landmarks to family-friendly adventures and vibrant cultural sites. Visitors can marvel at iconic destinations like the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, explore the rich history of Harpers Ferry, or enjoy the scenic beauty of Blackwater Falls and Seneca Rocks. Charming mountain towns, local museums, unique shops, and lively festivals add to the state’s welcoming atmosphere. Outdoor enthusiasts will find endless opportunities for hiking, rafting, rock climbing, and wildlife watching. With its blend of outdoor fun, heritage, and small-town charm, attractions in West Virginia make every trip unforgettable, showcasing the best of Appalachian adventure and hospitality. Be sure to visit our Attractions Travel Guide for more information about attractions in West Virginia.

Superintendents at 12 West Virginia state parks have received special training in law enforcement.

Attractions

W.Va. state park superintendents complete special police training

March 8, 2023 by David Sibray

TWIN FALLS STATE PARK, W.Va. — Superintendents at 12 West Virginia state parks completed training in February to become certified special natural resources police officers. The special paramilitary training, led by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources Police, was completed at Twin Falls Resort State Park. It included classroom time and physical, defensive tactics, and … Read more

In the Allegheny Mountains, Dolly Sods has been a project of The Nature Conservancy of West Virginia.

Attractions

Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards seeks volunteers for trail work

March 3, 2023 by David Sibray

A volunteer group that helps maintain the scenic Dolly Sods Wilderness in northern West Virginia is looking for additional volunteers to help maintain its trails.The stewards serve as a resource for visitors, helping them have a safe and enjoyable wilderness experience while working to preserve Dolly Sods for future visitors, according to David Johnston, a … Read more

Spruce forests in the Monongahela National Forest will provide the nation's 2023 Christmas Tree.

Attractions

Monongahela National Forest to provide 2023 Capitol Christmas tree

January 31, 2023 by David Sibray

ELKINS, W.Va.– The Monongahela National Forest has been selected to provide the 2023 Christmas Tree for the U.S. capitol, kicking off a year-long celebration with the theme of “Endlessly Wild & Wonderful” to connect more Americans to West Virginia’s public lands.The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, known as “The People’s Tree” reflecting the nickname for the … Read more

Cook,s Old Mill welcomes visitors at Greenville West Virginia.

Attractions

Cook’s Old Mill centerpiece of a historic W.Va. landscape

January 18, 2023 by Lisa Stansell Galitz

GREENVILLE, W.Va. — I rarely have the opportunity to show my daughters a back-road attraction in West Virginia that they haven’t seen before. They’ve joined me on hundreds of adventures to remarkable places both on and off the beaten track.Each carries a W.Va. Gazetteer in her car and is usually up for a day trip, … Read more

The sun sets beyond the New River Gorge Bridge in southern West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Wendy Parks Scott)

Attractions

International tourism growing at new national park in W.Va.

December 29, 2022 by David Sibray

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — International tourism is growing in southern West Virginia due to the creation of America’s newest national park.Visitors to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are more culturally diverse than ever, say civic leaders in Fayetteville, West Virginia, the chief center of activity in the park’s northern region.Sharon Rynard, the owner … Read more

The Adventures on the Gorge Resort overlooks the New River Gorge National Park near Fayetteville, W.Va.

Attractions

12 remarkable facts about the New River Gorge in West Virginia

December 19, 2022 by David Sibray

FAYETTEVILLE, W. Va. — The nation’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, is full of secrets, surprises, historic sites, and charming quirks, and chances are good that all of these are within just a day’s drive.The park is within an eight-hour drive of nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population. … Read more

Ice and snow lay thick at the Allegheny Front at Dolly Sods.

Attractions

Dolly Sods roads close for winter ’22-’23 beginning Jan. 3

December 15, 2022 by David Sibray

PETERSBURG, W.Va. — Roads leading through Dolly Sods in northern West Virginia will close to motor vehicles for the winter beginning on January 3, 2023, according to officials with the Monongahela National Forest.Rangers will close the gates on Forest Roads 19 and 75 to prevent emergencies in the high-elevation environment, according to Jim Morgan, ranger … Read more

Visitors walk Potomac Street during Christmas in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Attractions

Harpers Ferry to reenact Christmas as celebrated in 1864

November 22, 2022 by David Sibray

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — On December 3 and 4, 2022, visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park are invited to explore a historical reenactment of the town during the 1864 Christmas season when it was a Union-garrisoned community.Park staff and volunteers will portray Federal soldiers and civilian workers who will talk about the town’s transformation … Read more

Displays at the West Virginia State Farm Museum are being readied for Christmas.

Attractions

W.Va. Farm Museum Christmas Light Show runs Dec. 5-20

November 21, 2022 by Clyde Craig

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Two million lights will twinkle at the West Virginia State Farm Museum December 5-20, 2022, to celebrate Christmas, though volunteer groups and individuals are being sought to adopt buildings to decorate, according to Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt.“This light show is one of the best in the state and a credit … Read more

David Sibray inspects a thorny locust tree at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Attractions

Prehistoric mastodon may have carried these thorny trees into W.Va.

November 20, 2022 by David Sibray

CAIRO, W.Va. — With thorns the size of knives, this bizarre cousin of the black locust tree that’s common throughout West Virginia might have arrived in what’s now the Mountain State by prehistoric mastodon. Master naturalist Doug Wood has observed the species— known as the honey locust or thorny locust—in northern West Virginia along the … Read more

Life inside West Virginia’s strange “radio quiet” zone

West Virginia State Parks Foundation launches online merchandise store

West Virginia Pepperoni Roll Museum to open this spring in Fayetteville

West Virginia state parks, Smooth Ambler expand branded bourbon partnership statewide

This may look like a 1980s Pizza Hut, but it’s a vacation rental in West Virginia

Nightfall’s Value: Light pollution can diminish real estate worth in W.Va.

West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy

We asked AI how its own data centers could pollute West Virginia. Here’s what it had to say

West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition

Did Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis secretly meet in West Virginia?

Here are the top 10 winter snows that shaped West Virginia history

The house that vanished overnight: West Virginia’s Neerly House haunting

Reedsville man catches state record chain pickerel in Preston County pond

Black bear harvest remained steady in West Virginia in 2025 as predicted

West Virginia announces winners of 2025 West Virginia Big Buck Photo Contest

W.Va. DNR to sponsor West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show in Charleston

Attractions

W.Va. state park superintendents complete special police training

Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards seeks volunteers for trail work

Monongahela National Forest to provide 2023 Capitol Christmas tree

Cook’s Old Mill centerpiece of a historic W.Va. landscape

International tourism growing at new national park in W.Va.

12 remarkable facts about the New River Gorge in West Virginia

Dolly Sods roads close for winter ’22-’23 beginning Jan. 3

Harpers Ferry to reenact Christmas as celebrated in 1864

W.Va. Farm Museum Christmas Light Show runs Dec. 5-20

Prehistoric mastodon may have carried these thorny trees into W.Va.