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Attractions

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 such as the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, explore Harpers Ferry’s rich history, 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, West Virginia’s attractions 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.

A steam-powered excursion train travels through the mountains at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. A new 100-site campground has opened at the popular railroad and outdoor recreation destination.

Attractions

New 100-site campground opens at popular West Virginia mountain destination

September 15, 2026 by David Sibray

CASS, W.Va. — A new 100-site campground has opened at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, adding a major new place to stay near the Greenbrier River and one of West Virginia’s best-known recreational trails. Slabtown Campground offers tent and RV sites, heated bathhouses, laundry facilities, and a camp store. Six campsites have electric, water, and sewer … Read more

A hiker follows the boardwalk beneath the Alum Cave rock overhang along the Middle Fork River at Audra State Park. The photograph won the outdoor recreation category. (Photo by Stasha Ray)

Attractions

Family gives 47 acres to expand scenic West Virginia state park

September 11, 2026 by David Sibray

AUDRA, W.Va. — A West Virginia family with roots in the mountains surrounding Audra State Park stretching back 175 years has donated 47 acres to the park, a substantial addition that officials say will provide space for future trail development. The family of Victor and Mary Thacker formally donated the property during a ceremonial deed … Read more

Historic buildings line the railroad at Thurmond, a former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway boomtown now largely preserved within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The town is challenging National Park Service plans to demolish several historic structures.

Attractions

Historic town inside national park prepares legal fight to stop demolitions

September 5, 2026 by Clyde Craig

THURMOND, W.Va. — A nearly abandoned railroad town preserved within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is preparing for a legal fight with the federal agency that owns much of it as the National Park Service moves toward demolishing historic buildings there. Bailey & Glasser LLP has agreed to represent the Thurmond town council … Read more

The Big Moses gas well erupts along Indian Creek in Tyler County, West Virginia, during the region’s oil and gas boom of the 1890s. Drilled in search of oil in 1894, the well instead struck an enormous flow of natural gas that repeatedly resisted efforts to bring it under control.

Attractions

In 1895, lightning struck a massive West Virginia gas well, which then blew out its own fire

September 4, 2026 by David Sibray

ALMA, W.Va. — When lightning struck one of the world’s most powerful gas wells in 1895, flames reportedly leaped 200 feet into the air, illuminating the rural countryside as crowds traveled to see what a Parkersburg newspaper described as a scene both “grand and awful.” The spectacle lasted only about two hours. Gas escaped from … Read more

A young forager gathers wild berries. Foraging for edible plants is the focus of Nature Wonder Weekend, a West Virginia tradition held at North Bend State Park since 1968. (Getty image)

Attractions

Annual Nature Wonder Weekend brings wild food gatherers to North Bend State Park

September 2, 2026 by David Sibray

CAIRO, W.Va. — For nearly six decades, people have gathered in the woods of a West Virginia state park to find, prepare, and eat foods most visitors might simply walk past. The tradition will continue Sept. 11–13, when Nature Wonder Weekend, commonly known as Wild Foods Weekend, returns to North Bend State Park in Ritchie County … Read more

The former Fort Gay High School in Fort Gay, W.Va., closed in 2013 and is now being redeveloped with eight affordable apartments and space for community, municipal and commercial uses.

Attractions

West Virginia high school closed for 13 years is becoming apartments

September 1, 2026 by David Sibray

FORT GAY, W.Va. — A West Virginia high school that closed 13 years ago is being converted into apartments, offices and community space, giving a new purpose to a landmark that has stood in this small Wayne County town since 1931. Eight affordable apartments on the second floor of the former Fort Gay High School … Read more

The night sky stretches above the observation tower at Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park in Pocahontas County. The photograph won the summer beauty category in the West Virginia State Parks Foundation's spring and summer photo contest. (Photo by Leslie Carpenter)

Attractions

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

August 31, 2026 by David Sibray

HILLSBORO, W.Va. — A star-filled sky above a Civil War battlefield, a magnolia warbler among the leaves, and a dog cooling off in a mountain stream are among five photographs selected this year to capture summer in West Virginia’s state parks and forests. The winning images were taken at five destinations across the state and came … Read more

The Gothic Revival facade of the West Virginia Penitentiary dominates Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville. The prison operated from 1866 until 1995 and is now open to visitors as a historic attraction.

Attractions

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

August 29, 2026 by Ted Fauster

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Behind stone walls 24 feet high, as many as 2,000 people were once confined in a massive Gothic prison that spanned three city blocks in the heart of this Ohio River community. For 129 years, the West Virginia Penitentiary operated in Moundsville, growing from an institution created shortly after statehood into an … Read more

The New River winds through a landscape where railroads, communities, industrial history and outdoor recreation remain intertwined inside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Attractions

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

August 19, 2026 by David Sibray

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — National Park Week begins Saturday, spotlighting hundreds of America’s most celebrated landscapes. But in West Virginia, the national park experience is a little different. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve isn’t simply wilderness set aside from the modern world. Railroads still rumble along the New River, and communities and privately … Read more

A debris slide blocks a road in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve following torrential rainfall Sunday. Flooding, washouts and fallen trees closed several roads and recreation access points across the park. (NPS photo)

Attractions

Flash flooding closes roads across New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia

August 16, 2026 by Clyde Craig

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Torrential rainfall has washed out roads, triggered slides, and toppled trees in the northern New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, closing several routes into the gorge and cutting off access to popular river and camping areas. The park service reported Sunday evening that the road to Nuttallburg was impassable, and … Read more

Forest service plans controlled burns on 726 acres in Monongahela National Forest

West Virginia resort Stonewall ranks among South’s best in Condé Nast Traveler awards

Foundation seeks to expand private funding for West Virginia State Parks projects

Nearly $20 million in upgrades coming to West Virginia state parks

Eight historic West Virginia buildings awarded $490,000 for preservation

America’s wild turkey hunting tradition returns to West Virginia forests

WVU Mountaineer Reese Allen to get flu shot as officials urge fall vaccinations

GPS trackers in new study reveal W.Va. otters traveling up to 30 miles a night

Before Mothman, West Virginia’s mysterious TNT area was World War II explosives factory

Why old West Virginia families waited for cold weather and a full moon to kill hogs

Four ghost stories hidden in the abandoned towns of the New River Gorge

After losing excursion trains, W.Va. rail town Hinton found a way to keep celebrating

Snowshoe sets Nov. 25 opening date as West Virginia ski season approaches

Fewer acorns could mean more deer sightings for West Virginia hunters this fall

West Virginia archery season opens Sept. 26 for deer, bear, and wild boar

Want your children to spend more time outdoors? Start with yourself, educator says

Attractions

New 100-site campground opens at popular West Virginia mountain destination

Family gives 47 acres to expand scenic West Virginia state park

Historic town inside national park prepares legal fight to stop demolitions

In 1895, lightning struck a massive West Virginia gas well, which then blew out its own fire

Annual Nature Wonder Weekend brings wild food gatherers to North Bend State Park

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

Flash flooding closes roads across New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia