Attractions

Re-enactors stroll the grounds of the Blennerhassett Mansion on Blennerhassett Island.

Blennerhassett Island to debut classical garden party June 23

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park will debut an early 19th century-style garden party June 23 at the park’s recently restored Blennerhassett Pleasure Garden. The party will feature lawn games, period music, and dancing, as well as an appearance by Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett and their English gardener, Peter Taylor, as portrayed in costume by historians … Read more

Overlook of New River at Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, WV, Fayette County, New River Gorge Region

New restaurant opening at Hawks Nest State Park

Featuring stunning views of the New River Gorge, The Vista Restaurant at Hawks Nest State Park has opened under park management, the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources announced today. The upscale restaurant in the park’s cliffside lodge will begin serving alcoholic beverages after July 1. “It’s a new start at Hawks Nest State Park,” superintendent … Read more

Biologist Brandon Keplinger (center) works with staff to restore trout populations.

Biologists find success restoring trout in eastern panhandle

Biologists with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources have released fingerling brook trout into a tributary of the Cacapon River with the help of students from Slanesville Elementary School, part of an effort to restore native trout to the Eastern Panhandle. The division initially stocked hatchery-raised trout, but they didn’t reproduce well, said Brandon … Read more

Farm on Jordan Run Road, Grant County, Rick Burgess, Potomac Branches Region

Agencies, farmers markets to present state park dinners

Three state agencies have partnered with the W.Va. Farmers Market Association to host eight farm-to-table dinners in West Virginia state parks. Each will take place at a park restaurant, pairing locally grown produce and products for menu items. The goal of the dinners is to introduce more locally sourced products into restaurant menus, while developing … Read more

Hikers at Beauty Mountain, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, New River Gorge Region

National parks in so. W.Va. attract more than 1.3 million

National parks in southern West Virginia attracted more than 1.3 million visitors in 2017 and added more than $78 million to the local economy, according to a visitor-spending analysis. The National Park Service reported today that 1,319,420 guests had visited the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Bluestone National Scenic River, and Gauley River … Read more

Blackwater Falls Wildflower Pilgrimage in West Virginia

Hundreds attend May wildflower weekend at Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls State Park, near Davis, West Virginia, will welcome hundreds of wildflower enthusiasts to the area May 10-13 for a weekend of springtime outdoor adventure and nature exploration during its 57th annual West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage. The Wildflower Pilgrimage is one of the longest-running special events sponsored by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. … Read more