Communities in West Virginia offers residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, along with rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together. With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.
Following a fire that destroyed a remarkable centerpiece of the new West Virginia Renaissance Festival, community leaders in the Greenbrier Valley are rallying to raise funds to assist in its reconstruction. Alaina Hower, an organizer of a fundraiser to be held March 10 in Lewisburg, West Virginia, is among community members who say the festival … Read more
Chief Logan State Park is introducing a free bird-watching program on weekends in February, March, and April to welcome novice and ardent bird watchers to the mountainous valley of the Guyandotte River. Park naturalist Lauren Cole says she’s identified 11 spring species in the park, though more may soon be found as participants come to … Read more
Marion County has become one of the most vibrant communities in West Virginia — the kind of place one can experience a practically Perfect Day, says Leah Nestor, engagement specialist for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Marion County. Following-through with her New Year’s resolution to emphasize daily rest, health, and fun, she takes us … Read more
Airbnb today announced a new program designed to support federal employees in West Virginia who host guests during the U.S. government shutdown. Lodging-organization spokesman Ben Breit cited a recent report that asserts that West Virginia ranks seventh among states most impacted by the shutdown. “As federal employees across West Virginia begin to go without their … Read more
Midway between West Virginia’s two largest cities (Charleston and Huntington), pastoral Putnam County provides metro-valley residents a convenient retreat from hustle and bustle. That’s only one of many reasons it’s a favorite destination here at West Virginia Explorer. The Putnam County Convention and Visitor Bureau has just posted an article regarding its best cozy winter … Read more
Airbnb.com announced today that its West Virginia host community earned a combined $10 million in supplemental income while welcoming approximately 90,000 guests in 2018. “This comes as West Virginians increasingly embrace the home-sharing platform as an opportunity to earn supplemental income and make ends meet,” according to Ben Breit, a spokesman for Airbnb Midwest Affairs. … Read more
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — On the western edge of the D.C. metro, elusive bobcats roam the darkness in the hills of West Virginia. Biologists would like to know just how many. They’re enlisting the help of trappers in the state’s eastern panhandle and its Allegheny Mountains region, asking trappers to release the cats back into the … Read more
Eight West Virginia projects will share in $271,980 in federal funding to enhance the production, processing, and consumption of specialty crops, according to the W.Va. Department of Agriculture. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree-nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture, according to state Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. W.Va. Dept. of … Read more
In search of a cozy cabin? The New River Gorge has become an increasingly popular winter retreat for travelers in search of cabin lodging, natural beauty, and plenty of great food. Off-season rates combined with world-renowned hiking trails, rock-climbing areas, and restaurants are attracting more vacationers every year, says Heather Johnson of River Expeditions, an … Read more
A new extended-stay hotel being built in the Teays Valley between Huntington and Charleston is a harbinger of increasing travel growth along the interstate corridor there, according to its owners and travel-industry officials. To open along Interstate 64 in summer 2019, the 74-room dual-brand facility will include Sleep Inn-style rooms for short-term guests and MainStay … Read more
