Communities

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.

WVExplorer team learns of record traffic

WVExplorer celebrates 100K pageviews over four days

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — I and other developers at West Virginia Explorer would like to thank the sponsors, advertisers, visitors, and everyone else who helped us break a 14-year record this week, accruing more than 100,000 pageviews in a four-day period. Visitors who shared and reposted stories we’ve published through Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have pushed … Read more

Redbud in blossom near Far, West Virginia, Wetzel County, Northern Panhandle Region

Wildflowers on track for spring 2014 in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Spring wildflowers are on track for a timely blossom in West Virginia, according to staff at state and national parks. Unseasonable temperatures in recent years had thrown cycles off, but barring exceptional weather, 2014 should be normal. It could even be very good, thanks to ideal precipitation. I think this could be a very … Read more

Rafters in lower New River Gorge, ACE Adventure Resort

ACE sponsorship: a big win for West Virginia tourism

The development team at West Virginia Explorer would like to thank ACE Adventure Resort  for its support of the guide’s 2014 reboot, which will be unveiled in its final form in March. Among the chief sponsors of the reboot, ACE had long been one of the principal advertisers associated with the guide, which ACE’s communications director … Read more

Capitol Street in Charleston, WV, Kanawha County, Metro Valley Region

Trees can increase property value, especially in W.Va.

Whether you love or hate trees, practical and profitable reasons to plant and maintain them exist. To some folk, they’re limb-dropping, leaf-littering sources of sap.  Research demonstrates that their benefits usually outweigh their disadvantages. In West Virginia, where trees thrive naturally, parking lots and sterile fields can appear so unnatural as to lead to a … Read more

Spring Peeper

Spring peepers in W.Va. break into chorus mid-March

At least by the second week of March, West Virginians are being serenaded by a chorus of spring peepers, a  sure sign winter is done. Pseudacris crucifer, as the little peepers are officially known, breed and vocalize when their wetland homes begin to thaw. After a long, cold winter, their voices are most welcome. You’re … Read more

Saddle in New Creek Mountain, Mineral County, Potomac Branches Region

Behind the Ranges: Why we explore the unknown

I think that most explorers are motivated by a shared sense of curiosity — a need to know what lies beyond. Beyond the ridge. Behind the ranges. Beyond field and forest. Many of my own country drives and woodland hikes are lengthened simply by the need to see what’s around another turn. Fellow explorer Harriette … Read more