West Virginia Explorer West Virginia Explorer News
Browse

Recreation

See our Recreation Travel Guide

West Virginia offers a diverse array of outdoor recreation opportunities that make it a top destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. From world-class whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers to scenic hiking and rock climbing in the iconic New River Gorge National Park, the Mountain State delivers thrilling experiences year-round. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, camping, mountain biking, and winter sports in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. With its lush forests, winding rivers, and rich heritage, West Virginia offers a perfect setting for families, solo travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking to explore breathtaking natural landscapes. Be sure to visit our guide for information about indoor and outdoor recreation in West Virginia.

Airboats have proved an ideal means to explore the shallow Tug Fork at Matewan, W.Va.
Recreation

Airboat tours offer exciting means to explore Hatfield-McCoy country

by David Sibray

MATEWAN, W.Va.—The mountainous borderland between Kentucky and West Virginia where the Hatfields and McCoys once feuded is now increasingly the domain of adventure travelers. Seeking a retreat in one of the most remote sections of the Appalachian Mountains, here adventurers on all-terrain vehicles climb into the precipitous hills, and historians and history buffs explore ghost … Read more

West Virginia fisheries biologist Aaron Yeager (left) with Lucas King (right) holding King's record musky.
Recreation

Angler catches W.Va. record muskie in Braxton County

by David Sibray

West Virginia officials have confirmed that on Saturday, March 19, Lucas King, of Burnsville, West Virginia, caught and released a new Mountain State record muskie. King was fishing from the bank of the Little Kanawha River at a public access site in the tailwater section of Burnsville Dam in Braxton County, according to the state … Read more

A white-tailed buck deer waits in a West Virginia woodland.
Recreation

West Virginia hunters harvested 105,278 deer in 2021

by Will Reedy

Hunters harvested 105,278 white-tailed deer in 2021 during the recent buck firearms, antlerless, muzzleloader, archery, crossbow, youth/Class Q/Class XS, and Mountaineer Heritage deer seasons. The total harvest was 1.5 percent below the 2020 deer harvest of 106,861 and was less than one percent below the five-year average of 105,718, according to Paul Johansen, chief of … Read more

West Virginia residents are eligible through December to register for the annual Hunting & Fishing License Giveaway.
Recreation

Division of Natural Resources conducts study on hunting

by Will Reedy

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is conducting a survey of state residents and their hunting participation and success rates for various species to help manage wildlife populations and hunting opportunities in the state. The study will include licensed hunters, license-exempt hunters, and state residents among the general population, according to Paul Johansen, chief of the division’s wildlife … Read more

Trail riders on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails
Recreation

Hatfield-McCoy Trails set historic growth record in 2021

by David Sibray

The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System in southern and southwestern West Virginia sold nearly 95,000 trail permits in 2021—the highest number of annual permits sold in a single year, which was also the system’s 21st consecutive year of growth in ridership. Permit sales enjoyed a 46-percent lift over 2020 sales, according to Gov. Jim Justice, and 68 … Read more

A rite of winter in West Virginia, trout stockings have resumed in select lakes and streams. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)
Recreation

Trout stocking 2022 underway on West Virginia streams

by Will Reedy

Trout stocking has commenced for the spring 2022 season in West Virginia, and 60 sections of stream have so far been stocked, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Stockings will increase in February and continue through spring. Updates on stocking are posted online at wvdnr.gov/fish-stocking. While fishing for trout in West Virginia, all … Read more

Black bear are now found in all 55 West Virginia counties.
Recreation

W.Va. hunters harvested 2,756 black bears in 2021

by Will Reedy

West Virginia hunters harvested 2,756 black bears during the combined 2021 archery and firearms seasons, a 22 percent decrease compared to the 2020 harvest of 3,541 bears. The decreased black bear harvest can be attributed to abundant mast production, which was 61 percent above 2020 numbers and eight percent above the long-term average, according to … Read more