Hiking

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia state parks will welcome the New Year by inviting residents and visitors to step outside, lace up their boots, and explore the state’s public lands during 24 free, guided First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2026. Held at 21 state parks and forests across West Virginia, the hikes are part … Read more

BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginians know winter differently. When the leaves fall, and the chatter of summer tourism fades, the Mountain State and its Appalachian neighbors enter a season that feels quieter, older, and somehow more honest. For hikers willing to lace up their boots when temperatures dip, winter offers some of the most rewarding … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Trail advocates and trail-building organizations from across West Virginia are being asked to voice their opinions on building and maintaining the Mountain State’s recreational trails this fall in a series of statewide meetings. Sam England, executive director of West Virginia Trail, says the meetings will bring together stakeholders from across the region … Read more

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — On a soft summer morning in the New River Gorge, the forest comes to life with quiet mystery. Rhododendron branches arch into shadowed tunnels, salamanders dart across mossy rocks, and the distant rush of waterfalls blends with birdsong that echoes through the canyon. For most hikers, the best-known trails in the gorge—such … Read more

BUFFALO, W.Va. — Among the fields and wetlands of the lower Kanawha Valley in West Virginia, a green haven for biodiversity has taken root and become one of the most ecologically vibrant and educationally rich trail systems in the state. A 2.75-mile network of walking paths winds through wetlands, restored habitats, and pollinator gardens, where … Read more

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Only the most sharp-eyed outdoor enthusiasts may have spotted this remarkable one-leafed orchid hiding in the West Virginia woodlands in winter. While most plants gather sunlight in the warm months, this remarkable denizen of the forest floor produces its single papery leaf in winter after the canopy of leaves drops. The unusual … Read more

LANSING, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice and other state and federal dignitaries cut the ribbon today on an expanded parking facility established to accommodate a boom in tourism sweeping the state. Justice and Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the W.Va. Department of Tourism, opened the new parking area at the 2.4-mile Endless Wall Trail in the … Read more