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Recreation

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.

Kayaker on Deckers Creek, Morgantown, West Virginia, Monongalia County, Monongahela Valley Region
Recreation

Making sense of whitewater rapid classifications

by Mark Armstrong

With its many rivers coursing through many different kinds of terrain, West Virginia is a paradise for paddlers and rafters, especially where whitewater paddling is concerned. So familiarizing yourself with the International Scale of River Difficulty and understanding how whitewater rapids are classified could prove advisable if you’re planning a visit to the mountainous regions … Read more

An angler awaits a catch on a West Virginia lake. (Photo courtesy Maggie Smolnicka)
Recreation

West Virginia DNR to stock nearly 6,000 pounds of catfish

by Will Reedy

Leading up to the Mountain State’s annual free fishing weekend June 13-14, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is stocking nearly 6,000 pounds of channel catfish in 41 ponds and lakes around the state. Division Director Stephen McDaniel says the catfish stockings have become extremely popular across the state as trout-fishing season winds down. … Read more

ATV riders navigate a muddy trail in the mountains of southern West Virginia.
Recreation

Julian, West Virginia—base camp for a mountain paradise

by Bobby Miller

Once in a while, something good economically happens in the valley of the Coal River in West Virginia, and many years back, Boone and Lincoln counties got their share of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails network, and two sites opened representing the most northern of the trail system’s many trails. Two trailheads operating in Julian, West Virginia, … Read more

Wonderfully walkable communities in West Virginia are getting a boost, thanks to a new round of grants.
Recreation

Justice awards $7.4 million for trails, alternative transportation

by David Sibray

Towns and cities in 27 counties across West Virginia are being provided with funds to build and improve sidewalks, lighting, and rail trails. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and West Virginia Department of Transportation Secretary Byrd White awarded 38 Transportation Alternatives and Recreational Trails Program grants worth $7,414,975 in total. The governor emphasized the economic … Read more

Boaters in West Virginia are required to wear life vests on the water. (Photo: Razvan Chisu)
Recreation

Wear life jackets while boating, swimming in lakes, streams

by Clyde Craig

As the summer boating season approaches, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is reminding members of the public to wear life jackets while boating or swimming in lakes, rivers, and streams. Most water-related deaths, injuries, and incidents in West Virginia happen because someone was not wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device, according … Read more

The Allegheny Mountains extend summit after summit across eastern West Virginia. (Photo: Mountain River Media)
Recreation

Snowshoe Mountain to open for summer season July 2

by Clyde Craig

It’s finally stopped snowing in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia—in time for officials at Snowshoe Mountain Resort to unveil a modified schedule of events for summer and fall 2020. Including its Snowshoe Bike Park, the highland resort perhaps best-known for its ski areas will operate Thursdays through Sundays beginning July 2, according to resort president … Read more

Hikers trek into a spruce forest in the West Virginia highlands.
Recreation

WVU professor says trail use up, thanks to pandemic

by Bianca Bosworth

A West Virginia University researcher says exercising on local rail trails has doubled during the pandemic and is safe as long as people use best practices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. According to the Mon River Trails Conservancy trail counter data, trail use at the trail’s Van Voorhis trailhead is up 101 percent, and … Read more

Spring gobbler season in West Virginia is anticipated to be especially productive.
Recreation

Biologists anticipate increased turkey harvest opportunity

by Will Reedy

Turkey hunters in West Virginia can anticipate increased harvest opportunities during the 2020 spring gobbler season, which is scheduled to open Monday, April 20, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Predictions are based on brood reports from two years earlier, as the average harvested gobbler is a two-year-old bird, and in 2018, brood … Read more