Communities in West Virginia offer 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, as well as 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.
The newest resident of the West Virginia Wildlife Center at French Creek is accepting visitors. Born May 2, the female bison, who’s name has not yet been reported, is apparently hale, though a little unsteady, according to Rob Silvester, a wildlife biologist at the center. “A bison calf can walk almost immediately after birth, albeit … Read more
West Virginia may be among the best destinations for birding in the U.S. More than 300 species call the state home (at least temporarily, as many overwinter in the tropics). I asked naturalist Randy Bodkins which summer denizens were most likely to be spotted by those of us who have the opportunity to get out and … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is seeking public help in locating whip-poor-wills, rural songbirds that may be on the decline in West Virginia and in adjacent states. According to Curtis I. Taylor, chief of the Wildlife Resources Section for the division, biologists are asking observers to report any and … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
