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The 12 best swimming holes in West Virginia for ideal summer escapes

A researcher adjusts laser-based equipment used to study plasma behavior in a laboratory setting. Scientists at West Virginia University are developing new methods that could advance technologies ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to spacecraft propulsion and fusion energy.

Higher Education

WVU researchers developing plasma tech that could improve computer chips, spacecraft and fusion energy

Clyde Craig June 23, 2026

A traditional West Virginia hot dog topped with mustard, chili, onions, and coleslaw is served in a 1950s diner setting. The chili-slaw dog became a popular meal among miners, railroad workers, and factory employees and remains a signature food across the Mountain State. (WVExplorer Illustration)

Food

Why the West Virginia hot dog is unlike any other in America

adventure tourism have become increasingly important drivers of the state's visitor economy. (Photo: David Sibray)

Travel / Transportation

New outdoor expo to highlight West Virginia’s growing adventure tourism industry

The New River Gorge Bridge is the river's most recognizable landmark, though the famous gorge represents only a small portion of the New River's 360-mile course through Appalachia.

Wildlife / Conservancy

Most visitors to the New River Gorge see only a small part of the river that carved it

Communities

Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, illuminate a West Virginia field on a summer evening. The Mountain State is home to numerous species whose populations depend on healthy habitat and dark night skies.

Scientists say West Virginia’s dark skies are becoming a refuge for fireflies

David Sibray June 20, 2026

WATOGA, W.Va. — As fireflies begin their annual summer display across West Virginia, scientists say one of the insects’ greatest allies may be something many residents take for granted—darkness. Across much of the eastern U.S., artificial lighting continues

A new $7 million research partnership between West Virginia University and Johns Hopkins University will support studies focused on rural health, mental health, substance use disorders, dementia, and other healthcare challenges affecting West Virginia communities.

WVU, Johns Hopkins launch $7 million partnership to address W.Va. health challenges

Clyde Craig June 19, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University and Johns Hopkins University have launched a new $7 million research partnership to address some of the state’s most pressing health and environmental challenges and help researchers compete for major federal grants.

A white-tailed doe feeds twin fawns near Dolly Sods Wilderness during peak fawn season in West Virginia, when thousands of baby deer are born across the state's forests and mountain landscapes.

Why baby deer are appearing across West Virginia right now

June 19, 2026

Communities nationwide have used historic tax credits to transform aging downtowns into centers of housing, commerce, tourism, and community life.

West Virginia-backed Senate bill could spur new investment in historic downtowns across America

June 18, 2026

An architect's rendering shows the new Railyard Event and Conference Center in Elkins, a $11.6 million facility expected to attract conferences, weddings, entertainment events, and new visitor spending to West Virginia's Allegheny Highlands region.

$11.6 million railyard venue opening in Elkins to draw visitors to the Allegheny Highlands

June 17, 2026

Green Bank Telescope powers WVU search for gravitational waves and cosmic origins

June 12, 2026

Attractions

The ancient Teays River flowed across present-day West Virginia millions of years before glaciers reshaped eastern North America and created the modern Ohio River system.

Ancient river once flowed across West Virginia before vanishing during the Ice Age

Clyde Craig June 18, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va.— Long before the Ohio River existed and long before humans set foot in North America, a massive river flowed across what is now West Virginia. Known as the Teays River, the ancient waterway drained a vast

West Virginia Explorer publisher David Sibray explores a remote section of Tomlinson Run within Tomlinson Run State Park. The park protects one of the largest remaining forested watersheds in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle and supports plant communities uncommon elsewhere in the region.

Tomlinson Run preserves unusual Appalachian forest rarely found in Northern Panhandle

David Sibray June 18, 2026

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Many visitors know Tomlinson Run State Park as West Virginia’s northernmost state park, but park officials and naturalists say its ecological significance may be even more important than its location. The 1,398-acre park in

Cathedral Falls near Gauley Bridge, WV, Fayette County, New River Gorge Region

The West Virginia waterfall that stops travelers in their tracks

June 16, 2026

An elaborate system of boardwalks weaves throught the boulders at Beartown State Park.

Why Beartown State Park is one of West Virginia’s strangest places

June 15, 2026

Visitors to the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area will able to drive Forest Road 75 (pictured) along the Allegheny Front though Forest Road 19 from Lanesville will be closed for repairs.

Major access road to Dolly Sods Wilderness in national forest closing for repair

June 14, 2026

Blackwater Falls in Tucker County ranks among the tallest and most visited waterfalls in West Virginia, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

West Virginia’s highest waterfalls ranked: The Mountain State’s tallest cascades

June 13, 2026

Recreation

More New River Gorge hikers are leaving Endless Wall for the Grandview Rim Trail

Bianca Bosworth June 15, 2026

GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — For years, two trails near Fayetteville have dominated conversations about hiking in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The Endless Wall Trail, a nationally recognized route that follows the rim of the gorge above

Volunteers gather on Peters Mountain near Franklin to help build a new trail system in the Monongahela National Forest during a hands-on trail-building workshop.

New Peters Mountain Trail System takes shape in Monongahela National Forest near Franklin

David Sibray June 12, 2026

FRANKLIN, W.Va. — Nearly 30 volunteers braved rain, fog, and mud last week to begin construction of the new Peters Mountain Trail System, a project designed to improve public access to the Monongahela National Forest and strengthen connections

Rock climbing in the New River Gorge near the New River Gorge Bridge

Interior Department opens review of rock climbing policies affecting New River Gorge

Clyde Craig June 11, 2026

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — The U.S. Department of the Interior has launched a nationwide review of rock-climbing management practices and wilderness stewardship policies that could ultimately affect rock climbing in some of America’s most celebrated climbing destinations, including the

Youth gather for a fishing tournament at the Bowden Fish Hatchery near Elkins, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)

Bowden Fish Hatchery to host free Youth Fishing Derby during W.Va. Free Fishing Days

June 9, 2026

Fisheries experts say the upward trend in fishing records is the result of several factors, including better stocking and water quality improvement.

Here’s why fishing records are being broken more often now in West Virginia

May 25, 2026

The Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant and widespread North American birds and a popular gamebird.

South Branch ends mourning dove permits; controlled hunt begin at Stonewall Jackson

May 11, 2026

John Terry, of Gallagher, in Kanawha County, set a new state record for tiger trout on March 19 by catching a 29.13-inch, 11.04-pound tiger trout from Seneca Lake in Pocahontas County.

John Terry catches record-breaking tiger trout in lake at Seneca State Forest

May 10, 2026

One of the largest networks on the East Coast, the routes activate thousands of miles of gravel roads across the Mon Forest for visitors and communities. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gravel, bikepacking network connects towns across Monongahela National Forest region

May 7, 2026

Motorboats with engines larger than 10 horsepower are now permitted to operate at no-wake speed on Elk Fork, North Bend, O’Brien, Stonecoal, and Woodrum lakes.

Horsepower restrictions removed on five small lakes in West Virginia

May 6, 2026

Hunter Rohr, 15, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, has caught a golden rainbow trout that set state records for length and weight.

Buckhannon teen Rohr catches record-breaking golden rainbow trout

May 3, 2026

Matt Born of Reedsville, West Virginia, has caught a new state record chain pickerel.

Reedsville man catches state record chain pickerel in Preston County pond

May 3, 2026

Black bears: The 2025 black bear harvest fell just ten bears short of the 2024 total of 2,479.

Black bear harvest remained steady in West Virginia in 2025 as predicted

January 26, 2026

Culture

West Virginia Gov. William C. Marland addresses a Wyoming County audience during the 1950s. Historians remember Marland for championing school integration, economic modernization, and an early coal severance tax proposal.

William Marland: The rise, fall, and redemption of West Virginia’s visionary governor

David Sibray June 20, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — William C. Marland was one of the most fascinating and tragic figures in West Virginia’s political history. Elected governor in 1952 at age 34, he was considered a rising star whose intelligence, charisma, and reform

Illustration of delegates attending the 1861 Wheeling Convention at the Customs House in Wheeling, Virginia, a pivotal event in the creation of West Virginia.

West Virginia turns 163: The only state born by breaking away from the Confederacy

Bianca Bosworth June 20, 2026

WHEELING, W.Va. — As communities across the Mountain State prepare to celebrate West Virginia Day on June 20, residents are marking more than another state birthday. They are commemorating one of the most unusual chapters in American history.

West Virginians celebrate West Virginia Day on June 20, marking the state's 1863 admission to the Union and honoring the history, culture, and traditions of the Mountain State.

West Virginia Day 2026: 10 events and festivals celebrating the Mountain State’s birthday

David Sibray June 19, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginians will mark the state’s 163rd birthday, West Virginia Day, on Saturday, June 20, with festivals, heritage celebrations, outdoor events, and community gatherings stretching from the Eastern Panhandle to the coalfields of southern West

Effie "Aunt Effie" Wells of Tyler County recalled a family story that linked her household to John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

Lore and Legend

Wild Man of West Virginia? Orval Brown, the famed "Wild Man of Clay County, reportedly spent much of his youth sleeping in caves

Real Estate

Mineral Rights in West Virginia: A majority of lawnowners in West Virginia are unaffected by the ownership of minerals beneath the surface.

History and Prehistory

The West Virginia Department of Tourism has announced its 2026 History Heroes Award recipients, honoring volunteers, preservationists, historians, genealogists, and museum leaders from communities across the Mountain State

State Parks

National Trails Day encourages people of all ages to get outdoors, connect with their community, and become trail stewards.

Hunting

Big Buck Photo Contest: Hunter Miller of Advent, W.Va. with a buck he harvested on Nov. 24, 2025, in Jackson County.

Fishing

Trout stocking: Hatchery crews stocked trout in 46 lakes and streams across West Virginia during the week of Jan. 5.

Hiking

Held at 21 state parks and forests across West Virginia, the First Day hikes are part of a nationwide New Year’s Day tradition designed to promote outdoor recreation.

Skiing

White Grass has long been a magnet for visitors from Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mountain River Media)

National Parks

Kayaking

Kayakers On The Ohio River in West Virginia

Whitewater Rafting

Biking

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Higher Education