West Virginia Explorer - Travel, News & History

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

Hunting

New West Virginia hunting rules could affect thousands of hunters this fall

Will Reedy June 29, 2026

A traveler checks into a hotel using a smartphone while a front desk employee welcomes arriving guests. Researchers at West Virginia University say artificial intelligence is changing hotel operations, but memorable guest experiences still depend on personal service. (Getty image)

Travel / Transportation

More hotels are using AI this summer. Here’s what travelers should expect

Before air conditioning became widespread, families across West Virginia escaped oppressive summer heat by gathering at cool mountain streams, a tradition that reached its peak during the record-breaking heat waves of the early 1900s and Dust Bowl era.

History / Prehistory

How hot can West Virginia get? A look at the Mountain State’s worst heat waves

Champe Rocks rise above the South Branch Valley in Pendleton County, West Virginia. The towering sandstone formation is named for Revolutionary War Sgt. Maj. John Champe, whom George Washington selected for a daring mission to capture Benedict Arnold. (Photo Rick Burgess)

History / Prehistory

George Washington’s secret agent is remembered at West Virginia’s Champe Rocks

Communities

A judge's bench stands ready for the next case. New research from West Virginia University found that while judges are increasingly using artificial intelligence to help organize information and improve efficiency, they remain committed to keeping judicial decisions in human hands. (Photo: Saúl Bucio)

West Virginia University study finds judges welcome AI, but say justice must stay human

Clyde Craig June 25, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As artificial intelligence rapidly enters schools, businesses, and government offices, many Americans are asking the same question: Will AI someday help decide court cases? New research from West Virginia University suggests the answer, at least

Streams like this one may appear insignificant, but researchers say small mountain headwaters collectively play a major role in supplying and protecting Charleston's drinking water. (WVExplorer Photo)

Charleston’s drinking water depends on thousands of small mountain streams

Clyde Craig June 24, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Perhaps most people think of Charleston‘s drinking water as beginning in the Elk River, though researchers point out that it actually starts much farther upstream. According to a new analysis by scientists at Yale University

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.

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

June 23, 2026

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

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

June 23, 2026

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.

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

June 23, 2026

A spectator watches a Fourth of July fireworks display. Medical professionals say hand injuries and burns increase significantly during Independence Day celebrations each year. (Photo: Dillen M)

Why hand injuries surge during Fourth of July fireworks celebrations

June 22, 2026

Attractions

The Williams River flows through the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas and Webster counties. Road repairs planned for nearby Forest Road 86 could affect access to campgrounds, trailheads, and recreation areas in the Williams River and Cranberry regions this summer.

Road closures to affect access to Cranberry and Williams River recreation areas

Will Reedy June 21, 2026

RICHWOOD, W.Va. — Visitors planning trips to the Cranberry and Williams River regions of the Monongahela National Forest this summer should prepare for detours and temporary road closures as the U.S. Forest Service begins repairs to flood-damaged forest

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

June 18, 2026

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

Recreation

A mature wild turkey gobbler displays during the spring breeding season in West Virginia. Once scarce across much of the state, wild turkeys have made one of North America's greatest wildlife recoveries and are now found in every West Virginia county. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Division of Natural Resources)

West Virginia’s wild turkeys have made one of America’s greatest wildlife comebacks

Will Reedy June 25, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It wasn’t long ago that hearing the gobble of wild turkeys at daybreak was a rare experience across much of West Virginia. By the early 1900s, unregulated hunting and widespread logging had pushed the state’s

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

June 11, 2026

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

Culture

An illustration depicts musicians performing at Grandview's Cliffside Amphitheater overlooking the New River Gorge. The annual Sounds of Appalachia program celebrates the mountain music, storytelling and cultural traditions of southern West Virginia. (Illustration/WVExplorer)

Why Appalachian music still echoes through West Virginia’s New River Gorge

David Sibray June 25, 2026

GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — Most visitors come to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve to hike its rugged trails, paddle its legendary whitewater, or stand in awe at the sweeping views from Grandview. But on Tuesday evening, attention

Rather than leveling the land, this contemporary West Virginia home in the Canaan Valley embraces the natural mountainside, illustrating how architects increasingly design with the state's steep terrain instead of trying to overcome it. (Illustration courtesy Mills Group)

How modern engineering is changing the way people live in West Virginia’s mountains

Bianca Bosworth June 25, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For generations, West Virginia’s steep mountainsides posed one of the state’s greatest challenges for homebuilders. Deep hollows, narrow ridges, and rugged slopes left little level ground for construction, so communities developed along river bottoms and

The Mingo Statue has greeted travelers atop Wheeling Hill since 1928. Created by Wheeling artist Henry Beu, the monument honors Native peoples associated with the Ohio Valley and remains one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. (Photo: David Sibray)

The story behind Wheeling’s Mingo statue is more complicated than most people realize

David Sibray June 24, 2026

WHEELING, W.Va. — For nearly a century, a bronze Native American figure standing atop Wheeling Hill has greeted travelers arriving in the Ohio Valley. Known simply as “The Mingo,” the statue is among Wheeling‘s most recognizable landmarks. Thousands

Anne Bailey, one of the most celebrated women of the Appalachian frontier, rides horseback through the rugged mountains of present-day West Virginia. Known for her courage, marksmanship, and legendary rides through the wilderness, Bailey became a symbol of frontier resilience during the late 18th century.

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

Captain William Foreman and 21 militiamen died in a Revolutionary War ambush at McMechen Narrows near present-day McMechen, West Virginia, in September 1777.

State Parks

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

Hunting

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

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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Hunting