Exploring West Virginia

New River Gorge National River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent. Flowing into West Virginia the river cuts through the Appalachian Plateau and forms the New River Gorge. It provides great whitewater rafting, tubing and canoeing. There are plenty of activities to choose from like hiking, zip-lining, hunting, fishing, bird watching, camping, biking, and rock climbing.

One of the most photographed sights is the New River Bridge which is the longest steel span in the hemisphere and the nation’s third highest at 876 feet above the canyon floor. At Hawk’s Nest State Park you can ride an aerial tramway into the bottom of the gorge. The Bluestone State Park offers hiking, fishing, camping and boating on the lake behind the Bluestone Dam.

Seneca Cavern formation began 460 million years ago. The native Seneca people used the caverns for shelter starting in the early 1400s. They were found by a local farmer, Laven Teter, who was looking for water for his livestock. The largest chamber that rises to 60 feet in places is named Teter Hall in his memory. There are one-hour guided tours descending to 165 feet below the entrance. There are well-lit pathways and cement steps with handrails.

Black Water Falls State Park got its name from the dark waters of the Blackwater River. The river is colored by tannic acid from the fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. Blackwater Falls drops 60 feet over sandstone ledges before the river continues on its way through an eight-mile long gorge. Due to steps and viewing platforms the falls is accessible all year round.

In the park you’ll also find the Elakala Falls, cascading down the wall of the canyon.

Pendelton Falls can be seen from the roadside. There is a boating lake for swimming, fishing and camping.

Harper's Ferry is a small town in West Virginia at the spot where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River. This is the site of abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the U.S. Arsenal in 1859. This event hastened the start of the Civil War.

Harper's Ferry National Historical Park has museums, historical exhibits and programs. There are about 20 miles of hiking trails.

You can see the rocks where the rivers meet and walk up to St. Peter’s Roman Church and the old cemetery on the hill behind it.

From the Appalachian Trail Visitors Center you can take a hike on the Appalachian Trail. Local outfitters offer tubing on the river.

Snowshoe is a year round resort popular for skiing with three separate areas to choose from and 100% snow making. Snowshoe Basin has 38 trails that cover all levels of experience. There are seven lifts. Silver Creek offers 18 trails with 12 open for night skiing. The Western Territory Area is a rugged terrain for the most advanced skiers.

In other seasons activities include mountain biking, chairlift rides, horseback riding, sip-lining, trampolines, climbing, paddle boats, pedal boats, canoeing , fishing, hiking and golf at the Raven Golf Club.

The West Virginia Penitentiary is an unusual tourist attraction. You can visit it from April through November and tour the prison. Its forbidding Gothic towers opened in 1876 and held prisoners until 1995. Visitors can tour the building and the small cells during the day and come back for ghostly spirits in the night. This is a popular place for paranormal researchers.

Another hair-rising place to visit is the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. It was built between 1858 and 1881. It is the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in the hemisphere. It was designed by architect Richard Andrews, who arranged the long rambling wings in such formation as to provide as much therapeutic sunlight and fresh air as possible. Tours highlight various historical themes, Civil War raids, treatment of the mentally ill and the facility’s agricultural history and place in the local community. It is also a favorite of paranormal researchers.

Monongahela National Forest and Seneca Rocks

The Monongahela National Forest offers visitors lovely views and wildlife sightings as well as the highest point in the state. It is one of the most diverse forest ecosystems in the country with over 225 bird species, 75 species of trees, and 70 fish species.

The Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area takes up about 100,000 acres of the park. Seneca Rocks is a distinctive 250-foot deep formation of white and gray quartzsite standing almost 900 feet above the North Fork River.

The Greenbriar is designated National Historic Landmark located at White Sulphur Springs. It is a natural spa and the grand hotel has hosted 26 presidents, foreign dignitaries, and royalty.

Greenbriar State Forest offers visitors cabins and campsites. There are hiking and biking trails. Swimming and fishing is available.

The Greenbriar River Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail that is also used for cross-country skiing in the winter.

The Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offer visitors a ride on a steam locomotive climbing up high grades.

At Whittaker Station a 1940s logging camp has been recreated, with living quarters and equipment. Visitors can tour a museum, the depot, and see restored company houses.

The Huntington Museum of Art has ten exhibition space and an interactive education gallery, a 287-seat auditorium, a conservatory for tropical and subtropical plants, a coral reef aquarium, two outdoor sculpture gardens, and two miles of hiking and nature trails. A quarter-mile paved accessible Sensory Trail is designed for the visually impaired.

There is a permanent collection of over 16,000 objects that include 4,000 pieces of glassware and the Touma Near Eastern Gallery, encompassing art from the Middle East, Ottoman Turkey, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent, North Africa, and Moorish Spain.

The Ritter Park Historic District has walking, jogging, and biking trails as well as a garden with over 3,000 roses that is considered to be one of the best rose gardens in the US.