West Virginia USA 2025

road trips | outdoor adventure | waterfalls | mountain towns

West Virginia

A nyone who has ever belted out John Denver’s “Take me home, country roads” is an honorary West Virginian longing for scenic mountains, winding country roads and a place where they belong. With countless outdoor adventures and some of the best stargazing on the East Coast, West Virginia really is an unforgettable destination. Add hundreds of waterfalls around the state and impossibly bucolic mountain towns to the mix, and you have the recipe for a peaceful paradise. Read on for our guide to experiencing the best of the outdoors here—regardless of the season.

Via the Cranberry Corridor route, you can reach Hawks Nest State Park, a 270-acre recreational area known for its scenic overlook, which provides a bird’s-eye view of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve below. Formerly known as New River Gorge National River, Congress designated it a national park and preserve (our 63rd) in January 2021. The second oldest river in the world, the New River is a rugged, whitewater river flowing northward through deep canyons and the park encompasses over 70,000 acres of land alongside it.

New River Gorge is known as one of the best climbing spots on the East Coast and it is home to single-pitch sport and trad climbing. It’s not the only place to try your hand (literally) as West Virginia has more than 4,000 climbing routes for a variety of skill levels. Drive along the Birdeye Bend and about 13 miles from Morgantown, you’ll reach Coopers Rock State Forest. In the heart of Mountaineer Country, Coopers Rock features canyon overlooks, historical sites and 50 miles of hiking and biking. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can test your skills on its gritstone walls, or go for the top-rope climbing and bouldering.

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When it comes to whitewater rafting, the higher the category, or class, the more thrilling the water. Six is the most daring number in this sport. West Virginia is home to some of the best Class Four (intense, powerful but predictable) and Class Five (extremely difficult, long and very violent) rapids in the country. Class Five is really for the experts, while Class Four is good for intermediate rafters with lots of physical endurance. The New River, Gauley River, Cheat River as well as the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers offer epic whitewater-rafting opportunities and all have outfitters available to take visitors on rafting excursions.

Whitewater rafting

Off-roading

With numerous winding mountain paths in the the southern part of the state, it’s no surprise that West Virginia is one of the world’s off-roading capitals. The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, named after the feuding families who once settled these parts, is home to more than 1,000 miles of off-road trails. If you want to try your hand at the sport, there are outfitters here that take care of everything for you, from vehicle rentals to permits to lodging. In towns like Gilbert, Man, Matewan, Delbarton and Williamson, off-road vehicles are welcome anywhere in the city limits. If you prefer to just watch, head to Gilbert for the National Trailfest each October when hundreds of ATV-, UTV- and dirt bike-enthusiasts descend for drags, scavenger hunts and more.

Hiking

With a nickname like “Mountain State,” West Virginia does not disappoint when it comes to views, and there are nearly 500 hiking trails here to help you see them. Plus, you can take a picture at each Almost Heaven swing, which offers iconic scenery as the backdrop. At the aforementioned New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, hikers can walk across the catwalk of the New River Gorge Bridge, which stretches 3,030 feet across the canyon at an altitude of 876 feet. Measuring nearly one million acres, Monongahela National Forest has over 825 miles of trails. The West Virginia State Parks system includes 35 state parks, nine state forests and three rail trails. Of these, the Greenbrier River Trail is the longest at 78 miles and it’s one of the 50 Millennium Legacy Trails in the U.S., a designation meant to reflect the spirit of the nation.

If this image to the left looks familiar, there’s a reason. Glade Creek Grist Mill Falls is one of the most photographed images in the world. If it can generate such feelings of peace and calm from its 2-D version, just imagine what it will be like in 3-D when you see it in real life. This working mill grinds corn into cornmeal from its perch along a boulder-strewn mountain stream at Babcock State Park. Visitors can actually tour the mill during operating hours and buy a bag of cornmeal from the park gift shop.

With more than 200 waterfalls around the state, West Virginia is a prime spot for chasing them. Here they range from powerful gushes cascading down cliffs to more peaceful ones flowing steadily along streams. The statewide Waterfall Trail highlights 38 waterfalls that you can find either on hikes or on roadside stops; download the mobile passport to help plan your trip and you can win prizes as you go.

In West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, sandwiched between Maryland and Virginia, you’ll find Harpers Ferry, where Meriwether Lewis was able to secure guns and hardware for his transcontinental expedition with William Clark, and later an important location in the Civil War. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is home to museums and battlefields. Thanks to the convergence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, the park is also home to Class I-III rapids. For a different spine-tingling adventure, check out the ghost tours of Harpers Ferry, part of the West Virginia Paranormal Trail. While there, head to True Treats Historic Candy, the nation's only historic candy store (selling items researched and recreated from biblical times to the early 1900s), which whips up a fresh batch of potato candy weekly.

Harpers Ferry

Davis & Thomas

The mountain towns of Davis and Thomas are located on the edge of Monongahela National Forest. Not only do these towns make a great base for outdoor adventure, they both also have personality with art galleries, restaurants and live music. Head to Milo’s Café and Restaurant in Davis for regional country fare. In Thomas, make your way to the Purple Fiddle on Front Street; this family-friendly venue, inn and restaurant often hosts Appalachian acoustic acts and nationally touring musicians.

Lewisburg

About 9 miles away from The Greenbrier, a 5-star hotel that’s also a National Historic Landmark, is Lewisburg, a bohemian town of approximately 4,000 people. A long-time haven for artists, musicians and other creatives, Lewisburg is bursting with modern galleries, restaurants, performance spaces and boutiques housed in 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century structures. It is also home to one of four continuously operating Carnegie Halls in the country. Descend 175 feet and explore Lost World Caverns, dine farm-to-table at the French Goat or set out on a hike at Greenbrier State Forest.

New River Gorge National Park

Road trips

Outdoor adventure

Waterfalls

Mountain towns

Almost Heaven swing

Glade Creek Trail

Plan your trip

Head to Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis to see two such falls. The most iconic West Virginia waterfall is the 62-foot Blackwater Falls; its amber waters are tinted by the tannic acid of fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The trail to see it is relatively short and it’s also pet-friendly. Hike through hemlock, red spruce trees, mountain laurels and rhododendrons to reach the 40-foot Elakala Falls, a series of four waterfalls near Pendelton Lake.

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West Virginia is full of small towns, craggy mountains, verdant valleys and rushing rivers, making it perfect for a road trip, as there is always something to stop and see. Not to mention, you can leave the interstate behind and instead hop on a scenic byway that's full of interesting spots, rather than race from one spot to another with nothing in between. Take advantage of the state’s five Mountain Rides like the Seneca Skyway or Heritage Highway; signage will lead the way on the country roads.

Harpers Ferry | credit: Brown W Cannon III

Mountaineer Popcorn Company | credit: Molly Wolff Photography

Purple Fiddle

Lewisburg art gallery

Harpers Ferry

Glade Creek Grist Mill Falls, Babcock State Park

Blackwater Falls State Park

UTVs riding on the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System

Canaan Valley Resort State Park

Sandstone Falls

Seneca Rocks

Coopers Rock State Forest

Hawks Nest State Park

road trips | outdoor adventure | waterfalls | mountain towns | dark skies

Seneca Rocks