what is there to do in west virginia
15 Acme-Rated Tourist Attractions in West Virginia
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With some of the Due east Coast's well-nigh beautiful and rugged scenery, West Virginia is filled with year-circular outdoor adventure opportunities. Its wild mount country, densely-forested wilderness areas, and fast-running rivers are playgrounds for hiking, camping, caving, stone climbing, whitewater rafting, canoeing, and line-fishing. In the winter, ski resorts offering a range of snow sports.
Active travelers will never run out of things to do here. While many tourists come to the state for these outdoor activities and scenic landscapes, West Virginia offers much more in the mode of tourist attractions, from the historic sights of Harpers Ferry and the elegant Greenbrier and its legendary golf courses to some very unusual attractions, including a penitentiary to tour.
Yous'll observe plenty of vacation ideas with our list of the top tourist attractions in Due west Virginia.
Annotation: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and prophylactic issues.
1. Blackwater Falls Land Park
Named for the night waters of the Blackwater River, colored past tannic acid from fallen hemlock and carmine bandbox needles, Blackwater Falls drops 60 feet over sandstone ledges before the river continues to blitz through an viii-mile-long gorge. Steps and viewing platforms make the falls attainable yr-round.
Also popular places to visit in the park are Elakala Falls, which cascade down the wall of the canyon and tin can be reached by a short trail, and Pendleton Falls, easily seen from a roadside pull-off. The view into the Blackwater Canyon from Lindy Point, one of the most cute places in Westward Virginia, is another park highlight, as is Pendleton Point Overlook, at the canyon's deepest point. The park has a boating lake, as well equally pond, fishing, and camping.
Address: 1584 Blackwater Gild Road, Davis, West Virginia
Official site: http://www.blackwaterfalls.com/
ii. Monongahela National Forest and Seneca Rocks
With elevations ranging from around i,000 feet to four,863 feet above sea level, the Monongahela National Forest offers beautiful views, wildlife, and the highest point in the state. The diverseness of terrain and rainfall across its more than 900,000 acres gives it one of the nigh various forest ecosystems in the country, supporting more than than 225 bird species; 75 species of trees; and 70 fish species, both game and non-game.
Nearly 100,000 acres of the park are designated equally the Bandbox Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, offering some of the all-time traditional multi-pitch technical climbing on the east coast. Seneca Rocks is a distinctive 250-human foot-deep formation of white and gray quartzite that stands almost 900 feet above the North Fork River. Some routes are moderate, simply experts are challenged past the exposed tiptop pinnacle.
Non-climbers tin can enjoy the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center and campgrounds at Seneca Shadows and Big Bend, along with thousands of acres of wildlands.
Address: 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, W Virginia
Official site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/mnf
3. The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier has earned its designation equally a National Celebrated Landmark several times over. Located at White Sulphur Springs, which have been in use every bit a natural spa since the 1700s, the g hotel has hosted 26 presidents, foreign dignitaries, and royalty, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco and the Knuckles and Duchess of Windsor.
But however m and luxurious information technology is as a resort, it has played other historic roles, besides. Early in World War Ii, information technology was used as a detention center for German and Japanese diplomats who were in the United States when state of war was alleged. Later in the war, it was commandeered past the U.S. Ground forces to use as a hospital, where most 25,000 patients were treated.
During the Common cold State of war, an underground shelter was built to house the entire U.S. Congress in case of nuclear assail. This shelter, given the code name "Project Greek Island," was decommissioned in 1992 and is open to the public for tours, equally is the Presidents' Cottage Museum, with exhibits near presidential visits and the history of the resort.
More than 50 different activities are bachelor in the resort and in the 5,100-acre Greenbrier State Forest. Forth with horseback riding, indoor and outdoor lawn tennis courts, adventure courses, and a twoscore,000-square-foot spa, the resort has multiple golf game courses (even an indoor i for winter) and a distinguished golf history every bit the venue for numerous championships.
Greenbrier Land Forest offers cabins and campsites, pond, fishing, wheel trails and hiking – the 78-mile-long Greenbrier River Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail that is also used for cantankerous-country skiing in the winter. A getaway in i of the centuries-old Legacy Cottages is ane of the near romantic things to do in West Virginia.
Address: 300 Due west. Primary Street, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Accommodation: The Greenbrier
4. Snowshoe
This yr-round resort is all-time known for its skiing, with three separate areas to choose from, all with 100 percent snowmaking. With an 800-human foot vertical drop, Snowshoe Basin's 38 trails cover all experience levels, served by vii lifts, including a loftier-speed detachable quad. Of Silver Creek's 18 trails, 12 are open for night skiing.
The Western Territory Area's steep, rugged terrain has 1,500 feet of vertical drib, the most advanced terrain in the region. Steeps on Cupp Run, designed by legendary Olympian Jean-Claude Killy, and Shay'due south Revenge reach 52 percentage pitch.
In other seasons, activities include mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, geocaching, horseback riding, Segway tours, ziplining, trampolining, climbing, pedal boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, hiking, fishing, and golf at the Raven Golf game Club. Not far away, in Greenbank, is the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
Address: 10 Snowshoe Bulldoze, Snowshoe, West Virginia
Official site: http://www.snowshoemtn.com
5. Berkeley Springs
The bathhouse at Berkeley Springs State Park, in the center of Berkeley Springs, commencement opened in 1930, but long before that bathing in the warm and effervescent mineral waters was popular. George Washington was a regular company and even earlier, the springs' restorative and therapeutic properties brought Native Americans here from as far away as southern Canada.
Baths and treatments take advantage of the five main springs and several smaller ones, flowing at a rate of 2,000 gallons of articulate, sparkling water per minute at a abiding 74.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
Located in the center of the small boondocks of Berkeley Springs, the state park facilities include the quondam-fashioned private bathing tubs, saunas, and massages at the Old Roman Bath Building and Master Bath Firm; elsewhere in boondocks are more luxurious private spas with a range of health and beauty options.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Berkley Springs
six. New River Gorge National River
Contrary to its proper noun, New River is really one of the oldest rivers on the continent. As it flows into West Virginia, information technology cuts through the Appalachian Plateau, forming the New River Gorge and plenty of whitewater for tubing, rafting, and canoeing. Other recreational opportunities are all around it: hiking, ziplining, hunting, angling, bird-watching, camping, biking, and rock climbing.
One of the state'southward virtually photographed sights is the soaring New River Span, the longest steel span in the hemisphere and the nation'south third highest, 876 feet above the canyon floor. The National Park Service maintains 70,000 acres of park lands along the river, and at Militarist's Nest State Park, you tin can ride an aerial tramway into the lesser of the New River Gorge, a prime spot for whitewater rafting.
South of New River Gorge National River at Bluestone Land Park there is hiking, fishing, camping, and canoeing on the large lake backside the Bluestone Dam.
Official site: http://world wide web.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
7. Whitewater Rafting
It's no secret that West Virginia is i of the best places to get whitewater rafting. Several rivers offer globe-form rapids for experts, and others are well-suited to less experienced and learning rafters. The most famous waters are in the Gauley River, between Summersville and Fayetteville, in the Gauley River National Recreation Area. Both the Gauley and New rivers are easily accessed from a base in nearby Babcock or Hawks Nest land parks.
Here, the 25-mile river flows at high speed through gorges and valleys, providing the thrill of a lifetime to experienced rafters; it's no wonder the Grade V rapids are nicknamed the "Brute of the East."
Fall is the fourth dimension to detect the well-nigh challenging menstruation, but at any time it's a expert idea to hire an experienced guide who knows the river and its quirks and can help you observe the places that are best suited to your own experience level. Although it's known for its Class 5 rapids the Gauley has some stretches of Course Three that are suitable for intermediate levels.
For those with less experience, the Tygart River, Cheat River, and Potomac River are good options, every bit is the Upper New River, which has practiced stretches for beginners. Lower New River has Form Iv rapids that offer runs past the New River Gorge Bridge.
- Read More: All-time Whitewater Rafting Rivers in West Virginia
8. Harpers Ferry
The Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River at this small-scale Due west Virginia town, which was the site of abolitionist John Chocolate-brown's raid on the United states arsenal in 1859, an upshot that hastened the onset of the Civil War.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has museums, historical exhibits, and programs, plus about xx miles of hiking trails. You tin can explore the rocks where the rivers meet and walk up to St. Peter's Roman Cosmic Church and the old cemetery on the hill behind it.
Also in Harpers Ferry is the Appalachian Trail Visitors Eye, from which you can take a hike on the Appalachian Trail for views of the town and rivers. Local outfitters offer tubing excursions in the river.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Harpers Ferry
nine. W Virginia Penitentiary
1 of the nearly unlikely places to visit in any state, the W Virginia Penitentiary welcomes guests from April through November to bout the grim prison that sometimes held more than 1,000 prisoners at a fourth dimension. The forbidding Gothic fortress opened in 1876, and the concluding prisoner left in 1995. Betwixt those dates it was the scene of fires, escapes, prison riots, and almost 100 executions.
Visitors can tour the building and its claustrophobia-inducing 5-foot past seven-foot cells during the day, or explore the reportedly haunted location at night. The penitentiary is a popular identify for paranormal researchers looking for testify of spectral phenomena.
Address: 818 Jefferson Ave, Moundsville, Due west Virginia
Official site: http://world wide web.wvpentours.com
10. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
At the Cass Breathtaking Railroad Land Park, you can relive the Golden Historic period of Steam on a line built in 1901 to haul lumber from the wood to the factory, riding in refurbished logging apartment-cars pulled by an original Shay steam locomotive. The full four.five-60 minutes trip includes switchbacks that allow the train to climb grades as loftier as 11 per centum to attain Bald Knob. At an altitude of 4,700 anxiety, this is West Virginia'due south tertiary highest bespeak, overlooking spectacular views.
At Whittaker Station, a 1940s logging camp has been recreated, with the living quarters and the equipment. At the base of operations, you tin can tour a museum and the depot and see restored visitor houses that can be rented for overnight stays. On the train ride, be prepared for racket, black smoke, and chilly temperatures at Bald Knob.
Official site: www.cassrailroad.com
11. West Virginia State Museum at the Civilization Centre
Amid the gratis things to do in Due west Virginia is touring the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston to learn about the country'due south civilisation, history, art, paleontology, archæology, and geology. One of the most pop of its 60,000 artifacts is a pair of dressed fleas from a 19th-century flea circus.
Well-designed exhibits of a more serious nature literally follow a path through the state's history, beginning with rock and clay and ending in a paved highway. Every bit visitors progress from room to room through the centuries, sound features broaden exhibits and films.
Artifacts include everyday implements and items such equally a telescope that George Washington used to survey state in W Virginia. In one department, you'll learn more than almost John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, and elsewhere is an original settler'due south cabin reconstructed in the museum.
Address: 1900 Kanawha Blvd Due east, Charleston, W Virginia
Official site: http://www.wvculture.org/museum/State-Museum-Index.html
- Read More: Tiptop-Rated Tourist Attractions in Charleston, West Virginia
12. Seneca Caverns
The formation of Seneca Caverns began 460 meg years agone, when the cave'southward limestone bed first formed. The native Seneca people are thought to take used the caves for shelter beginning in the early 1400s.
The caverns were subsequently plant by a local farmer, Laven Teter, while looking for h2o for his livestock, and the largest chamber, ascension to 60 feet in places, is named Teter Hall in his retention.
You lot tin visit these on one-hour guided tours that descend to 165 feet below the entrance. Pathways are well-lit, and cement steps with handrails help visitors navigate deeper into the caverns. The separate Stratosphere Cave is on the same property.
Address: 3328 Germany Valley Road, Riverton, W Virginia
Official site: http://world wide web.senecacaverns.com
xiii. Grave Creek Burial Mounds
1 of the gratis things to practise in West Virginia, and one of its secret places, is also i of the most intriguing, a glimpse into a culture that thrived here 2,000 years ago. Grave Creek Archaeological Complex, most Wheeling, centers on the largest known burying mounds of the Adena people, built nigh 250-150 BC.
These mounds, as high as 62 anxiety and nearly 250 feet at the base of operations, required moving more than 60,000 tons of earth, creating the largest conical blazon structure of whatever of the mound-building cultures.
The Delf Norona Museum on the site displays some of the nearly 450,000 artifacts found in the multi-level burial site and elsewhere in the surface area. The exhibits illuminate the lives of these prehistoric people and the structure of the mounds.
Address: 801 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, West Virginia
14. Westward Virginia Land Capitol
Five feet higher than the dome of the The states Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., the 293-foot golden dome at the State Capitol in Charleston reflects Greek and Roman architectural influences. It was designed by Cass Gilbert, who likewise designed the Woolworth Building in New York City, the world'due south tallest building when it was synthetic.
During the building process, from 1924 to 1932, more than 700 train carloads of Indiana limestone were used. White marble from Vermont and Italian travertine sheath much of its interior, which you lot can tour daily.
- Read More: Superlative-Rated Tourist Attractions in Charleston, Westward Virginia
15. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Every bit unconventional a tourist attraction as the Due west Virginia Penitentiary, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is a landmark in the history of handling for the mentally ill. Constructed between 1858 and 1881, the asylum is the largest paw-cutting stone masonry building in the hemisphere, and in the globe information technology is exceeded just past the Kremlin in Moscow.
It was designed by the architect Richard Andrews, who bundled the long rambling wings in a staggered formation, so that each of the connecting structures received equally much therapeutic sunlight and fresh air as possible.
Tours highlight a number of historical themes, including architecture, Civil State of war raids, treatment of the mentally ill, even the facility'due south agricultural history and place in the local community. Like the West Virginia Penitentiary, the asylum has also been a research location for paranormal investigators.
Official site: http://trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com
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