West Virginia

Outdoor adventure is everywhere in West Virginia, where visitors can go whitewater rafting down the Gauley River or in nearby New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and riding ATVs along the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, which includes state parks and forests. Hike and camp in Coopers Rock State Forest. Towns like neighboring Thomas and Davis, known for their craft breweries, and Harpers Ferry, which played a role in the abolitionist movement, are especially lively when autumn leaves change color, generally mid-October through the first week of November.

The New Bridge at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia

Views of the gorge and iconic New River Bridge can be seen on several hikes throughout the park.

West Virginia Department of Tourism

Overview

Planning Your Trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to West Virginia.

Read Before You Go
Kayak, go whitewater rafting, and chase waterfalls through West Virginia this summer.
Resources to help plan your trip
A visit to the newest U.S. national park means adrenaline-filled outdoor adventures, fall foliage, and craft beers.
Why the United States is the best country for road trips.
Avoid the crowds of seven popular national parks and visit these state parks instead.
Get out of the big cities and into nature, with a trip to these beautiful small towns throughout the U.S.
Consider these 51 beautiful places found across the country—including Puerto Rico—for your next trip
The ’90s called and it wants its New Jersey jokes back.
The New River Gorge in West Virginia marks the country’s 63rd national park.
With lots of locally brewed beers and bartenders famous for their finely concocted cocktails on every corner, rooftop lounges, candlelit bistros, and deliciously divey bars, you’ll never be far from a drink in Charleston.
Okay, some of these restaurants are technically still in Charleston, but what they have in common is food that merits a trip outside the well-trodden tourist area. Get there however you can, but don’t miss the extraordinary things—soul food, Chinese food, barbecue, French-accented local, whatever!—being cooked up in these remarkable South Carolina kitchens.
No matter how you like your poultry prepared—chicken wings, roast chicken, fried chicken either shellacked and crispy with Sichuan spices, or simply crunchy drumsticks cooked from a traditional Southern recipe—we’re divulging our favorite chicken joints in Charleston.
Food-lovers and chefs flock to Charleston and many limit their visits to the dining rooms of the latest thing, the just-minted award-winners, but locals (and regulars to town) know that the true taste of Charleston can be found in restaurants that cook from old recipes, making dishes from memories of hot nights, small kitchens, and big flavor.
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