West Virginia offers year-round outdoor adventure options with some of the most stunning and untamed terrains on the East Coast. Hiking, camping, caving, rock climbing, white water rafting, boating, and fishing are all popular activities in its untamed mountainous terrain, heavily forested wilderness, and swiftly flowing rivers. A variety of snow sports are available in the winter at ski resorts. West Virgin is very very beautiful place to visit especially, for couples. Honeymoon cabins in West Virginia: An Unforgettable Experience of couples. There are many best places to visit in West Virginia.
There is always plenty to do here for active visitors. While many visitors come to the state for these outdoor activities and beautiful scenery, West Virginia offers much more in the way of tourist attractions, from the historic sites of Harpers Ferry and the elegant Greenbrier and its legendary golf courses to some very unusual attractions, including a penitentiary to tour.
Top Places to Visit in West Virginia:
1. Blackwater Falls State Park
Blackwater Falls, which plunges 60 feet over cliffs of sandstone before the river continues to surge down an eight-mile-long valley, is named after the Blackwater River’s black waters, which are colored by tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls are accessible throughout the year via steps and viewing platforms.
A short walk leads to Elakala Falls, which cascades down the canyon wall, and Pendleton Falls, which may be seen from a roadside pull-off. These are just a couple of the popular attractions in the park.
Another highlight of the park is Pendleton Point Overlook, which is located at the deepest part of the Blackwater Canyon and offers views into one of West Virginia’s most stunning canyons. In addition to swimming, the park has a boating lake.
2. Monongahela National Forest and Seneca Rocks
The Monongahela National Forest offers stunning views, animals, and the highest point in the state, with elevations varying from around 1,000 feet to 4,863 feet above sea level. It is one of the most diversified forest ecosystems in the nation thanks to the range in terrain and rainfall spread across its more than 900,000 acres, which also support more than 225 bird species, 75 tree species, and 70 fish species, both game, and non-game.
The Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is a designated portion of the park totaling about 100,000 acres, and it offers some of the best conventional multi-pitch technical climbing on the east coast. Nearly 900 feet above the North Fork River, Seneca Rocks is a striking, 250-foot-deep outcrop of white and grey quartzite. Routes that are moderate
3. The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier has proven itself worthy of being classified as a National Historic Landmark on numerous occasions. The opulent hotel is situated at White Sulphur Springs, which has been used as a natural bath since the 1700s. It has welcomed 26 presidents, leaders from other countries, and royalty, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Even though it is a magnificent and opulent resort, it has also had other historical responsibilities. It served as a holding area for German and Japanese diplomats who were present in the country at the time of the war’s declaration early in World War II. Later on in the conflict, the American Army took control of it and turned it into a hospital where over 25,000 victims were treated.
4. Ski & Play at Snowshoe
With three distinct skiing areas to choose from, all of which have 100% snowmaking, this year-round resort is most known for its skiing. 38 trails in Snowshoe Basin, which has an 800-foot vertical drop and seven lifts, including a high-speed detachable quad, serve all skill levels. Twelve of Silver Creek’s 18 paths are accessible at night.
The most advanced terrain in the area is the steep, rough terrain of the Western Territory Area, which has a vertical drop of 1,500 feet. Shay’s Revenge and Cupp Run have 52 percent pitch steeps, both of which were created by famed Olympian Jean-Claude Killy.
5. Berkeley Springs
Long before the 1930 opening of the bathhouse at Berkeley Springs State Park, in the heart of Berkeley Springs, mineral bathing was a well-liked pastime. George Washington frequented the springs, and even earlier, Native Americans from as far away as southern Canada came here for the springs’ curative and restorative effects.
With 2,000 gallons of sparkling, pure water flowing each minute at a constant temperature of 74.3 degrees Fahrenheit, the five main springs and several minor ones are used for baths and treatments.
6. New River Gorge National River
New River, despite its name, is one of the continent’s oldest rivers. The Appalachian Plateau is sliced as the New River flows into West Virginia, creating the New River Gorge and a lot of white water for tubing, rafting, and canoeing. It is surrounded by a variety of outdoor activity options, including hiking, ziplining, hunting, fishing, bird viewing, camping, biking, and rock climbing.
The New River Bridge, which rises 876 feet above the canyon floor and is the third-highest structure in the country, is one of the state’s most famous views. It is also the longest steel bridge in the hemisphere. 70,000 acres of parkland along the river are maintained by the National Park Service, and at Hawk’s Nest State Park, you can take an aerial tramway to the very bottom of the New River Gorge.
7. White Water Rafting
There is no denying that West Virginia is among the top states for white water rafting. While some rivers have world-class rapids for specialists, others are perfect for novice and beginner rafters. Between Summersville and Fayetteville, in the Gauley River National Recreation Area, are the waters that are most well-known. From a base in the neighboring Babcock or Hawks Nest state parks, it is simple to reach the Gauley and New rivers.
The 25-mile river here offers expert rafters the thrill of a lifetime as it rushes through gorges and valleys at great speed; it’s no wonder the Class V rapids are known as the “Beast of the East.”
8. Harpers Ferry
The abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the American arsenal in 1859, which sparked the Civil War, took place in this small West Virginia hamlet where the Shenandoah River and the Potomac River converge.
The 20 miles of hiking trails of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park are in addition to museums, historical displays, and programs. Explore the rocks where the rivers converge before ascending to St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church and the historic cemetery that is perched on the hill behind it.
9. West Virginia Penitentiary
Visitors are invited to tour the gloomy jail, which at times housed more than 1,000 inmates, at the West Virginia Penitentiary, one of the most unexpected places to visit in any state, from April through November. The terrifying Gothic fortification first opened its doors in 1876, and the final prisoner was released in 1995. It was the site of fires, jail riots, escapes, and nearly 100 executions between those dates.
Visitors have the option of seeing the structure during the day and peering into the claustrophobic five-by-seven-foot cells during the night to investigate the allegedly haunted place. For paranormal investigators seeking proof of spectral events, the penitentiary is a popular location.
10. Mothman Museum and Festival
In Point Pleasant, West Virginia, stories about unusual flying figures and lights in the sky started to spread in 1966. Although the image was described in many different ways, most accounts described a winged human in a black outfit with crimson eyes. The local myth of Mothman originated from that point.
As word of the legend grew, pop culture picked it up (the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine even has a Mothman display), and the community created a museum, a statue, and a Mothman Festival. On the third weekend in September, the well-liked free event is hosted and incorporates costumes, games, and vendors selling mementos featuring a cartoon Mothman that resembles a bat.
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