Vacation In West Virginia
Vacation in West Virginia is a grand adventure. It’s not always an easy place to get to, but the challenge of it may be part of the reason many people enjoy it so much. Make the most out of your travel experience in this beautiful state. Here’s how.
Vacationing in West Virginia with VisitingWestVirginia.com . This article covers the best things to see and do in our great state.
Why is vacationing in West Virginia so fun? Well, it might have something to do with the adventure, the friendships, and the bbq. Did you know in West Virginia there’s a place where you can make your own pizza on a stone hearth oven? Oh, for sure you did. Well, maybe it’s the scenic views that get you pumped. It may be that one of best things about vacationing in West Virginia is spending quality time with family and friends. There’s a lot to say about why vacationing in West Virginia is fun.
If you live in a city like New York City or Los Angeles, you know planning a vacation can be an arduous process. You have to pay attention to everything from the directions to the latest attraction reviews. You might end up paying hundreds of dollars just to plan your trip. Now, if you live in West Virginia, planning a trip is not as difficult.
West Virginia – one of the nation’s most beautiful and alluring states. Festooned with lush forestland, overflowing streams, and an abundance of wildlife, West Virginia is a naturalists dream vacation spot.
With some of the East Coast’s most beautiful and rugged scenery, West Virginia is filled with year-round outdoor adventure opportunities. Its wild mountain country, densely-forested wilderness areas, and fast-running rivers are playgrounds for hiking, camping, caving, rock climbing, white water rafting, boating, and fishing. In the winter, ski resorts offer a range of snow sports.
Vacation In West Virginia
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 way 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.
You’ll find plenty of vacation ideas with our list of the top tourist attractions in West Virginia.
Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.
1. Blackwater Falls State Park
Named for the dark waters of the Blackwater River, colored by tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles, Blackwater Falls drops 60 feet over sandstone ledges before the river continues to rush through an eight-mile-long gorge. Steps and viewing platforms make the falls accessible year-round.
Also popular places to visit in the park are Elakala Falls, which cascade down the wall of the canyon and 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 beautiful places in West Virginia, is another park highlight, as is Pendleton Point Overlook, at the canyon’s deepest point. The park has a boating lake, as well as swimming, fishing, and camping.
Address: 1584 Blackwater Lodge Road, Davis, West Virginia
Official site: http://www.blackwaterfalls.com/
2. Monongahela National Forest and Seneca Rocks
With elevations ranging from around 1,000 feet to 4,863 feet above sea level, the Monongahela National Forest offers beautiful views, wildlife, and the highest point in the state. The variety of terrain and rainfall across its more than 900,000 acres gives it one of the most diverse forest ecosystems in the country, supporting more than 225 bird species; 75 species of trees; and 70 fish species, both game and non-game.
About 100,000 acres of the park are designated as the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, offering some of the best traditional multi-pitch technical climbing on the east coast. Seneca Rocks is a distinctive 250-foot-deep formation of white and gray quartzite that stands almost 900 feet above the North Fork River. Some routes are moderate, but experts are challenged by the exposed summit pinnacle.
You don’t need to be a climber to enjoy the park. Non-climbers can visit the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, stay in the campgrounds at Seneca Shadows and Big Bend, go fishing, or hike and spot birds in the park’s thousands of acres of wildlands.
Address: 200 Sycamore Street, Elkins, West Virginia
Official site: http://www.fs.usda.gov/mnf
3. The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier has earned its designation as a National Historic Landmark several times over. Located at White Sulphur Springs, which have been in use as a natural spa since the 1700s, the grand hotel has hosted 26 presidents, foreign dignitaries, and royalty, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
But however grand and luxurious it is as a resort, it has played other historic roles, too. Early in World War II, it was used as a detention center for German and Japanese diplomats who were in the United States when war was declared. Later in the war, it was commandeered by the U.S. Army to use as a hospital, where nearly 25,000 patients were treated.
During the Cold War, an underground shelter was built to house the entire U.S. Congress in case of nuclear attack. This shelter, given the code name “Project Greek Island,” was decommissioned in 1992 and is open to the public for tours, as is the Presidents’ Cottage Museum, with exhibits about presidential visits and the history of the resort.
More than 50 different activities are available in the resort and in the 5,100-acre Greenbrier State Forest. Along with horseback riding, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, adventure courses, and a 40,000-square-foot spa, the resort has multiple golf courses (even an indoor one for winter) and a distinguished golf history as the venue for numerous championships.
Greenbrier State Forest offers cabins and campsites, swimming, fishing, bike trails and hiking – the 78-mile-long Greenbrier River Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail that is also used for cross-country skiing in the winter. A getaway in one of the centuries-old Legacy Cottages is one of the most romantic things to do in West Virginia.
Address: 300 W. Main Street, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Accommodation: The Greenbrier
4. Ski & Play at Snowshoe
This year-round resort is best known for its skiing, with three separate areas to choose from, all with 100 percent snowmaking. With an 800-foot vertical drop, Snowshoe Basin’s 38 trails cover all experience levels, served by seven lifts, including a high-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 drop, the most advanced terrain in the region. Steeps on Cupp Run, designed by legendary Olympian Jean-Claude Killy, and Shay’s Revenge reach 52 percent 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 Club. Not far away, in Greenbank, is the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
Address: 10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, West Virginia
Official site: http://www.snowshoemtn.com
Read More: Best Ski Resorts in West Virginia
5. Berkeley Springs
The bathhouse at Berkeley Springs State Park, in the center of Berkeley Springs, first opened in 1930, but long before that bathing in the warm and effervescent mineral waters was popular. George Washington was a regular visitor 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 clear, sparkling water per minute at a constant 74.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
Located in the center of the small town of Berkeley Springs, the state park facilities include the old-fashioned private bathing tubs, saunas, and massages at the Old Roman Bath Building and Main Bath House; elsewhere in town are more luxurious private spas with a range of health and beauty options.
