All year
The Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Area runs more than 1,000 miles of marked trail across southern West Virginia, split into systems such as Bearwallow, Rockhouse, Pinnacle Creek and Devil Anse. A permit is required and many trail towns allow street-legal ATV traffic.
Apr–Oct
Cranberry Glades, Dolly Sods and Canaan Valley hold breeding species normally found in Canada, including the golden-winged warbler and northern saw-whet owl. Hanging Rock Observatory near Union counts fall raptor migration.
May–Sep
Summersville Lake is the largest lake in the state at about 2,700 acres, with marinas at the north end. Stonewall Jackson, Tygart, Sutton and Bluestone lakes all have public ramps and rental fleets.
All year
Lewisburg has one of the state's strongest small-town dining scenes, with a walkable historic main street full of independent restaurants, a brewery and Carnegie Hall, a few minutes from the Greenbrier at White Sulphur Springs. Shepherdstown, Thomas, Charleston and Morgantown are also worth planning a meal around. Ramps appear on highland menus every spring, and a pepperoni roll is never far away.
Apr–Oct
The State Fair of West Virginia runs at Fairlea outside Lewisburg in August, and the Mountain State Forest Festival fills Elkins in early October. Beyond the major festivals, spring brings ramp dinners across the mountains, while county fairs and local celebrations fill the summer calendar, and Bridge Day draws crowds to Fayetteville on the third Saturday in October. Small towns book out on a festival weekend, so it is worth settling lodging early.
Mar–Nov
The state stocks trout in more than 200 streams and lakes, with wild brook trout in the higher Monongahela National Forest water. The New River holds smallmouth bass and muskie, and Summersville and Sutton lakes are the main reservoir fisheries.
Apr–Oct
The Greenbrier runs three championship courses and has hosted PGA Tour play. State park resorts add public courses at Pipestem, Cacapon, Canaan Valley, Twin Falls and Stonewall.
Mar–Nov
Trails run from short rim walks at New River Gorge to the 24 mile North Fork Mountain Trail and the open barrens of Dolly Sods. The Monongahela National Forest alone holds roughly 900 miles of trail.
All year
Harpers Ferry, Droop Mountain and Carnifex Ferry cover the Civil War and West Virginia statehood. Coal and labor history runs from the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Nuttallburg to Matewan and the Mine Wars Museum.
Apr–Oct
Watoga and Lost River state parks run seasonal guided rides, and the Greenbrier River Trail and Monongahela National Forest allow horses on long stretches. Several outfitters keep stalls for travelers hauling their own horses.
Sep–Jan
West Virginia holds about 1.5 million acres of public hunting land, most of it in the Monongahela National Forest and state wildlife management areas. Buck firearms season opens the Monday before Thanksgiving and fills lodging in rural counties.
Apr–Oct
Flatwater paddling centers on Summersville Lake, Cheat Lake and the Greenbrier River, which is runnable in canoes for much of its length in spring. Sea kayak and paddleboard rentals operate at the main lakes in summer.
Apr–Nov
Snowshoe runs lift-served downhill trails in summer and has hosted UCI World Cup downhill racing. Quieter riding runs the 78 mile Greenbrier River Trail, the Canaan Valley singletrack and the Arrowhead trails at New River Gorge.
Mar–Nov
The New River Gorge holds more than 1,400 established routes on hard Nuttall sandstone, and Seneca Rocks is the main eastern multi-pitch trad crag. Summersville Lake adds cliffside routes reached by boat.
Dec–Mar
Snowshoe has the largest vertical drop and trail network in the mid-Atlantic, with Canaan Valley, Timberline and Winterplace covering the rest of the state. White Grass in Canaan Valley is the main cross country center.
All year
The National Radio Quiet Zone around Green Bank Observatory limits transmitters across Pocahontas County and the surrounding highlands, and Watoga State Park is certified as an International Dark Sky Park. Spruce Knob and Dolly Sods are the usual high-elevation viewing spots.
Apr–Oct
West Virginia has the deepest commercial whitewater in the East on the New and Gauley rivers, plus the free-flowing Cheat Canyon in Preston County. The Lower New runs Class III to IV all summer and the Upper Gauley runs Class V during fall dam releases.
Apr–Oct
Commercial canopy tours operate on the rim of the New River Gorge near Fayetteville and Lansing, and at resorts including Snowshoe and Adventures on the Gorge. Most run from spring through late fall.
