West Virginia has over 110,000 square miles of hardwood forest, wind-swept mountains and picture-perfect landscapes which cover 80% of the American state. It is also home to the Allegheny Highlands, the eastern United States’ biggest single natural scenic and outdoor recreational area. The state is within a day’s drive of 20 of the USA’s biggest eastern cities and to take a trip there is to marvel at its unrivalled mountain scenery. When you next visit West Virginia, the following list of four essential things to do should cater to the preferences of all visitors, especially those who enjoy outdoor pursuits.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
One of the most interesting places in West Virginia is the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. It’s at this location that two rivers meet – the Shenandoah River and the Potomac River. And flanking them sits the small West Virginian town.
With around 20 miles of hiking trails, various museums and historical exhibits, there’s something for everyone here, especially for those interested in the Civil War.
You can also find the Appalachian Trail Visitor Center, where you can set off to take a hike on the fabled hiking trail.
It’s certainly one of the beauty spots of West Virginia.
Visit Charleston
The capital of West Virginia is Charleston, which is located at the junction of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. The gold-domed State Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion and the West Virginia State Museum and theater are all part of the impressive riverbank complex.
There are art and discovery museums, a planetarium, and a concert hall in the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences. In a former freight station, the Capitol Market in downtown Charleston currently houses food merchants and cafes, and is in one of the prettier and more vibrant parts of the town.
Capitol Street is also worth checking out for its historic architecture and unique shops.
If you’re looking for a more engaging way to see the sights in Charleston, you could try one of the various treasure and scavenger hunt tours. There are also self-guided audio tours of the art and architecture of downtown Charleston, which you may appreciate.
If you’re someone who enjoys a bet or likes to play in casinos then you won’t be disappointed. Charleston is home to a number of different venues you can enjoy. You can find a list of WV online casinos here, many of which can be found in Charleston.
The Greenbrier
If you’re looking for somewhere more upmarket to stay when you visit West Virginia, why not check out The Greenbrier hotel?
This National Historic Landmark sits in White Sulphur Springs, a natural spa that has been used since the 1700s.
It also has an interesting past. During the Second World War, the hotel was, in fact, used as a detention center for German and Japanese diplomats. Later on in the war, it was turned into an army hospital and around 25,000 people were treated there.
This grand hotel has hosted 26 different presidents, royalty and many foreign dignitaries. You can take part in over 50 different activities, including horse riding, play golf, relax in a huge spa or make use of the tennis courts and adventure courses.
The adjacent Greenbrier State Forest also has cabins and campsites, with lots of things to do in the woods, such as fishing and skiing in winter.
New River and the New River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge spans the New River Gorge at Fayetteville, West Virginia, and is 3,030 feet (924 metres) long.
The New River Gorge Bridge’s roadway rises 876 feet (267 metres) over the New River, making it one of the world’s tallest vehicular bridges and the third highest in the United States.
The New River Gorge Bridge is open to guided excursions, from a catwalk 25 feet beneath the bridge. The excursions last about two to three hours.
You may think a bridge sounds like a pretty unremarkable thing to see. But that attitude changes when you appreciate the significance of it.
Each year, thousands of people assemble on the New River Gorge Bridge in October for Bridge Day, an annual one-day event commemorating the completion of the bridge in 1977.
You may wonder why they do this – prior to the bridge’s completion, crossing the gorges and river took days, if not weeks. A bridge was so desperately needed, and when it was finally completed, it changed the lives of thousands of people in a marked way.