West Virginia Tourist Attractions

The country's largest municipal park, Oglebay Resort is home to three golf courses, a glass museum, a zoo, flower gardens, a lodge, cottages and the country's largest Christmas light display.

Originally a part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, this 76-mile abandoned grade has been developed into a trail running from North Caldwell to one mile south of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Uses for the trail include backpacking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing in winter and access to the Greenbrier River for anglers and canoeists. One of the country's finest and most recognized rail-trails.

The Hatfield-McCoy Recreation Area is a multiple-use recreational trail system located in eight counties of southern West Virginia. The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System has almost 500 miles of scenic trails open to ATV's, dirt bikes, horses, mountain bikers, and hikers. All of the trails are well marked, maintained and exciting to ride. Each system has trails that are rated from easy to hard and they're all conveniently marked according to difficulty level. Much of the natural terrain in Southern West Virginia is mountainous and rocky, but varied enough to give beginners to experts a great place to ride! With 500-miles currently, the trails strategic goal is to expand to over 2000-miles of trails.

Located just off West Virginia Rt. 39 between Marlinton and Richwood, in a part of southwestern Pocahontas County long known as the "Wilderness," Cranberry Glades has been visited and studied repeatedly by botanists, and has been the subject of innumerable popular and scientific articles.

Dolly Sods is a unique wilderness area, part of the Monongahela National Forest - an area of high elevation wind swept plains on the Allegheny Plateau. The area is well known for its extensive rocky plains, upland bogs, and sweeping vistas. With the elevations in this part of West Virginia ranging from 2,600 feet to over 4,000 feet, the climate and plant life resembles northern Canada. Spruce Knob -- the highest point in West Virginia at 4,863 feet, it is part of the pristine 900,000-acre Monongahela National Forest.

Tamarack is the nation's first and only statewide collection of handmade craft, art and cuisine showcasing "The Best of West Virginia." From hand-carved furniture to glass, and pottery to Appalachian quilts, Tamarack offers only the best. You will also find a delectable array of regional specialty foods and products, as well as performances, craft demonstrations, and theatre. Off Interstate 77 in Beckley.

Pipestem Resort State Park is known as the "Crown Jewel of the WV State Parks System." From its beautiful scenic overlooks of the Bluestone Gorge to its two lodges, rental cottages, campgrounds, golf courses, restaurants, modern conference facilities, and much more, Pipestem Resort State Park has something for everyone!

Summersville Lake is the state's largest and most beautiful lake - crystal blue water, the largest earthen dam east of the Mississippi River, 20 miles of rock lining the shores, scuba diving, rock climbing, boating and more.

Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the falls of the Blackwater River whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories, then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. The "black" water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls are one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia.

A National Historic Landmark, West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling is considered the "birthplace" of West Virginia" because it served as the capitol of the Restored (Union) Government of Virginia from 1861-63.

The tranquil, tree-covered island in the Ohio River on which the house rests was the site where Blennerhassett and Aaron Burr allegedly planned in 1806 to establish an empire in the Southwest.

Located in Greenbank, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory features the world's largest steerable radio telescope (larger than a football field) and offers educational tours.

George Washington bathed here! The mineral springs in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia for years have been known for their healing and relaxing power. Today visitors flock to the baths and spas in this area for the same reasons.

This state park high in the Allegheny Mountains is a former lumber town and lumber railroad. Visitors can take Shay steam locomotive excursions along former logging rails in this unforgettable example of the country's early 20th Century history. Former lumber company houses are open for vacationing in this park.

A real coal mine now turned educational and tourist center. Tours are offered to the public in former coal cars operated by former coal miners for a ride underground to see a big part of the state's industrial history up close.

This sandstone crag is one of the most picturesque and popular rock climbing areas in the eastern United States. Part of a national recreation area.

One of the most visited attractions in the state, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park was the site of much pre-Civil War and Civil War history, including abolitionist John Brown's infamous raid on the national armory.

The world's longest single span arch bridge and the second-highest bridge in the United States (some 876 feet high!). This bridge towers above the famous whitewater rafting river, The New River, and is in the heart of the national park. Once a year, two of its four lanes are closed and BASE jumpers from around the world are permitted to parachute off the structure into the river below.

One of the world's most renowned resorts, the Greenbrier has played host to the world's most prestigious leaders and visitors from across the globe for more than 200 years.

The State Capitol in Charleston is one of the country's most beautiful state capitol buildings, higher than the nation's capitol dome and is considered one of the world's best examples of Italian renaissance architecture. It's also made of Indiana limestone and imperial Danby Vermont marble -- the best kind around. The Cultural Center, part of the state capitol complex, is an arts center that houses the state museum, archives and library.