Information for Travelers
West Virginia is an eastern US state in the tree-covered Appalachian Mountains.
Its wild mountain region, densely wooded wilderness and fast-flowing rivers are playgrounds for hiking, camping, caving, climbing, rafting, boating and fishing.
With some of the most scenic and rugged scenery on the East Coast, West Virginia abounds with year-round outdoor adventure opportunities.
In winter, the ski resorts offer a variety of snow sports.
While many tourists come to the state for these outdoor activities and scenic landscapes, West Virginia offers much more in terms of tourist attractions.
Blackwater Falls State Park is named after the dark waters of the Blackwater River.
Its waters are colored by the tannic acid of fallen hemlock and spruce needles.
Blackwater Falls drops 18 meters over the sandstone ledges before the river continues to flow through a canyon 13 kilometers long.
Also popular places to visit in the park are Elakala Falls, which cascade down the canyon wall and can be reached on a short trail, and Pendleton Falls, easily seen from a roadside exit.
Active travelers will never run out of West Virginia.
Culture
Surrounded by a national historic park, the city looks like it was in the 19th century, with many of the buildings open to the public as living history museums.
The town of Harpers Ferry, where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River, is the site of a famous Civil War-era attack.
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.
The Greenbrier has earned its designation as a National Historic Landmark several times.
Located in White Sulfur Springs, which has been used 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 as grand and luxurious as a resort, it played other historic roles as well.
At the start of 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 commanded by the US Army to be used as a hospital, where nearly 25,000 patients were treated.
Read about West Virginia in Wikipedia