West Virginia

You can start walking on this well-graded rail trail either from Ansted or down by the New River at the Hawk's Nest Nature Center. If you start from the top you will lose a couple hundred feet in elevation and have to walk back up to your car (it is an easy walk though). Bikes are also allowed on...

Kaymoor was on old West Virginia coal mining town that thrived in the early 1900's until it was abandoned in the 1950's. Along this trail you will see remnants of the old mine entrance, mining cars, a coal processing plant, and coke ovens, among other structures. This trail, although short, is qu...

The Raven’s Rock Trail leading to the Raven’s Rock Overlook is easily the second most photographed area of the Coopers Rock State Forest! There are two ways to access the trail which doubles as an access road. The first trail access can be found along the WV County Road 73/16 also known as Cooper...

Across the road from the McCollum camping area entrance of Coopers Rock sits the entry point of the Clay Run Trail. With a hiking distance of 1.8 miles (1 hour and 10 minute walking time), this adventure will lead you to a jaw-dropping landmark, the Henry Clay Furnace.Built between 1834 and 1836,...

Babcock State Park is one of 36 state parks in West Virginia and is located just Southeast of Fayetteville, WV.  Babcock State Park has over 4,000 acres, making it a great place to camp while you explore the beautiful area.  The campground has 51 campsites for tents and is open from the last week...

One of my favorite hikes in West Virginia, since the whole ridge is full of views.  Backpacking the North Fork Mountain Trail is about 24.7 miles in total and a challenging hike but with relentless views. In my opinion, the best West Virginia has to offer. Summertime backpacking the whole the NFM...

Arguably one of the most beautiful hiking areas on the United States' east coast, the Dolly Sods Wilderness inarguably has the most unique trailhead warning sign: Watch out for unexploded ordinance in the area. (The U.S. Army used the area for artillery and mortar training during WWII.) Don't fre...

**The road to Nuttallburg is part gravel and only wide enough for one car. Take caution driving along this road-you may have to back up some if you meet another car. Nuttallburg is an old coal mining town that once thrived in the early 1900's, but fell into ruin and then was restored by the Natio...

Hawk's Nest State Park is a true gem in the New River Gorge area. It has a roadside overlook that looks out over a horseshoe bend of the New River with views of the Hawk's Nest Dam and of a railroad bridge across the river. From the parking area, simply walk about 200 feet out to the stone overlo...

With warm weather, we couldn't wait to go camping so we drove a few miles south of us to Yokum's Vacationland to camp in a teepee. It was THE BEST! It was so cold and we forgot our air mattress pump so we ended up car camping but the whole adventure was so awesome. We were the only people camping...

From the parking lot, the boardwalk trail breaks off of the right side of the lot.  The boardwalk loop should be done in a clockwise direction and there are signs to direct you.  The 1/2 mile boardwalk offers great views of the surrounding bog and mountains.  The boardwalk itself is skirted by fe...

Berkeley Springs State Park is the only government-run spa in the United State and worth a weekend excursion. The hot springs here flow at a constant 74.3 degrees and have long been thought to possess restorative and healing powers for both body and mind.   On one end of the park you'll find the ...

Right off interstate I-77, Camp Creek State Park has two waterfalls that you can easily access: Mash Fork Falls and Campbell Falls. These falls can both have very low flows in late summer, so try to plan your visit for times of higher flows (early spring or after a rain). Mash Fork Falls is in th...

From Lansing-Edmond road, turn right onto Beauty Mountain Road. Go for 0.1 miles and the road will appear to split into three roads. The main road goes left, but take the middle road here. After another 0.1 miles you will arrive at a gate with a few parking spaces on the left side. Do not block t...

Starting at the Blackwater Falls Lodge, head to the left side of the parking lot, where a trailhead becomes visible. Follow the clearly marked trail down until you reach a bridge which goes over the top of the falls. After the bridge, look for paths to allow you to get to the river level and the ...

The hike begins at the "Dolly Sods Trailhead Parking" location easily found on Google Maps. The lot is big enough for about 6-8 vehicles. Begin walking at the end of the gravel parking lot/road for about 0.5 miles until you enter the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area in a small grassy field where sever...