West Virginia

Park at the Seneca Rocks visitor parking spot located just off Mountaineer Drive. Take the trail directly across from the lot, cross the bridge over the stream, and follow the trail about one mile until you see a rock stair trail on your left side (Seneca Rocks side). Follow this rock stair trail...

Park in the boat ramp lot by Hawks Nest Lake. Note that the road to get down to this parking lot is a one lane (two-way traffic) steep gravel road, but it is passable with low-clearance vehicles.  From the parking area take the path towards the Hawks Nest Dam, also labeled the "Fisherman's Trail...

This is a wonderfully easy hike to White Oak Falls. After visiting Bush Creek Falls, keep walking down the trail. You'll enter the Bush Creek Nature Preserve area. If you visit after heavy rains, please note that your feet will get wet. There are numerous cascades that come down and cross over t...

Parking and trail head: Park at the Harpers Ferry Visitors Center for $10 (171 Shoreline Dr, Bolivar, WV 25425) and take the shuttle a mile and a half to lower town (free).  Walk straight from the shuttle to the large bridge. Cross the bridge and take a left on the C&O Canal trail. You will s...

To reach Red Spruce Knob trailhead from Marlinton, West Virginia, take HW 219N for about 7 miles then turn left onto HW150. Follow HW150 for about 5 miles, and the parking lot and trailhead will be on the left side of the road. The Red Spruce Knob trail is easy to follow and is well marked with b...

To reach High Rocks trailhead, drive about 3.3 miles along West Virginia’s Highland Scenic Highway (HW150) from Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. The parking lot and trailhead will be on the right side of the road. The High Rocks trail is 3.1 miles out and back and is fairly flat as it follows a ...

There are several rafting companies all which offer pretty much the same half day rafting packages. Each include lunch, a raft, a guide and a trip back to your car when it’s all said and done. The water here is very warm and you can swim, cliff jump, and swim down a few rapids. Enjoy the scenery ...

The Cranberry Wilderness is lesser known, but if you're looking for a rugged escape, this is it. Be mindful of your water intake, as there are a few stretches upwards of 6-8 miles where there is no access to fresh water. Those areas are well-known in most of the hiking blogs/guides (I'd recommend...

To reach the trailhead, park at the main parking area near Glade Creek Grist Mill. Cross the bridge toward the grist mill, and the trailhead is directly behind the mill. Even though the Island in the Sky trail is only a mile long out and back, it is lined almost the whole way with rhododendron bu...

A free entrance and parking area for about a half dozen cars off Freeland Road features this quick adventure for all ages. The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Freeland Boardwalk offers a variety of wildlife and environments like Ponds, Wetlands, Forests, and a natural limestone spring....

Starting on Bear Rocks Trail, hike down to the Red Creek. Sometimes water levels can be high, but most of the time you can cross the creek without getting any deeper than your knees. Link up with the Raven Ridge Trail and head south. Enjoy the views through this section, as it's a great place to ...

Cathedral Trail is a part of Cathedral State Park located east of Aurora, WV. Cathedral State Park was originally the site of Brookside Resort which attracted visitors from Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD due to it’s cool clean air and natural beauty. The land was purchased in 1922 by Mr. Brans...

The skyline trail is a 4 mile out and back trail that allows you to start from either end. I prefer to start from the lower trail head near Cabin 5. To get to this trailhead: enter the park, and follow the narrow road the leads to cabins 1-6. Drive down the road until you reach cabin 5, and find ...

Spruce Knob Lake is located just below the peak of Spruce Knob at 3,840’, making it the highest lake in West Virginia. If you are not camping in the campground, there is a parking lot/boat launch located near the dam. If you are camped in the campground, there is a trail that leads from the campg...

This is a really good day hike to explore another one of the many fantastic state parks that West Virginia has to offer while avoiding some of the crowds that many of the popular ones have. The main feature of the park is the Cranny Crow Overlook which features views into two Virginia and three W...

Canyon Rim Overlook Boardwalk is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a river located near Lansing, West Virginia.