West Virginia Explorer Magazine

08/16/2025

This story might be just a campfire superstition, but each of these waterfalls deserves a trailhead parking spot and an interpretive sign. https://wvexplorer.com/2025/08/09/kanawha-falls-cathedral-falls/

08/16/2025

International Relaxation Day is observed across the globe every August 15. Here's why to spend it in West Virginia:

CAPON SPRINGS, W.Va. — International Relaxation Day is observed every August 15, originating as an extension of the U.S. National Relaxation Day, which has been celebrated annually since 1985, an idea conceived by a nine-year-old named Sean Moeller. Over time, thanks to the rise of social media, t...

08/15/2025

West Virginia officials say the Mountain State is gearing up for one of its most colorful seasons in years.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Autumn 2025 will soon be here, and West Virginia officials say the Mountain State is gearing up for one of its most colorful seasons in years. The W.Va. Department of Tourism, in partnership with the W.Va. Division of Forestry, released its 2025 Fall Foliage Projection Map this...

08/14/2025

High above the abandoned rail town of Thurmond, West Virginia, a weathered stone face gazes silently across the New River Gorge.

THURMOND, W.Va. — High above the abandoned rail town of Thurmond, West Virginia, a weathered stone face gazes silently across the New River Gorge. Known as McKinley Rock, this haunting natural profile has been a source of local legend since its accidental creation in 1901 — the very day Presiden...

08/13/2025

Young women in Martinsburg, Virginia, now in West Virginia, had a clever way of defying the Confederacy.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va — The prosperous manufacturing town of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, was thrust into turmoil at the outset of the Civil War, and its citizens had to decide where their allegiance lay. As the secession movement gathered steam in Virginia in the early months of 186...

08/11/2025

On the Ohio River, Hartford City is our community of the month for August at West Virginia Explorer. The town boasts a beautiful row of historic riverside homes.

Hartford City, West Virginia (WV), also known as 'Hartford,' is a community of some 600 residents on the Ohio River in Mason County in western West Virginia. It is known for its historic architecture, most evident along the river. The community is located chiefly in a level upland along the river ne...

08/10/2025

Discover the heartwarming richness of West Virginia's fall harvest—a vibrant tapestry of orchards, fields, and community spirit that brings Almost Heaven to life.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia fall harvest is particularly meaningful for state natives. As the crisp air of late summer settles over the Appalachian hills, the agricultural landscape of West Virginia comes alive with a tapestry of colors and flavors. From the nostalgic scent of apple or...

08/10/2025

We're excited to announce our new advertising rates at West Virginia Explorer. Reach more than 300,000 engaged readers each month!

Each month, more than 300,000 visitors—tourists, locals, and proud former residents—turn to us for trusted information and authentic insight about West Virginia. As a result, advertisers consistently report that no other platform is delivering the level of conversions we provide. We engage a pas...

08/10/2025

The legend of Kanawha Falls and her "daughters" seems to embody the spirit of this mountain region of West Virginia, which feels enchanted.

GAULEY BRIDGE, W.Va. — Though evocative, the following tale of Kanawha Falls may not have originated among the Shawnee, as purported, but around campfires as storytellers practiced their art. Even the source of this story is unclear, though the unknown author couldn't have chosen a better subject....

08/07/2025

One of the most scenic and accessible waterfalls in West Virginia is attracting a huge amount of attention after a generation of neglect.

PEYTONA, W.Va. — Drawdy Falls, one of the most scenic and accessible waterfalls in West Virginia, is attracting a huge amount of attention after a generation of neglect. In fact, the restoration of the falls and the redevelopment of a surrounding park may herald economic growth and stewardship in ...

08/07/2025

Some say that the American West begins at the tip of the northern panhandle of West Virginia, and there's reason to believe that's true.

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio — Some say that the American West begins at West Virginia— specifically at the tip of its northern panhandle—and there's a quantifiable reason to support that claim. Somewhere beneath the Ohio River, on what was the river's north bank before it was dammed, Thomas Hutchens ...

08/06/2025

As sure as the mountains rise above the Buckhannon River, the memory of George Rashid, the "Pickens L***r," endures. ***r ***r

PICKENS, W.Va. — Deep in the Allegheny Mountains in northern West Virginia lies a simple grave marked by two stones. It is that of George Rashid, an immigrant whose life ended in isolation far from home and whose story reveals a poignant chapter in public health, immigration, and small‑town fear...