West Virginia Explorer Magazine

West Virginia Explorer Magazine Explore wild, wonderful West Virginia with the state's most-read online publication.

West Virginia Explorer Magazine is the premier online source for exploring the beauty, culture, and heritage of the Mountain State. From travel tips and outdoor adventures to local news, history, and hidden gems, we connect readers with the real West Virginia. Follow us for in-depth articles, stunning photography, event updates, and insider stories that showcase the heart of Appalachia. The oldest online guide to West Virginia, we've been in publication online since 2000.

Want the best fall colors in West Virginia? Here's a how-to guide to finding them.
10/16/2025

Want the best fall colors in West Virginia? Here's a how-to guide to finding them.

DAVIS, W.Va. — When the first sharp chill settles over the Allegheny highlands and the red spruce stands take on a bronze cast, peak fall color in West Virginia begins its slow, spectacular climb down the mountains. Across the Mountain State’s rugged ridges and deep river gorges, the landscape b...

Artists, educators, and community leaders from across West Virginia will converge in Princeton from Oct. 24–26 for the C...
10/14/2025

Artists, educators, and community leaders from across West Virginia will converge in Princeton from Oct. 24–26 for the Create Your State Convening, a three-day program focused on how the arts can drive economic and social revitalization in small towns.

PRINCETON, W.Va. — Artists, educators, and community leaders from across West Virginia will converge in Princeton’s Grassroots District from Oct. 24–26 for the Create Your State Convening, a three-day program focused on how the arts can drive economic and social revitalization in small towns. ...

The West Virginia State Parks Foundation has received a $17,500 grant from the "Hearts of STIHL" program to support crit...
10/14/2025

The West Virginia State Parks Foundation has received a $17,500 grant from the "Hearts of STIHL" program to support critical forestry work at Bluestone and North Bend state parks.

HURRICANE, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Parks Foundation has received a $17,500 grant from the 'Hearts of STIHL' program to support critical forestry work at Bluestone and North Bend state parks. The funding will be used to remove dead and potentially hazardous trees in public recreation areas,...

It’s fair to say that almost anyone who has listened to or read the history of American folk songs is familiar with the ...
10/14/2025

It’s fair to say that almost anyone who has listened to or read the history of American folk songs is familiar with the haunting melody and words of the “Shenandoah” folk song.

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — It’s fair to say that almost anyone who has listened to or read the history of American folk songs is familiar with the haunting melody and words of the “Shenandoah” folk song. “Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you, Roll away, you rolling river Oh, Shenandoah, I long to...

The new president of West Virginia University urged faculty, staff, students, and alumni on Monday to “think big” as the...
10/14/2025

The new president of West Virginia University urged faculty, staff, students, and alumni on Monday to “think big” as the university works to strengthen enrollment, expand research, and raise its national profile.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Michael T. Benson, new president of West Virginia University, urged faculty, staff, students, and alumni Monday to “think big” as the university works to strengthen enrollment, expand research, and raise its national profile. Delivering his first State of the University add...

The blockbuster Men in Black film franchise might seem a world away from the hills of West Virginia, but the legend begi...
10/09/2025

The blockbuster Men in Black film franchise might seem a world away from the hills of West Virginia, but the legend begins here in a quiet corner of the Mountain State.

RIFFLE, W.Va.— The blockbuster Men-in-Black film franchise might seem a world away from the hills of West Virginia, but the legend starts here in a quiet corner of the Mountain State where an obscure and mysterious writer sat pecking away on his typewriter. Gray Barker, born 100 years ago in Riffl...

Tickets are now available for a special dinner series at Pipestem Resort State Park, offering guests an exclusive previe...
10/06/2025

Tickets are now available for a special dinner series at Pipestem Resort State Park, offering guests an exclusive preview of the new upscale menu from the Mountain Creek Dining Room.

PIPESTEM, W.Va. — Tickets are now available for a special dinner series at Pipestem Resort State Park that offers guests a first look at the new upscale menu from the Mountain Creek Dining Room, which is set to reopen in spring 2026. Fine dining at Pipestem Resort State Park The “Taste of Mounta...

Quinwood is our Community of the Month for October at West Virginia Explorer Magazine. At a relatively high elevation, i...
10/02/2025

Quinwood is our Community of the Month for October at West Virginia Explorer Magazine. At a relatively high elevation, it's known for its pleasantly cool summers and snowy winters.

Quinwood, West Virginia (WV), a community in western Greenbrier County, was platted in 1921, incorporated in 1947, and named in honor of Quin Morton and Walter Wood, coal operators in the southern Allegheny Mountains. The population was 220 at the 2020 census. Lodging near Quinwood, West Virginia Qu...

A fourth Civil War monument at the West Virginia Capitol is hidden from view, yet it might be the most interesting of th...
10/01/2025

A fourth Civil War monument at the West Virginia Capitol is hidden from view, yet it might be the most interesting of them all.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Motorists driving along Kanawha Boulevard past the West Virginia Capitol may notice three Civil War monuments prominently arrayed along the lawn. One is of a Union soldier wearing a cap, or kepi, of the kind associated with that uniform. Next is a larger-than-life-size Abraham ...

The West Virginia Department of Tourism today announced that the state has surpassed $9.1 billion in annual tourism econ...
09/30/2025

The West Virginia Department of Tourism today announced that the state has surpassed $9.1 billion in annual tourism economic impact for the first time, exceeding national growth rates.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The W.Va. Department of Tourism today announced that the state has surpassed $9.1 billion in annual tourism economic impact for the first time, outperforming national growth rates. Visitor volume to the state reached 77.2 million, with those visitors spending $6.6 billion, 4.1% m...

With more than three million monthly readers, West Virginia Explorer remains a leading force in marketing West Virginia ...
09/28/2025

With more than three million monthly readers, West Virginia Explorer remains a leading force in marketing West Virginia beyond its borders. Our thanks to reporter Steve Keenan for the excellent article!

Guide to West Virginia and its Cultural and Natural Resources

Visitation and spending in the three national park units in southern West Virginia generated a significant economic boos...
09/27/2025

Visitation and spending in the three national park units in southern West Virginia generated a significant economic boost in 2024.

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — A newly released report from the National Park Service shows that visitation and spending in the three southern West Virginia national park units delivered a significant economic boost in 2024. The data indicate that 2,080,330 visitors spent $108,387,000 in the counties surround...

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The WVExplorer page is a companion to West Virginia Explorer Magazine at www.WVExplorer.com, an e-magazine and travel guide that’s been a leading provider of West Virginia information since 2000.

West Virginia Explorer was established in 1999 by historian and publisher David Sibray to provide a journalistic online venue for West Virginia information. Its first online version was unveiled in 2000. By 2006, the site had become one of the leading guides to West Virginia and the flagship guide for more than 30 sites that promoted travel in West Virginia and adjacent states.

By 2008, West Virginia Explorer had grown to become one of the leading venues for the promotion of outdoor recreation in West Virginia. Beth Gill, then marketing director for ACE Adventure Resort, a frequent development partner, quantified West Virginia Explorer in 2014 as one of the three top sources for audiences in which the resort invested.

Sibray in 2011 proposed a complete recast of the site that would promote social-media integration and embrace wholly mobile-ready architecture. “A large part of our audience were using mobile devices, so there was little question that we needed to invest in architecture that was mobile-ready from the outset.”