These are the best places to travel this summer

West Virginia

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
West Virginia

Courtesy of WV Tourism

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in West Virginia

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Ready for rugged East Coast adventuring with a gorgeous mountain backdrop? Then set your car toward wild and wonderful West Virginia, a state often overlooked by both American and foreign travelers. It doesn't help that the state can't seem to shake its negative stereotypes. That's too bad, because West Virginia is one of the prettiest states in the Union. With its line of unbroken green mountains, raging white-water rivers and snowcapped ski resorts, this is an outdoor-lovers' paradise.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum building and grounds.

    Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

    West Virginia

    Halloween is the busy season at this former mental hospital, when ghost tours of the massive facility will scare the living daylights out of you. The…

  • Climber standing on top of Seneca Rocks with his hands in the air. 567872638 autumn, boy, cheer, cliff, climb, climber, countryside, crag, destination, excited, exposed, exultant, fall, granite, happy, high, imposing, landmark, landscape, man, mountain, nature, notch, outdoors, peak, person, recreation, ridge, rock, rocky, rugged, rural, scenic, season, seneca rocks, stone, success, successful, summit, top, tourism, travel, trees, west virginia, wv, youth

    Seneca Rocks

    West Virginia

    A striking rock formation rising 900ft above a fork of the Potomac River, Seneca Rocks is one of the most recognizable natural features in the state. Rock…

  • The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge 3,030 feet (924 m) long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. The New River Gorge Bridge was for many years the worlds longest single-span arch bridge; it is now the third longest and one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world.

    New River Gorge Bridge

    New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Completed in 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge is the third-highest bridge in the US and the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Made…

  • Bear Rocks are a widely recognized symbol of West Virginia wilderness and among the most frequently photographed places in the state. They are a well-known landmark on the eastern edge of the plateau that includes the Dolly Sods Wilderness. They sit in a high-elevation heathland punctuated with wind-carved sandstone outcrops and is home to more than a dozen rare plant and animal species. Situated on the crest of the Allegheny Front, Bear Rocks afford vistas over the South Branch Potomac River. Visibility can extend eastward to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The Bear Rocks Preserve is a 1.93 km2 tract that is owned and preserved by The Nature Conservancy.

    Dolly Sods Wilderness

    West Virginia

    Red spruce trees, windswept boulders, valley views and boggy forests set a striking scene in the northern reaches of this remote but popular wilderness…

  • Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia.

    Coopers Rock State Forest

    West Virginia

    One of the most photogenic spots in all of West Virginia is the main overlook at Coopers Rock. Picture a stone-and-log fence wrapped around a sandstone…

  • Beartown State Park, West Virginia.

    Beartown State Park

    West Virginia

    A wooden boardwalk drops, climbs and twists for a half-mile through a wonderland of moss-covered boulders in a leafy forest. On the slopes of Droop…

  • Droop Mountain Battlefield

    Droop Mountain Battlefield

    West Virginia

    During the morning hours of November 6, 1863, a small force of Confederate soldiers on the upper slopes of Droop Mountain held off Federal troops…

  • Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

    Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

    West Virginia

    The 0.4-mile one-way Freedland Boardwalk Trail meanders through wetlands, a shrubland, a beaver pond and a limestone spring. Views of Canaan Valley,…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Anchored by the Appalachians, the Mountain State holds a trove of wild rivers, deep gorges and thick forests perfectly suited for action-packed adventures.

Read article

Best Neighborhoods

There’s a reason Charleston, SC, is a consistent favorite among in-the-know travelers. Along the coast, beach communities charm visitors while the urban core…

Read article

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in West Virginia

Go Beyond

West Virginia and beyond

Beyond West Virginia