6 Outdoor Adventures in West Virginia You Need to Go on This Summer
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As its nickname suggests, wild and wonderful West Virginia is known for its mountains and outdoor activities. If you’re looking to visit West Virginia for some outdoor adventures, it’s not that hard to find things to do! As students who have lived in West Virginia for almost 5 years, we have scouted out the top outdoor adventures and things to do in West Virginia. From this West Virginia guide, we hope you can discover an exciting new place to visit for a weekend getaway or outdoor adventure in West Virginia!
West Virginia Outdoor Aventures: Top West Virginia Outdoor Destinations
Top Outdoor Activity Destinations in West Virginia
Valley Falls State Park
Valley Falls State Park is a smaller West Virginia State Park located near Fairmont. This park features cascading waterfalls along the Tygart River. During the 19th century, there was a small community at Vallery Falls because of the natural resources available for milling and the lumber industry. Today you can visit the main falls, hike on the trails, have picnics, and enjoy the family-friendly outdoor space.
Coopers Rock State Forest
Coopers Rock State Forest is a great outdoor space to visit if you’re visiting Morgantown! Coopers Rock features amazing views from multiple overlooks, historic remnants of the iron industry, hiking trails, and picnic areas. Read more about Coopers Rock and other outdoor places near Morgantown on our post here!
Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley
Blackwater Falls State Park and the Canaan Valley are known for their beautiful, diverse landscapes. Located at the edge of the Monongahela National Forest, this region of West Virginia is full of outdoor activities for all skill levels. Venture to Blackwater Falls for lots of waterfalls and scenic vistas of the gorge. The Canaan Valley, a unique boreal habitat, has rich wetlands and forests to explore at the Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. This region of West Virginia is scattered with incredibly charming small towns, so it’s a great area to get away from it all! During the past few summers, we have made the Canaan Valley our weekend getaways spot! Read more about visiting the Canaan Valley on our post here!
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Dolly Sods Wilderness is one of the most unique landscapes in West Virginia.
Dolly Sods is one of the most unique landscapes we have ever seen! For the longest time, Dolly Sods was on our bucket list forest Virginia and we finally made it this summer! So to get there, we drove 5 miles up a gravel and dirt road in with no four-wheel drive and it was so worth it!
Dolly Sods Wilderness is a rocky, high-altitude plateau with sweeping views and foilage very similar to what is found in northern Canada. Since Dolly Sods is considered a national “wilderness,” it’s much more remote and less maintained than your typical parks, so if you’re looking to go off the grid for a few days, this is the place for you! Dolly Sods is well known for its backpacking and long hiking trips.
Tygart Lake
Located in the Mountain Lakes region of West Virginia, Tygart Lake State Park features a beautiful blue lake that will make you feel like you’re in Switzerland! Tygart Lake is a perfect getaway from nearby Morgantown and has miles of hiking trails, hidden geocaches, camping areas, cabins, and of course, a boat launch to enjoy the lake.
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks
If you visit Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, you can hike an incline of almost 900 feet to reach the overlook near the top! For those that are more adventurous, Seneca Rocks is a hotspot for some of the most technical rock climbing on the East Coast. On your way to the top, don’t forget to stop at the signs to learn more about the local geology! At the top, you can see sweeping views of the wild and wonderful mountains.
Which of these outdoor adventures in West Virginia sparks your interest?!
As you can see, West Virginia is full of exciting outdoor things to do and natural attractions to fill your summer with fun! Where have you traveled to in West Virginia?
