Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, sits on a site first settled by pioneers in 1788 in the wake of the American Revolutionary War. The city, modest in size, serves as a stepping stone for tourists heading into the surrounding wilderness. But before doing so, allow time to visit the West Virginia State Capitol.

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West Virginia State Capitol -

Dedicated in 1932, the state capitol is the tallest building in West Virginia. The massive dome is entirely covered in gold leaf. A huge chandelier is found suspended from inside the dome to add a suitably impressive point of reference for any tour of the interior. The West Virginia Capitol Complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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West Virginia State Museum -

Anyone interested in West Virginia's myriad of history and culture will be well rewarded by the artifacts, implements, and exhibits displayed at this excellent city facility. The timespan is chronicled through a series of exhibition rooms and video presentations. The state's art, paleontology, archaeology, and geology is also examined. Pictured is a photograph from the collection depicting New York State militia during the civil war at Maryland Heights, near Harpers Ferry.

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Daniel Boone Park -

Frontiersman Daniel Boone, one of the original pioneers to settle in Charleston in the 18th century, has a city park named after him. This is the place to chill when the mercury rises, where picnic tables, a fishing pier, and some lovely walks can be found.

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Blackwater Falls State Park -

Unveiling itself over the Allegheny Mountains, Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the Blackwater River and a spectacular water feature, the scenic Blackwater Falls—one of the most visited natural wonders in the park. A viewing platform provides exceptional selfie and Instagram opportunities.

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Elakala Falls -

Several waterfalls are found tumbling over ledges along what's known as the Falls Run, each outstanding in its pictorial beauty. The Elaka Falls, a series of four waterfalls, cascades down the wall of a canyon. It's easily reached by a footpath.

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Lindy Point -

The park's highlight is the view enjoyed from Lindy Point, which affords a jaw-dropping overlook into Blackwater Canyon, one of the most beautiful places in the state.

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Monongahela National Forest -

Monongahela National Forest encompasses one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States, a region supporting more than 225 bird species, 75 species of tree—including red spruce and balsam fir—and 70 species of fish. The forest is also alive with a wealth of wildlife. Numerous campgrounds provide suitably rustic bases from which to pursue an exciting program of outdoor recreational activities.

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Seneca Rocks -

The Seneca Rocks, which lie within the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Recreational Area of the forest, is a distinctive crag of quartzite that tests the skills of even the most technically adept of climbers.

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Seneca Caverns -

Discovering West Virginia is to also venture underground and be regaled with geological wonders like the Seneca Caverns at Riverton. One-hour guided tours extend 50 m (165 ft) underground to explore one of America's most impressive cave systems.

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The Greenbrier -

West Virginia's most distinguished luxury hotel property has been welcoming guests from around the world since 1778, including 28 American presidents, selected royalty, various celebrities, and those from the worlds of business and finance. The Greenbrier is found in the Allegheny Mountains.

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Cold War accommodation -

During the Cold War, an underground bunker complex was built below the hotel to house the entire US Congress in case of a nuclear strike. This remarkable reinforced subterranean retreat, codenamed "Project Greek Island" and planned by the Eisenhower administration, was constructed beneath the Greenbrier Resort's West Virginia Wing. Decommissioned in 1992, it is today open to the public for tours.

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National Radio Astronomy Observatory -

Greenbank is the location of the impressive National Radio Astronomy Observatory, where the world's largest fully movable radio telescope is located. The science center is open to the public, where budding astronomers can catch up with what's happening out of this world.

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Berkeley Springs State Park -

A very unusual eye-opener awaits those exploring this famous mineral spa destination—George Washington's bathtub. Actually, it's not much more than a hole chiseled out of the ground and paved with brick. But it was here in 1748 that the 16-year-old future president of the United States came to bathe. The warm, effervescent, and curative waters are as popular now as they were in the 18th century.

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New River Gorge National Park and Preserve -

Located in southern West Virginia and named for the New River (which in fact is one of the oldest rivers on the continent), this national park and preserve serves as a haven for a diverse range of flora and fauna: the endangered Virginia big-eared and Indiana bats are found here, as well as the threatened Allegheny woodrat. For adventure seekers, it's the white-water rafting opportunities that draw them to this untamed corner of the state.

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New River Gorge Bridge -

The park's most dramatic manmade structure is the New River Gorge Bridge, a steel arch bridge spanning 518 m (1,700 ft), with the roadway set 267 m (876 ft) above the river.

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White-water rafting -

West Virginia is a premier destination for white-water rafting. The forbidding Gauley River carries some of the most turbulent waters between Summersville and Fayetteville.

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Cass Scenic Railway State Park -

A wonderful diversion that the kids will especially appreciate is a trip to the Cass Scenic Railway State Park. The park is effectively a heritage railway where lovingly restored vintage locomotives push along historic log cars converted to hold passengers over a series of tracks laid within its boundaries.

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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park -

Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, Harpers Ferry Historic National Park is one of the most visited sites in West Virginia, and one of the most significant in the United States. The park itself is a carpet of woodland crisscrossed with hiking trails, including a section of the famous Appalachian Trail, which has its own visitor center. The park, however, is better known for its collection of historic museums and period buildings.

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John Brown's Fort -

The standout cultural draw at Harpers Ferry is John Brown's Fort. Built in 1848, this is the guard and ferry house that provided abolitionist leader John Brown (1800-1859) with refuge during his 1859 raid of the US armory at Harpers Ferry, an event that hastened the American Civil War.

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Harpers Ferry -

Elsewhere, this historic town has plenty to keep everyone wide-eyed and occupied, its streets lined with authentic shops, stores, houses, and other places of interest.

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West Virginia Penitentiary -

One of the state's most captivating visitor attractions is the former penitentiary, an imposing Gothic-style jailhouse located in Moundville, that at its height of operations housed more than a 1,000 prisoners. Opened in 1876, the last inmate was released in 1995.

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"Old Sparky" -

Nearly 100 executions were carried out at the penitentiary, from 1951 by way of the electric chair. The prison exhibits "Old Sparky," used by the prison to dispatch nine inmates before the state prohibited capital punishment entirely in 1965.

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Mothman Museum -

The 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River was associated with the alleged sightings of the Mothman the previous year, a winged humanoid creature with flaming red eyes. The myth is examined in detail at the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. An entertaining Mothman Festival is held in the town on the third weekend of September.

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Huntingdon Museum of Art -

You could spend a good few hours admiring the exhaustive collection of art gathered at this celebrated Huntingdon museum. Paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, glassware, and more from all corners of the world have a permanent home here. Standout exhibits include the entire Touma Near Eastern Collection. For a local perspective, browse the American art hall for pieces like 'The Watcher' by Frank Benson (1862–1951).

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Ritter Park Rose Garden -

After absorbing all that art, head outside to the nearby Ritter Park Rose Garden for a visually stunning and intoxicating display of more than 3,000 roses that decorate one of the best rose gardens in America.

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Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine -

West Virginia's coal mining heritage is ably upheld at this engaging facility where you can delve deep underground in a cart that once ferried miners to the coalface. Tours include informative talks about an industry that once provided the state with its economic backbone.

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Grave Creek Burial Mound -

Little visited and one of the state's best-kept tourism secrets, the Grave Creek Burial Mound—the largest of its kind in the United States—holds the remains of prehistoric West Virginians. An onsite museum provides fascinating insight into this incongruous but compelling manmade feature.

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Cathedral Falls -

Cathedral Falls gives Blackwater Falls a run for its money as West Virginia's most dazzling waterfall. Crystal clear water tumbles down a canyon to crash over a series of sandstone ledges. It's located at Gauley Bridge.

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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum -

Only the very disturbed used to end up in this building in Weston. Opened in 1864 originally to hold 250 patients, by the mid-1950s over 2,400 souls were being held in cramped conditions, mainly because by then people were being admitted for all sorts of reasons, including asthma, laziness, and even greediness. An informative guided tour nourishes the mind with curious facts, figures, and other insightful information.

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Snowshoe -

Snowshoe is a popular year-round resort best known for its superb skiing. Surrounded by a pristine environment of forests and lakes, this is also a fantastic destination to explore where paddleboarding, mountain biking, horse riding, ziplining, canoeing, and hiking are just some of the great outdoor activity options.

Sources: (NPR) (National Park Service) (Timeline) (Smithsonian Institution)

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Charleston -

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West Virginia State Capitol -

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West Virginia State Museum -

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Daniel Boone Park -

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Blackwater Falls State Park -

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Elakala Falls -

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Lindy Point -

The park's highlight is the view enjoyed from Lindy Point, which affords a jaw-dropping overlook into Blackwater Canyon, one of the most beautiful places in the state.

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Monongahela National Forest -

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Seneca Rocks -

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Seneca Caverns -

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The Greenbrier -

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Cold War accommodation -

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National Radio Astronomy Observatory -

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Berkeley Springs State Park -

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New River Gorge National Park and Preserve -

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New River Gorge Bridge -

The park's most dramatic manmade structure is the New River Gorge Bridge, a steel arch bridge spanning 518 m (1,700 ft), with the roadway set 267 m (876 ft) above the river.

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White-water rafting -

West Virginia is a premier destination for white-water rafting. The forbidding Gauley River carries some of the most turbulent waters between Summersville and Fayetteville.

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Cass Scenic Railway State Park -

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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park -

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John Brown's Fort -

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Harpers Ferry -

Elsewhere, this historic town has plenty to keep everyone wide-eyed and occupied, its streets lined with authentic shops, stores, houses, and other places of interest.

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West Virginia Penitentiary -

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"Old Sparky" -

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Mothman Museum -

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Huntingdon Museum of Art -

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Ritter Park Rose Garden -

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Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine -

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Grave Creek Burial Mound -

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Cathedral Falls -

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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum -

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Snowshoe -

Sources: (NPR) (National Park Service) (Timeline) (Smithsonian Institution)

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All the best of West Virginia

Discover the "Mountain State"

08/09/22 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Usa

West Virginia is possessed of some of the most rugged and untamed scenery on the East Coast of the United States. Anchored by the Appalachian Mountains, this is a state that lures visitors year round with enviable outdoor adventure opportunities, its verdant forests, raging rivers, and wilderness reserves providing irresistible playgrounds for hiking, camping, mountain biking, horse riding, caving, rock climbing, and white-water rafting. In winter, snow-capped ski resorts offer up some of the best skiing in the region. For history lessons, linger in Charleston, the state capital, or head out to Harpers Ferry or Greenbrier. Whatever route you choose, you'll find yourself in one of the most scenic states in the country.

Ready to explore? Click through and discover all the best of West Virginia.