West Virginia
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About West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous state and the only state in the USA that is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range. About 75% is within the extremely rugged Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus regions. West Virginia has more than a million acres in state parks, recreation areas, state forests and national forests.
Good to know
- Capital: Charleston
- Climate: West Virginia has a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Due largely to differences in altitude there are large variations. Charleston has January temperatures of 1.4° C and July temperatures of 24° C
- Timezone: UTC -5
- No. of inhabitants: 1,815,354 (2004)
- Travel alert: EnjoyYourWorld strongly advises you to take necessary precautions for a safe travel. For more info please follow this link
Highlights
- Monongahela National Forest
- Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
- New River Gorge Bridge-a 304 m deep canyon carved by the rugged white water New River with a surrounding park that offers abundant recreational opportunities
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park with the scenic Harpers Ferry town at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers
- Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network–a system of over 120 parks, refuges, museums, historic communities and water trails in the Bay watershed
- Follow the Gauley River and Meadow River through scenic gorges and valleys. The Gauley River is one of the most adventurous white water boating rivers in the eastern United Sates.
- The Greenbrier and Berkeley Springs resorts
- The Green Bank Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
- The New River Gorge Bridge-a 924 m steel-arch bridge that carries U.S. Highway 19 over the New River
- The scenic railroad at Cass
- Wheeling-a small charming city along the Ohio River
Getting Around
- If you are in a hurry take the Interstate Highways: I-64, I-77, I-64 and I-77 are merged in a toll road (West Virginia Turnpike), I-68, I-79 and the I-70 (in the northern panhandle)
- If not try some of the West Virginia scenic byways
- Coal Heritage Trail-takes you through mountains and valleys with many physical remnants of the coal industry. It will take you to the shores of Bluestone Lake, an excellent place to go fishing, camping or hiking. For the really challenging hikes try the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Highland Scenic Highway-takes you through the wild and undeveloped Monongahela National Forest and stunning views of the Allegheny Highlands. As you travel on you will encounter the bogs (wetlands) with the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area to get a good impression of life in the bogs. Along the byway you will find great trout waters, camping spots, and hundreds of hiking trails. Try the Falls of Hills Creek trail where you will find three beautiful cascading waterfalls.
- Historic National Road-a 25 km stretch with many historic buildings, old bridges and Victorian homes.
- Midland Trail-takes you over hills and through valleys of scenic beauty. It will give you the opportunity to see Hawks Nest State Park, with panoramic views of peaceful Hawks Nest Lake and the New River Gorge Bridge (if you there on the third Saturday of October, watch as adventurers jump off the bridge with only a few moments to open their parachutes. This day is the only time it's legal to jump from the bridge).
- Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike-through the Monongahela National Forest. Logging and railroad towns like Durbin and Mill Creek are reminders of other early settler’s times.
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