Top Things to do in West Virginia
Top Hotels in West Virginia
- 1. La Quinta Inn & Suites By Wyndham Summersville
- 2. Hampton Inn Wheeling
- 3. Hampton Inn Charleston-Southridge
- 4. The Country Inn of Berkeley Springs
- 5. Hampton Inn Weston
- 6. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Beckley, WV
- 7. Wingate by Wyndham Elkins
- 8. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Charleston South, WV
- 9. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Morgantown
- 10. Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Beckley East
What to do and see in West Virginia, United States: The Best Free Things to do
As you would expect, The Mountain State displays rustic charm with dramatic river gorges, large limestone caverns and spectacular mountain views. West Virginia hosts outdoor enthusiasts and family vacationers looking for fresh-air activities and serene mountain atmosphere. If stimulating city holidays are your preference, Charleston combines warm hospitality with a lovely riverside location. A family-friendly destination, you’ll discover children’s theatre, river park recreation and popular Bridge Road for shopping and dining. Smaller towns blend outdoor adventure with quaint village atmospheres. Set between the New, Greenbrier and Bluestone Rivers, Hinton is an historic rail town filled with turn-of-the-century architecture and a host of water activities at its doorstep – rafting, fishing, kayaking and more. In the heart of West Virginia, Summersville is a “Mountain Water Playground.” Its lakeside location encourages outdoor recreation from swimming and boating to scuba diving and rafting. And history buffs can trace Civil War battles throughout the states historic sites and state parks. Hiking or horseback riding along trails through deep hardwood forests is another family favorite, especially when you stop for a picnic along a clear mountain stream.
Restaurants in West Virginia
1. Culture Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 120 reviews
Complex that houses a variety of interesting tourist sites such as the State Museum, reference libraries, and a live-performance theater.
Reviewed By sheliadscott - Charleston, United States
I went to visit The Culture Center in Charleston to do my family research and I found a lot of interesting facts about WV. My visit turned into a tour because I was fascinated by the deep culture that is hidden in WV.
2. West Virginia Veterans Memorial
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 107 reviews
Site where sculptor Joe Mullins' work is displayed.
Reviewed By JenniferandAlan - Easton, United States
Every May my husband and I visit West Virginia to put flowers on a friend's grave in Princeton. We always visit the state capital and the veterans memorial on its grounds. The memorial is beautiful with the statues of soldiers and sailors of WWl, WWll, Korean War and Viet Nam wars. The memorial is tear wrenching--all those names all those lives lost. I believe the pool represents all our tears. Thank you for remembering.
3. New River Gorge
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 194 reviews
A 53-mile stretch on the river that is set aside as a national park.
Reviewed By WiseWomanWanderer - Mount Orab, United States
New River Gorge and area should be on everyone's bucket list! I went for the hiking and the views for 3 nights accompanied by my dog. I could only manage easy-moderate trails. And I love water features. So, here is our itinerary>>> Sunday 1. stop at Canyon Rim Visitor Center, get trail maps, walk the boardwalk trail 2. hike Long Point Trail Monday 1. wake early to get parking place and then hike Endless Wall Trail (small parking lot, they will tow if on main road). 2. travel to Sandstone Falls and experience the boardwalk, island trail and overlooks 3. head to Thurmond area to hike the Rend Trail along the Dunloup Creek. Drove a little further to check out the New River. Driving back I pulled over to venture down to the falls (no sign so keep your eyes on the look out!). Tuesday 1. travel to Babcock State Park to experience the Grist Mill. Then hiked the Island in the Sky Trail which was nothing spectacular because the views were overgrown. Then, hiked around Lake Boley 2. drive to Summersville Dam and check out the two overlooks. Then, drive down the Gauley River access road and walk down the two steep entries to the Gauley River. 3. drive to Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park and hike the portion of the Patteron Trail with the 3 overlooks. 4. drive the Fayette Station Road Tour and get up close and personal with the New River. 5. hike the Timber Ridge Trail just because I was in the car a lot and needed more hiking! Wednesday 1. stop at Hawks Nest Overlook, Cathedral Falls, Confluence at Gauley Bridge (a city), and Kanawha Falls on SR 60 on my way back home I reviewed most of these trails on separate Tripadvisor entries. I just posted highlights of the trip. I gave each a 5 rating! I would have given 10 ratings if I could!
4. West Virginia State Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 396 reviews
Located in the Cultural Center, this interesting museum traces the history of West Virginia through a series of exhibits containing everything from an extensive collection of antique hats donated by a local school teacher to the telescope George Washington used to survey lands within the state.
Reviewed By ArwenElf - Rock Hill, United States
Free cultural museum with 26 Discovery Rooms that showcase West Virginia’s geology, prehistoric cultures, exploration and settlement, frontier conflicts and life...statehood, railroad, coal company town, mining,... the Great Depression, Civil Rights movement...transportation, fairs and festivals, cultural state collections and famous West Virginians. Very well done with extensive and interesting displays about West Virginia’s history and culture. Conveniently located next to the capital building.
5. New River Gorge Bridge
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,054 reviews
Reviewed By NeoWasHere - Frederick, United States
We viewed the longest arch bridge in the Western hemisphere from the overlook decks on the Canyon Rim Visitor Center grounds. Its arch span is 1700 ft. long and the roadway is 876 ft. above the New River. The bridge opened for use in 1977 after taking over three years to complete. Every year on the third Saturday of October, Bridge Day is held to celebrate the anniversary of the bridge's completion. On Bridge Day, they close down the bridge to vehicular traffic as thousands of spectators walk across it and gather around to watch BASE jumpers risk their lives jumping off it and parachuting down to the landing zone or river below. Rappelling is also permitted. Bridge Day 2020 was cancelled due to safety concerns around mass gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. In its 40 year long history, this was only the second time Bridge Day had been cancelled with the other being in 2001 due to 9/11. See you on October 16, 2021 all you adrenaline freaks!
6. Blue Bend Recreation Area
7. Grandview State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 225 reviews
Reviewed By 3CuteVagabonds
The grand view is spectacular. It is only a short walk from the parking lot and is definitely worth a stop and a visit. The park ranger was super friendly and told us about the gorge and the park.
8. Bloomery Plantation Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 275 reviews
We have closed our tasting room. After seven years we thought it was time for a change. Thank you to all of the wonderful guests , now friends, that have visited over the years. Keep following us on social media to see what the next chapter looks like. Cheers.
9. Endless Wall Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 119 reviews
Reviewed By xu2002 - Cincinnati, United States
We hiked this trail the day before we went rafting on the Lower New River. It was so cool to see rafts going down the river where we were going to be the next day. The hike wasn’t too long and the views were amazing. It was over 90 degrees the day we hiked it and it was so shaded that we weren’t too terribly hot. Highly recommend this trail!
10. State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 513 reviews
Designed by influential architect Cass Gilbert, this grand building, the highest state capitol dome in the United States, is open to the public for tours and features decadent interior details like marble walls a massive crystal chandelier.
Reviewed By JenniferandAlan - Easton, United States
Every May for about the past 10 years we have visited WV and we make sure to always see the capitol building. During the week you can have a guided tour of the inside and it is a good tour. This year we got there around 5PM and just strolled the grounds. The flowers are beautiful. The statuary is amazing, Our favorite is the WV coal miner. We also visit the war memorial each year--WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War and the list of names. Thank you for remembering.
