About West Virginia

West Virginia is the most northerly of the southern states and is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range, bordered by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky. Once part of Virginia, West Virginia was the only state born out of the Civil War and became the 35th State of the Union in 1863.

Nearly 80% of the state is forested (making it among the top three most forested states), and it has 2,000 miles of streams and rivers. West Virginia's 36 state parks and seven state forests form more than 200,000 acres of natural wonder and scenic beauty. Six resort parks feature fine dining, nature programmes and championship golf courses. Fourteen cabin and camping parks provide rustic to modern accommodation and three-day-use trail parks offer picnic sites, swimming, hiking, biking trails and horse riding. The spectacular New River Gorge National River is crossed by the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge, one of the world's largest single-span arch bridge while Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is one of the state's most-visited and scenic attractions.