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West

Virginia

Nearly 75 per cent of this mountain state is covered by forests, and

among the wooded mountains, West Virginia’s ocial hashtag –

#AlmostHeaven – feels apt. The Appalachian Mountains ripple across

the horizon, the New and Cheat Rivers smash through leafy gorges, and

Seneca Rocks reaches toward the sky. Several outdoor adventures in the

state rank among the best in the US, from raing the Gauley River during

the fall dam release to hiking the tundra-like plains of Dolly Sods.

‘Homegrown’ is the word at farm-to-table restaurants and indie shops

from Morgantown to Charleston to Lewisburg. Gorgeous scenery and

wild and wonderful adventures keep the state’s Appalachian pride high.

FOOD & DRINK

)APPLES Some of

America’s crispest,

juiciest apples come from

the golden mountains

of West Virginia, where

the lush, cool climate

provides ideal growing

conditions and has

produced popular

varietals. The Golden

Delicious is native to the

state, and at family-run

Orr’s Farm in

Martinsburg, you can

pick your own bushel,

then nibble an apple-

cider doughnut and

sip hot apple cider.

)JQ DICKINSON

SALT-WORKS An ancient

sea sleeps below the

Appalachian Mountains

on the outskirts of

Charleston, and the

region has a long history

of mining salt from its

briny waters. Brother-

and-sister Lewis Payne

and Nancy Bruns, who

are seventh-generation

salt producers, mine and

sell small-batch salt in

Malden – it’s a favourite

of gourmet chefs

nationwide. We bet

you’ll buy a jar aer the

tour. jqdsalt.com

)PEPPERONI ROLLS

They say an Italian

immigrant – Giuseppe

‘Joseph’ Argiro –

invented West Virginia’s

favourite hearty snack:

the now-ubiquitous

pepperoni roll, found

on convenience store

counters across the state.

Argiro, a coal miner-

turned-bakery owner,

was looking for an

easy-to-hold meal for

miners. Aer some

experimentation he

found that a so bread

roll loaded with

pepperoni did the trick.

It could be eaten with

one hand and stayed

edible all day. For

a sample, head to

Fairmont, the birthplace

of the treat, where you

can dig in at Country

Club Bakery. Another

good option is Chico

Bakery in Morgantown.

NATURAL ESCAPES

)COOPERS ROCK

STATE FOREST

The overlook at Coopers

Rock near Morgantown

is one of the most

photogenic spots in

West Virginia. Here a

stone-and-log fence

clings to a sandstone

clitop high above Cheat

River Gorge. The leafy

drive to the viewpoint is

ablaze with fall colour.

The Rock City Trail

(0.7 miles one-way)

barrels through a

wonderland of boulders.

wvstateparks.com

)DOLLY SODS

WILDERNESS Red

spruce trees, valley views

and boggy forests set a

striking scene in the

northern reaches of

this remote, popular

wilderness on the

Allegheny Plateau.

The alpine landscape in

Monongahela National

Forest near Davis oers

breathtaking views. With

47 miles of trails across

17,371 acres, Dolly Sods

(pictured above) is ready

for adventure.

fs.usda.gov/mnf

)NEW & GAULEY

RIVERS White-water

rapids hurl paddlers

downstream on the New

and Gauley Rivers near

Fayetteville, a national

hot spot for wet-and-wild

excursions. Trips on the

New River are good for

families as well as thrill

seekers, and the fall dam

release on the Gauley is

one of the most exciting

whitewater adventures in

the US. Essential photo?

The New River Gorge

Bridge (pictured

opposite).nps.gov/neri

)SENECA ROCKS

A striking rock formation

rising 275 metres above

a fork of the Potomac

River, Seneca Rocks in

Monongahela National

ROADTRIPITINERARY
Day 1 StartatCoopersRockState
Forest. Fromhere,jointheWest
VirginiaUniversitystudentsin
downtownMorgantownforlunch.
Aerward,strolltheMonongahela
River, thentakea tourof the
goosebump-raisingTrans-Allegheny
LunaticAsylum.
Day 2 Starta walkingtourof
downtownCharlestonbythestate
capitol’sgolddome.Aer lunch,take
scenicRoute 60 easttoJQDickinson
Salt-Works, theMysteryHoleand
HawksNestStatePark.
Day 3 It’sallaboutoutdoor
adventurein theNewRiverGorge
NationalRiverandFayetteville:
white-waterraing,hiking,mountain
bikingor rockclimbing.Orholdtight
ona tourof thecatwalkunderloy
NewRiverGorgeBridge.
Day 4 Route 60 continueseastto
Lewisburg, wherethehistoric
downtownis packedtightwithindie
shopsandinnovativerestaurants.
A bunkertourat theGreenbrier
falloutshelterin WhiteSulphur
SpringsrevealsColdWarsecrets.