West Virginia Off The Beaten Path

  Qunicy Hill overlook during an October...
by kevanrijn
 
  • Qunicy Hill overlook during an October sunset
      Qunicy Hill overlook during an October...
    by kevanrijn
  • Uh Oh....
      Uh Oh....
    by Ewingjr98
  • Erksine Covered Bridge
      Erksine Covered Bridge
    by Ewingjr98
  • Are you serious? A tree in road? Creepy!
      Are you serious? A tree in road? ...
    by Ewingjr98
  • Erskine Bridge
      Erskine Bridge
    by Ewingjr98
 
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Isn't This A Beautiful Spot?

by lmkluque

Those of us who know something of the history of this country will recognize that The Potomac River, The Shenandoah River and The Blue Ridge Mountains have historical connections to our development. We may have a vague sense of their importance, but until they are seen, the majesty is not known. Just outside of the town area at Harpers Ferry all three of these come together and the result is nothing short of awesome. The photois of The Potomac River at Harper's Ferry. Added to the natrual charm of this area are the beautiful rivers flowing through it.Fishing and canoeing come to mind here. These rivers are within walking distance of the the town. Even if hiking or other sports are not your thing, a walk though this place will be wonderful for the senses.

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Rural West Virginia -- don't be scared...

by Ewingjr98

Driving on the dirt roads of rural West Virginia, and all I can think about is the movie "Deliverance" or perhaps the much worse movie about the hillbilly mutants that set traps on a seldom used road so out of towners get trapped... then eaten. Is it called "The Hills Have Eyes?" Maybe it's "Resurrection County" or "Wrong Turn." If rural West Virginians were their own race, these movies were certainly be prejudiced and probably very racist. So during my last trip through West Virginia, I got off the highway during a rain storm and there was no entrance back on the highway except in the other direction. I never like to backtrack, so I followed the GPS away from the highway in what looked like a 10-mile loop on some smaller roads. It started out OK with a cool covered bridge, then it got spooky. The small paved road became a dirt road, and soon there were small branches lying along parts...

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Erskine Covered Bridge - on PA-WV border

by Ewingjr98

Erskine covered bridge in Washington County was built in 1845 by William Gordon. The red, box-like bridge is just 39 feet long and about 12 feet wide, and it rattles like a baby's toy as you drive across! The bridge, spanning Middle Wheeling Creek, was just refurbished in 2006.It stands just one tenths of a mile from the West Virginia border, so it is the westernmost bridge in PA and the oldest bridge in the county. Pennsylvania has 197 covered bridges still standing, and there are 28 remaining covered bridges in Washington and Greene counties. To get to Erskine Covered Bridge, take I-70 east from Wheeling toward PA. Take exit 1 on the PA side of the state line and go south on Old Brick Road. After about 2 miles, turn right on State Route 3018/Middle Creek Road. Go about one mile and the bridge will appear on your left at the entrance to Erskine Road.

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The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

by traveldave

Originally called the Weston State Hospital, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was built to house and treat the mentally ill from throughout the region. The building was designed by architect Richard Andrews, who followed the Kirkbride plan for mental institutions. This plan called for long wings in staggered formation which assured an abundant supply of therapeutic light and fresh air. The building is the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in the United States, and the second-largest in the world, after the Kremlin in Moscow.Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1881. However, patients were first admitted into finished sections of the building in 1864.During the American Civil War, Weston was seized by Union troops. The unfinished asylum was converted to Camp Tyler, an important military post which controlled the roads in the area. The completed south wing was used as...

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The West Virginia State Penitentiary

by traveldave

The West Virginia State Penitentiary has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was named "One of the Best 500 Places to Visit in the United States" by US News & World Report in 1996.The West Virginia State Penitentiary was modeled after Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, but is only one-half the size of Joliet's prison. Designed in a castellated Gothic style of architecture, the building has turrets and battlements like a castle. The first phase of the prison was completed in 1876, and later additions in the 1920s doubled the size of the building. Inmates were given jobs in the prison's backsmith, wagon shop, carpentry shop, brickyard, stone yard, paint shop, tailor, bakery, or hospital. The penitentiary later added a prison farm and coal mine where inmates could work.A total of 94 men were executed in the penitentiary: 85 were hung between 1899...

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Nancy Hanks Memorial

by Stephen-KarenConn

"God bless my mother. All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her."-- Abraham LincolnNancy Hanks was born on February 5, 1784, in Hampshire County, Virginia in a log cabin along Mike's Run at the foot of New Creek Mountain in what is now Mineral County, West Virginia. Nancy grew up to marry Thomas Lincoln. One of Nancy and Thomas's sons, Abraham Lincoln, became the 16th President of the United States. The site of Nancy's birth has been marked by the Nancy Hanks Association, which placed a simple stone monument to mark the spot in 1933. Near the monument is a reconstructed log cabin, like the one in which Nancy Hanks was born.The site is well off the beaten path. To find it, follow the signs which point off U.S. 220, just a few miles south of the Maryland/West Virginia state line in northeastern West Virginia. You will take a narrow, winding road through the mountains for more than six...

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Grave Creek Mound

by traveldave

Grave Creek Mound is the largest conical burial mound constructed by the prehistoric American Indians of the late Adena Period. The Adena People were part of the group of prehistoric cultures known as "mound builders," named for their practice of building burial mounds. Consisting of several different cultures spanning 20,000 years, the mound builders lived in areas that include present-day Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and parts of New York and Pennsylvania.Construction of Grave Creek Mound took place in different stages from about 250 B.C. to 150 B.C. The mound is 69 feet (21 meters) high, 295 feet (90 meters) in circumference, and involved the moving of 60,000 tons (54,430,000 kilograms) of earth.The mound was used as a place to bury the dead. There were multiple burials at different levels in Grave Creek Mound.Grave Creek Mound is located in the town of Moundsville, about...

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Radio Observatory

by Florida999

We visited the Radio Observatory literally in the middle of nowhere in West Virginia. You can go on a free tour of the place and learn a lot about radio transmissions and outer space. We enjoyed the tour , even without finding out there really are aliens. The entire area is in something called " The Quiet Zone" where no cell phones work, and people routinely have their microwave ovens confiscated because they are interferring with the radio signals.

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Virginia's Chapel

by mikelisaanna

Virginia's Chapel is a small chapel that was built in 1853 by the Tompkins family as a gift for their daughter, Virginia. It was used by both sides in the Civil War, and changed hand a few times over the years. It was restored in the 1980s and is now open to the public. Virginia's Chapel is located on Route 60 in the town of Cedar Grove, West Virginia. Cedar Grove is located east of Charleston, West Virginia's capital.

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The Entire State is Off the Beaten Path

by mikelisaanna

The entire state of West Virginia is off the beaten path. Despite its physical beauty, West Virginia is not a place that Americans typcally go out of their way to visit. One reason is that they usually associate the state with poverty, coal mining, and uneducated hillbilles. Yes, it is a poor state, and yes, there are some very ugly coal strip mines, and yes, the poor people living in some of the remote mountain areas may not have college degrees. However, the state is worth visiting for its beautiful scenery, historic towns, and friendly people. West Virginia is especially good for outdoor sports, such as whitewater rafting,canoeing, kayaking, as well as hiking. West Virginia is also inexpensive and uncrowded relative to the rest of the USA.

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Unique Places in West Virginia

Top 3 Hotels in West Virginia

Quality Hotel Conference Center  Harpers Ferry

 43 Opinions

 Hotels in Harpers Ferry

Sleep Inn Charleston  Charleston

 1 Review and 44 Opinions  This was a gem of a motel but it was a bit tough to locate. The motel was off the I-79 exit but... 

 Hotels in Charleston

Euro Suites Hotel  Morgantown

 62 Opinions

 Hotels in Morgantown

320 Hotels in West Virginia
 
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Reviews and photos of West Virginia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for West Virginia sightseeing.

Experience West Virginia
Off The Beaten Path: Cities in West Virginia
  1. Charleston Off The Beaten Path
  2. Parkersburg Off The Beaten Path
  3. Morgantown Off The Beaten Path
  4. Wheeling Off The Beaten Path
  5. Helvetia Off The Beaten Path
  6. Point Pleasant Off The Beaten Path
  7. Huntington Off The Beaten Path
  8. Seneca Rocks Off The Beaten Path
  9. Junior Off The Beaten Path
  10. Shepherdstown Off The Beaten Path
  11. Grafton Off The Beaten Path
  12. Hawks Nest State Park Off The Beaten Path
  13. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Off The Beaten Path
  14. Pineville Off The Beaten Path
  15. Fayetteville Off The Beaten Path
  16. French Creek Off The Beaten Path
  17. Bluefield Off The Beaten Path
  18. Marlinton Off The Beaten Path
  19. Sabraton Off The Beaten Path

More Cities in West Virginia

 

Questions and Answers

lukksa profile photo

Q:  Forgot to ask before - Can you walk out on the bridge or is there an oerlook where you can look down on the river. Thanks 

TexasDave profile photo

A: You don't say which bridge--- I'm guessing the New River Bridge. If that is correct, then no, there is no place to stop on the bridge, but there are scenic overlooks... 

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