West Virginia Sports & Outdoors

The West Virginia University Coliseum

by traveldave

Home of the West Virginia University Mountaineers men's and women's basketball teams, the West Virginia University Coliseum was constructed in 1970. The main architectural feature of the coliseum is its poured concrete dome. In 1971, the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Concrete Institute named it the "Outstanding Concrete Structure of the Year".In addition to hosting basketball, the 14,000-seat coliseum is also home to West Virginia University's men's wrestling and women's volleyball and gymnastics teams. Other sports facilities within the coliseum include a 3,000-square-foot (280-square-meter) weight room, raquetball and squash courts, and a dance studio. There are also about 100 offices, 13 lecture rooms, and a safety laboratory.Throughout the years, the coliseum has also hosted concerts (but the acoustics are not very good) and the 1984 and 1988 Atlantic Ten Conference men's...

New River Gorge Whitewater Rafting

by Florida999

We watched the White Water rafting in the New River, but I was too afraid of the raft tipping over and us getting smashed on the rocks to do it...but, I think we will do this next time. Some of the rapids in this river are Class IV and V. We did watch one raft tipping over in the area of the photo, just under the bridge. Water shoes, and stuff that can get wet. The rest ( helmets and lifevests) you get from the rafting companies.

Skiing at Snowshoe

by Florida999

Snowshoe was NOT what I expected at all. We drove up to the ski resort that was located miles from anywhere and found something that resembled a Disney resort .....I am not sure how this place got to where it is, but it sort of looked out of place amongst the rest of West Virginia. When we go skiing, I like to rent a house or cabin from some local owner and just drive to the resort to ski. I don't really like large hotels or condos. This is really not possible in West Virginia. You can either stay at the resort and spend a lot of money on lodging, or you could potentially drive hours to the nearest town and stay in some motel. There really is not much else out there. Plus, there is nothing else to do there in the winter time, so if there is no snow , you could find yourself stuck on top of the mountain in the resort with nothing to do. Plus, the slopes were not that impressive.I wonder...

An Old "New" River for White Water

by grandmaR

To really experience the New River, you have to get out on the water. With the help of any of over fifty professional rafting companies you can get down and into a boat for white water rafting. The NPS webpage says:New River Gorge National River includes 53 miles of free-flowing New River, beginning at Bluestone Dam and ending at Hawks Nest Lake. The New River typifies big West Virginia style whitewater. Within the park it has two very different characters. The upper (southern) part of the river consists primarily of long pools, and relatively easy rapids up to Class III. It is a big powerful river, but very beautiful, always runnable, and providing excellent fishing and camping. There are a number of different river access points, and trips can run from several hours to several days..The lower (northern) section of river is often referred to as "the Lower Gorge." In a state that is...

Whitewater Rafting on the New River

by iluvtrvl

Whitewater rafting on the New River can be as thrilling or relaxing as you choose. The Upper New will give you gentle rapids, class I to III, where even children are safe to navigate. The Lower New is deemed the "Grand Canyon of the East" with rapids ranging from Class II to V. First timers have no fear....you will be safe provided you are with an experienced guide - I highly recommend Mountain River Tours.Packages vary from half day river runs to all week-end activities including camp-outs, horseback riding and hiking.For Lodging, consider Hawks Nest State Park - but book early.....short of that, look for lodging in nearby Summersville, Oak Hill or Fayetteville.

Snowshoe Mountain

by wanderingaussie