Located in the Appalachian region of the southern U.S., West Virginia is known to be a land of natural beauty. The mountains have made West Virginia a beautiful land of cliffs and caverns that are a wonder for travelers to explore. Just in case hiking up a mountainside isn't quite your speed, there are plenty of things to do in West Virginia that can be driven to in a rental car. There are even some things that were made with cars in mind, like the New River Gorge Bridge. Here's a list of some of the many things you can check out while driving through West Virginia, the most northern Southern state or the most southern Northern state - it depends on who you ask.
New River, flowing through the New River Gorge National Park, offers one of West Virginia's most iconic landmarks. It's amazing how much of a difference installing a bridge can make in a commute. Before the New River Gorge Bridge was constructed in 1977, a trip from one side of the river to the other would require a 40-minute drive down narrow mountain roads and crossing a river. Now, the trip only takes a minute. The bridge plays such an important role to West Virginia that it was chosen as the image to represent the state on a U.S. quarter in 2006. To celebrate its construction, once a year the bridge is opened up to pedestrians and hosts events such as music, base jumping, rappelling and more and is considered to be the largest extreme sports event in the world. This festival is called "Bridge Day." The bridge can be accessed by multiple highways and is one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia.
Your trip to the Mountain State wouldn't be complete with out a venture to the Appalachian Mountains, which is easy to do since West Virginia lies completely within the mountain range. No matter the weather conditions, travelers can take a trip to Snowshoe, West Virginia, and have a nice stay at the Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Located in the Monongahela National Forest, during the colder months, guests can ski and snowboard down the side of the mountain, while in the warmer seasons, the same mountainsides can be used for bike trails, hiking and off-road tours. The resort is often the host of festivals or concerts and has things for everyone in the family to enjoy. You should look into spending a weekend, or even a week, at the resort to take in the beautiful scenery.