West Virginia’s famed country roads offer an open invitation. Weaving across rugged terrain and through spirited small towns to uncrowded gems and world-class outdoor adventures alike, the roads form a latticework of endless possibilities for road trip itineraries. Five customized Mountain Rides can help connect activities that range from serene paddling tours to thrilling whitewater runs, with pristine biking trails, productive fishing, and stunning waterfall hikes. Start your trip-planning with route options that link the state’s best camping options along the way—worthy destinations in their own right for campers who value fall-foliage panorama payoffs, the East’s most brilliant night-sky views, secluded swimming holes, and tranquil riverside camps.
Family Friendly
The primitive Rhododendron Campground is an easy walk from all the major highlights of this popular state forest, including Coopers Rock, with expansive views of the Cheat Canyon—a must-see fall foliage stop—and practically limitless bouldering opportunities on gritstone boulders framed with thickets of rhododendron. McCollum Campground is the comfort option here, with electric sites, Wi-Fi, and a bathhouse. Both campgrounds are closed in winter.
Road-Trip Tip > Make Coopers Rock the overnight stay to highlight your autumn leaf-peeping tour on the Birdeye Bend road trip. Climbing aside, this adventure portal, just 13 miles east of Morgantown, boasts nearly 30 miles of multi-use trails.
Dark Skies
Add a night in the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower to your bucket list. Sleep above the canopy of Seneca State Forest (directly adjacent to the state’s three designated International Dark Sky Parks) with a 360-degree view of the night sky in this restored 1930s lookout. Available May through October, any evening is spectacular, but scheduling your stay during a meteor shower or bird migration will amplify the awe. The catch? The secret is out, and you must jump on reservations that open one year in advance on the first day of the month. Set your alarm to 12:01 a.m. and book online.
Riverside Camping
The Middle Fork River in Audra State Park is full of cannonball-worthy swimming holes, and half of this park’s campsites are a literal stone’s throw from the waterway. Reserve a riverside campsite to stake your claim, or simply hike the Alum Cave Trail (Lower to Upper) until you find your own personal honey hole. Exercise caution: There are no lifeguards at these swimming holes, and the high water can turn the Middle Fork into a Class IV whitewater run.
+ Refuel Detour: Black Bear Burritos is a Morgantown staple for its wide variety of burritos and equally wide variety of regional craft brews. Fish Hawk Acres in Buckhannon offers farm-to-table food. Be sure to ask about the monthly and daily specials.
Explore spirited small towns, undiscovered and uncrowded hidden gems, and world-class outdoor adventures in the Mountain State, where country roads lead you far away from everything—and a little closer to heaven. wvtourism.com
The post Don’t Overlook the Prime Camping Across West Virginia appeared first on Outside Online.
