National Parks & Forests  

Locals like to say that if you ironed out West Virginia and made it flat, it would be bigger than Texas. However you look at it, though, West Virginia contains some of the most extensive undeveloped and unspoiled areas east of the Mississippi. While other East Coast states were busy developing their remote areas, West Virginia joined with the federal government to protect these most valuable of resources.

The result today is an array of National Forests and Parks that are unequaled in the East. The New River Gorge National River Area preserves the surging whitewater and spectacular cliffs that annually draw tens of thousands of adventurers. The George Washington and Monongahela national forests in the southeast preserve and protect vast stretches of wilderness, making them a magnet for campers, hikers, and sportsmen and sportswomen alike.

History isn't neglected, either. The nation's smallest national park, at Harper's Ferry in the state's Eastern Panhandle, preserves the historic community where abolitionist John Brown challenged the government's authority and morality over the issue of slavery.

These important national preserves protect some of America's most important historical and natural resources, providing education and recreation to all who visit.