West Virginia, nestled in the Appalachian region of the United States, captivates with its diverse landscapes, from rolling hills to rugged mountains. This webpage centers on free camping opportunities within the Mongonghella and George Washington National Forests, inviting adventurers to embrace the state’s natural wonders. With a focus on hiking, biking, kayaking, and more, West Virginia offers a spectrum of outdoor activities. The majestic forests and pristine waterways of the national forests provide an idyllic backdrop for camping and exploration. From traversing scenic trails to embarking on cycling escapades, the state caters to various interests. West Virginia’s tranquil lakes and rivers beckon kayakers and water enthusiasts, ensuring unforgettable experiences. Amidst the Appalachian splendor, West Virginia stands as an outdoor haven where nature’s beauty and recreational pursuits harmonize to offer an enriching and memorable adventure.
While I've never been in this part of West Virginia, the scenery seems familiar with some of the areas I've explored in other parts of state. It really is a beautiful and wild state to explore.
West Virginia is one of many charming states with a lot of good rural land to explore. I’ve certainly enjoyed my road trips down there, and I will probably go back there this autumn. There is are two off-grid living channel I follow on the Youtube, and it’s wild and wonderful down there.
But I’m not sure I would choose the state to live in. For one, the summers are brutally hot even in the mountains and the winters are cold and icy. The roads are often steep, twisty and narrow which makes vacation fun, but probably not so fun when they are covered with ice and snow and you have to get other places.
The politics are strange in the state, while the people are friendly some of the laws are not. I am no fan of the idiotic boosterism for coal energy, that is literally tearing apart the land and leaving it with massive heaps of coal waste, ruining trout streams, and fouling with air with emissions — to say nothing of accelerating the harm of climate chgnage. Scrubbers help, but even the most basic of controls are often resisted at local levels, because coal is so uneconomic at this point compared to other generating plants and renewables.
West Virginia gun laws are good, but in many rural parts of state shopping opportunities are quite limited with even Walmart a distant trip away. Hunting and fishing opportunities are pretty good, especially in the mountain area around the National Forest are great. Restrictions on trash burning, and mandatory trash pick up go against my desire to live as close to zero-waste and zero-landfill as possible, reducing and managing the remaining waste by composting, reuse and burning on my own land.
Most people who live in West Virginia, especially rural West Virginia will tell you, they would never want to leave it — as it is truly is almost heaven. But the truth is, opportunities to make a decent living, outside of the dwindling jobs in the coal industry, is pretty darn hard.
In some ways it's surprised that this mostly steeply sloped parcel was never part of the National Forest, but it's great that the feds will buying it and forever keeping this view wild. Also great for 4x4 drivers, as this will ensure the back stretch on the Forest Road 13 - Blackwater Canyon Loop will forever remain open to the public.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — The owner of Allegheny Wood Products (AWP), a company that closed eight West Virginia locations earlier this year, has agreed to sell 2,700 acres in Tucker County to the U.S. Forest Service.
John Crites has agreed to move forward with the sale, according to a press release from the office of Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), which will include land in the Blackwater Canyon that borders Blackwater Falls State Park and the Monongahela National Forest as well as a portion of the Blackwater River.
According to Friends of Blackwater Director Judy Rodd, the purchase also includes the land that tourists see from Lindy Point in Blackwater Falls State Park—which is one of the most famous views from the park and is considered the “scenic crown jewel” of West Virginia—and the Big Run Bridge on the Blackwater Canyon Trail, which was damaged in a landslide earlier this year. At the time, there was question about who should maintain the trail because it was on privately owned land. After this sale, the land and section of trail from the Crites family will be publicly owned and maintained by the Monongahela National Forest.
