Travel and Recreation
Come to play and decide to stay.
Unmatched natural beauty and recreational
opportunities bring West Virginia to the forefront
as a tourist destination. Reflecting this,
the state's tourism industry saw an 11 percent growth
from 2004 to 2005, hosting 11 million overnight
leisure travelers.
Visitors delight in a diverse offering of
cultural and entertainment activities including
Appalachian arts and crafts, music, fairs and festivals,
museums and art galleries, the ballet, theater
and symphony events. From snow skiing to whitewater rafting, the state offers an impressive array
of activities for everyone.
- West Virginia's 50 state parks, forests, and wildlife management
areas offer more than 800 miles of hiking
trails and 5,000
acres of fishing waters.
- Considered the ski
capital of the Mid-Atlantic, West Virginia
boasts five major resorts offering alpine
skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding,
snow tubing and other winter sports.
- The state's Eastern Panhandle is steeped
in Civil
War history, including the tale of abolitionist
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. It also
is the home to relaxing spas,
bed and breakfasts and romantic getaways.
- In south-central West Virginia, the New
and Gauley rivers are internationally recognized
as America's best whitewater
rafting.
- Scenic railroads provide the perfect
way to view the state's breathtaking mountain
landscapes and fall foliage.
- One and a half million acres of public land
with deer, waterfowl and small game are
open to hunting in the fall, when visitors swell
the number of hunters to about 400,000.
- Throughout the state, eclectic and charming small town gems offer visitor fine dining,
shopping, and lodging nearby fun outdoor
recreation areas.
Community Life
Choices abound - for work, home and play -
giving West Virginians the opportunity to
fashion lifestyles uniquely their own.
Large and small, our communities are rich
in heritage and scenic beauty. West Virginia
provides a safe, comfortable way of life -
a life that is more affordable than the rest
of the country:
- West Virginia residents benefit from
low property taxes and a cost of living that
is 8 percent below the U.S. average.
- The state leads the nation in home
ownership: 75.2 percent of the housing units
are owner-occupied.
- West Virginia has the fourth lowest
crime index in the country.
West Virginians value the historic significance
of downtowns and find the setting conducive
to the growth of many types of small business.
The state's Main Street program assists with programs
to revitalize downtowns and preserve historic
buildings.
Local residents join to make their communities
better places to live and work through their
support of water and sewer projects, community
buildings and recreational facilities. To
assist these efforts, the Development Office's
Community
Development Division, partners with federal,
state and local agencies to provide funding
and technical assistance for infrastructure
and development projects.
Education
 West Virginia’s public primary school
system receives the highest marks in technology
in the U.S., as ranked by Education Week.
- Computer literacy is required in
grades K through 12.
- Free college tuition? West Virginia’s PROMISE
Find out about West Virginia’s Global 21, No Child Left Behind school ratings, professional development and more.
Culture and The Arts
Community groups, art organizations and educational
institutions give West Virginia residents
an endless list of cultural opportunities,
including art galleries, museums, indoor and
outdoor theaters, county fairs, arts and crafts
fairs, theme festivals, public radio and television,
opera, classical and mountain music, ballet
and modern dance.
- Mountain Stage, a two-hour public radio program
recorded live each week in West Virginia,
features performances by today's hottest
musicians to be broadcast around the world.
- West Virginia is home to Tamarack,
the nation's first and only statewide collection
of handmade crafts, arts and cuisine.
- The Culture Center in Charleston houses the state
museum and hosts a number of popular annual
festivals, including the Vandalia Gathering.
- The 240,000 square foot Clay
Center for the Arts & Sciences houses
the performing arts, visual arts and the
sciences under one roof. The facility is
home to both the Avampato Discovery Museum
and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
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