12 Nicest Small Towns In West Virginia
Placed wholly within the Appalachia region and having an average altitude of almost 1,500 feet above sea level, which is the highest among the US states to the east of the Mississippi River, West Virginia convincingly certifies its moniker: ‘Mountain State.’ With craggy mountain peaks, softly meandering hills, thickly vegetated gorges, meandering watercourses, and much-trodden hiking trails, West Virginia is a bucket list place for every holidaymaker. Nevertheless, beyond the Mountain State’s major urban megalopolises, including the state capital Charleston, Wheeling, Morgantown, and Parkersburg, are countless nice towns interspersed throughout this arresting 24,078 square mile terrain state, that are worth holidaying at any time of the year.
Lewisburg
Greenbrier County’s center of administration, Lewisburg, named in memory of the American surveyor Andrew Lewis, is located in the Southern West Virginia region, just about 1 mile north of the Greenbrier River. Wanderers, making a stop in this appealing settlement, should saunter through the aesthetically pleasing Main Street, dropping in at the art galleries like Paragon Fine Art, fashion boutiques like Wolf Creek, and Italian-inspired restaurants like The Humble Tomato.
Learn more about the eclectic cultures and heritage of the Greenbrier & Meadow River Valleys through both guided and self-guided tours of the Greenbrier Historical Society And North House Museum, spectate musical concerts, literary events, and theatrical productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and be there at the town’s State Fairgrounds in August for ‘The Annual State Fair of West Virginia.’
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry, a quaint Jefferson County community occupying the lower Shenandoah Valley at the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, is lauded for its storied past and attractive scenery. At present, the town’s original unelevated flood-prone section is preserved as a part of the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, whereas the bordering much elevated residential areas constitute a part of the Harpers Ferry Historic District.
Having been substantially destroyed during the American Civil War, Harpers Ferry has, over time, redirected its economy from being a notable antebellum manufacturing and transportation center to a most preferred holiday destination. John Brown’s Fort, a refuge of American abolitionist John Brown during his 1859 raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the world’s best-known hiking trail, the Late Gothic Revival-style St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, and the 15-acre B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing historic site comprising a set of railroad bridges on the Potomac River, are must-visits while on a holiday here.
Shepherdstown
The state’s oldest town, founded as Mecklenburg on December 23, 1762, and later rebaptized in honor of Thomas Shepherd as Shepherdstown, sits along the side of the Potomac River in the upper Shenandoah Valley in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The Shepherdstown Historic District, which covers the historic nucleus of this college town (home of Shepherd University), comprises numerous pristinely kept structures such as the Federal-style Baker House, the Greek Revival-style McMurran Hall, and the Federal/Classic Revival-style Presbyterian Manse.
Presently, several of these retro structures that line German Street house clothing boutiques like The Good Shop and diners like MJ’s on German DeliCafe. Additionally, you can watch the latest American plays at Shepherd University’s Contemporary American Theater Festival and unravel the town’s myriad spooky mysteries with Shepherdstown Mysteries Walk.
Berkeley Springs
Home to 758 inhabitants as per the 2020 US Census, Berkeley Springs, an Appalachian Mountain town, forming a part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, is the shiretown of Morgan County. Located 26 miles from Martinsburg, the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of the state, Berkeley Springs, famed as ‘America’s first spa,’ invites tourists to relax by its restorative mineral water springs and upscale spas, which have drawn leisure seekers since colonial times.
Furthermore, you can have a great time at Berkeley Springs State Park’s historic mineral spa and the grand Old Roman Bathhouse, buy quality antiques and collectibles from Berkeley Springs Antique Mall, sample seasonal classy comfort cuisines served at Lot 12 Public House Inc., and take part in The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting—the biggest and longest-running water tasting event in the world, held yearly at The Country Inn.
Hinton
Hinton, called after the initial landowner John ‘Jack’ Hinton, is the administrative capital of Summers County, situated precisely north of the New River’s meeting with the Greenbrier River, nearly 90 miles from the state capital. This archetypal 19th-century railroad town’s National Register-listed historic district incorporates multitudinous well-maintained contributing properties like the Summers County Courthouse and C&O Railway Passenger Station, apart from small retail shops like Jack’s Bargain Barn and restaurants like Lucky Rivers Café and Catering LLC.
Addedly, inspect the artifacts and model train exhibits from the first few years of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway at Hinton Railroad Museum, and participate in ample outdoor recreational activities along the banks of the Bluestone Lake in Bluestone State Park.
New Martinsville
Titled for the colonizer Presley Martin, this seat of government of Wetzel County is located by the Ohio River in the northern part of the state, about 90 miles southwest of Pennsylvania’s second-most populous city. Embracing New Martinsville’s civic and economic heart, the 10.5-acre New Martinsville Downtown Historic District is filled with dozens of late 19th to early 20th century buildings, such as the Wetzel County Courthouse and the New Martinsville City Building; craft stores like Christy’s Antiques Crafts, and buffet eateries like Quinet’s Restaurant.
History buffs should note the plentiful artifacts and vintage photographs at the Wetzel County Museum, which tell tales of Wetzel County’s good old days. Outdoor enthusiasts must explore the many city parks, like Lewis Wetzel Park, and tourists should attend the annual New Martinsville Area RegattaFest, which is scheduled for September.
White Sulphur Springs
A spectacular hospitality destination in southeastern West Virginia, White Sulphur Springs is located in the Allegheny Mountains in Greenbrier County, approximately 10 miles east of Lewisburg. Dubbed ‘Spa City,’ tourists stopping over in this 2,231-resident town should peruse the shops like Greenbrier Doll House and foodie havens like Gustard’s Bistro, lining Main Street.
The posh Greenbrier Resort with its 710 guest rooms and various other amenities, the nearby Greenbrier State Forest, and recreation areas like the Lake Sherwood Recreation Area are White Sulphur Springs’ unmissable sites of interest.
Elkins
Set in eastern West Virginia, around 50 miles southeast of Clarksburg, at the conflux of the Tygart Valley River and its 17.4-mile-long tributary, Leading Creek, is Elkins, the Randolph County seat. This picturesque alpine town on the edge of the 910,155-acre Monongahela National Forest lures more than 3 million excursionists annually, thanks to the forest’s mountainous landscape, panoramic vistas, blueberry thickets, and a large number of floral and faunal species.
Pay a visit to the Elkins Depot Welcome Center downtown and board the New Tygart Flyer operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad for a delightful ride through the Appalachians. Enjoy Appalachian folk performances and craft workshops held at the Augusta Heritage Center on the scenic campus of Davis & Elkins College, and be present at the Mountain State Forest Festival, one of West Virginia’s largest and oldest festivals, promoting the magnificence of the mountains and valleys yearly in the autumn season.
Moundsville
Moundsville, baptized after the proximate Grave Creek Mound, one of the US’ biggest conical earthen burial mounds built between 250 and 100 BC by the Indigenous Adena people, is the Marshall County seat located along the Ohio River in West Virginia’s northern panhandle. Aside from the Grave Creek Mound, also situated in the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, is the Delf Norona Museum, which, through the displayed artifacts, explains the lifestyle of the Adena people.
Moundsville’s most conspicuous attraction is the Gothic-style West Virginia State Penitentiary, a decommissioned prison that is currently maintained as a museum, a law enforcement training facility, and a film backdrop. Vacationers can witness live performances at the restored Strand Theatre in the historic downtown district, while the Moundsville Riverfront Park is the best spot for unwinding by the Ohio River.
Fayetteville
Initially established as ‘Vandalia’ by Abraham Vandall and rechristened in the ensuing years after the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette, this government seat of Fayette County is situated immediately south of the New River Gorge Bridge, close to the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Encompassing Fayetteville’s central business district and adjacent residential areas, the National Register-listed Fayetteville Historic District includes many historically important buildings, like the Fayette County Courthouse and EB Hawkins House.
Adventurers can participate in hiking and rock-climbing activities in the manifold sweeping overlooks of the New River Gorge and whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fishing activities in the New River. They can also attend Bridge Day, a yearly national BASE-jumping event hosted on the third Saturday of October at the iconic New River Gorge Bridge by the New River Gorge Bridge Commission.
Point Pleasant
Cardinal town of the Point Pleasant Micropolitan Statistical Area and the administrative center of Mason County, this strategic transportation hub, is located at the meeting of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, roughly 40 miles northeast of Huntington. Chartered in 1794, the town is noted for being the site of the Battle of Point Pleasant, fought between the Virginia militia and the Shawnee and Mingo forces, with the battleground currently well preserved by an 84-foot-tall obelisk and 1796-built Mansion House Museum at the Tu-Endie-Wei State Park.
Nevertheless, Point Pleasant is most celebrated as the home of a fabled creature, Mothman, immortalized at the center of the town by a 12-foot-tall metallic statue and the Mothman Museum, which displays documents, press clippings, memorabilia, and real props from The Mothman Prophecies movie. Annually, in the third weekend of September, people gather around Main Street for the Mothman Festival, lauding the notorious red-eyed winged legend.
Buckhannon
Upshur County’s government seat and its lone incorporated town, Buckhannon, sits right at the base of the Allegheny Mountains by the Buckhannon River, around 100 miles northeast of the state capital. This 5,299-inhabitant town, probably named for the eminent Lenape leader Buckongahelas, is the location of the principal campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Anchored by the magnificent Colonial Revival-style Upshur County Courthouse, Buckhannon’s Main Street, popular as an outstanding Main Street shopping district of the state, is crammed with multiple gift shops like Artistry on Main, clothing stores like Caroline & Co. Boutique, and first-class eateries like C. J. Maggie’s that serve wood-fired pizzas, steaks, and stacked sandwiches.
Nature lovers must not miss a trip to the West Virginia State Wildlife Center, and history buffs should visit the Upshur County Historical Society and Museum, while merrymakers should attend the West Virginia Strawberry Festival in the third week of May every year.
From a soothing spa experience at Berkeley Springs to the offbeat Point Pleasant, each closely allied settlement in the 10th smallest and 12th least populous state of the nation, with its inherent beauty, leaves an indelible impression on every visitor. Illustrating an exceptional fusion of ethereal landscapes, quintessential sightseeing spots, limitless Appalachian adventures, enjoyable annual observances, and above all, unbeatable hospitality, these alluring Mountain State towns guarantee to top all touristy expectations.
