outdoor photos by Steve Shaluta or David Fattaleh/WV Tourism
West Virginia Travel Planner
MOUNTAINEER COUNTRY
Located in north central West Virginia, Mountaineer Country is the region of Frontiers to Mountaineers. You can enjoy a scenic hike, bike ride, kayak or canoe trip in the morning and dine at a great Italian restaurant in the evening. It is a region with everything expected of an urban setting in Monongalia, Marion, and Harrison Counties and the peace and tranquility of the rural areas of Doddridge, Preston, Taylor, and Barbour Counties. The region is as diverse as its ethnicity.
The history of Mountaineer Country spans the pioneers such as Levi Shinn whose original 1778 log house still stands in Shinnston to Arthurdale, a New Deal Homestead rich in Eleanor Roosevelt history to Fairmont, Clarksburg, and Philippi with their Civil War history. Grafton, where the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad came through in 1856, is the location of the West Virginia National Cemetery, burial place of the first Union soldier killed by Confederate forces, and the Mother’s Day Shrine. The home of Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother’s Day, is in nearby Webster.
Monongah is the site of the worst mine disaster in the nation in 1907 and the Farmington #9 disaster in 1968 was the catalyst for the modern mine safety laws that exist today. The Methodist Church in Fairmont held the first Father’s Day service in 1908 to honor the fathers lost in the Monongah mine. Shinnston has the only Chapel of Perpetual Adoration in the State. Open to everyone 24/7 for prayer, meditation, or a quiet moment, the vigil is kept by Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians among others.
Enjoy driving or walking across one of the seven covered bridges in the region. Come to Cathedral State Park to view the most accessible stands of an old-growth forest in the nation, visit Audra State Park in Belington or take the Tygart Valley Flyer train from Belington to Elkins, hike Cooper’s Rock State Park, kayak the rapids on the Tygart Valley River at Valley Falls State Park, absorb the history at Prickett’s Fort State Park, hike the trails or enjoy the lake at Tygart Lake State Park, or visit Watters Smith State Park, a memorial to the pioneer spirit of the man who settled on that land in 1796.
Enjoy a bicycle or horseback ride along the portion of the 72-mile North Bend Rail-Trail that crosses Doddridge and Harrison Counties, or the 17 mile West Fork River Rail-Trail, then bike, hike, or skate the 51-mile Mon Trail system, or the many other rail-trails in the region. Central Station, on the Doddridge County portion of the North Bend, was the center point between Grafton and Parkersburg and was the scene in 1915 of one of the largest train robberies in history – approximately $300,000. Come see the station. The #6 tunnel, one of 9 on the North Bend Rail-Trail is located east of Central Station.
In the St. Clara Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in St. Clara is a life-size statue of Christ’s Crucifixion. The church was built in 1881; St. Johannes Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in 1852.
The Philippi Covered Bridge in Philippi was the prize in the first land battle of the Civil War. This battle is commemorated Memorial Day weekend with the Blue-Gray Festival.
The Arts are important in Mountaineer Country with many artisans and artists in residence, theater, and music. The Shinnston Community Band performs the Shinnston Independence Concert July 1 and it is followed by the best fireworks display in the State. Their Christmas Concert is the first Saturday in December, after the Christmas Parade.
Higher education is a large part of this region with West Virginia University (from which the region takes its name), Fairmont State University, Salem International University, and Alderson-Broadus College.
Fairs and festivals are held all over the region with the Italian Heritage Festival, Buckwheat Festival, Salem Apple Butter Festival, and Blackberry Festival among the largest. Shinnston holds a City-wide Yard Sale the first Saturday in August that brings people from several states.
With more than 300 technology-based companies and West Virginia University, Mountaineer Country is one of the cutting-edge regions in the state.
