When city slickers from East Coast urban centers like Baltimore, Philadelphia and DC need a breath of fresh air, they go to West Virginia. The too often overlooked Mountain State enjoys more than a million acres of federally protected lands, as well as an additional 200,000 acres of state parks and recreational areas – a varied landscape for all sorts of outdoor adventures.
We asked a panel of West Virginia travel experts to nominate their favorite state attractions. For the last four weeks, 10Best readers have been voting daily for their favorites.
The top 10 winners in the category Best West Virginia Attraction are as follows:
- The Greenbrier - White Sulphur Springs
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum - Weston
- Mountain Stage - Charleston
- New River Gorge National River
- Green Bank Observatory - Green Bank
- Lost World Caverns - Lewisburg
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park - Harpers Ferry
- Blackwater Falls State Park - Davis
- Hatfield-McCoy Trails
- Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park - Parkersburg
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions.
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The Experts
Nikki Bowman
Nikki Bowman, a West Virginia native, is the... Read More
Nikki Bowman, a West Virginia native, is the founder and owner of New South Media, Inc., which publishes the critically acclaimed WV Living, WV Weddings, Explore and Morgantown magazines. In January 2015, her company also took over the editorial and design of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, and in 2017, the company became the publisher of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Resource Guide. She was chosen as a Folio: Top Woman in Media in 2015 and was given the SBA’s 2014 Women Business Champion Award. Her company is the recipient of six Star of the Industry Awards given by the West Virginia Division of Tourism.
Nikki Bowman

Nikki Bowman, a West Virginia native, is the founder and owner of New South Media, Inc., which publishes the critically acclaimed WV Living, WV Weddings, Explore and Morgantown magazines. In January 2015, her company also took over the editorial and design of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, and in 2017, the company became the publisher of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Resource Guide. She was chosen as a Folio: Top Woman in Media in 2015 and was given the SBA’s 2014 Women Business Champion Award. Her company is the recipient of six Star of the Industry Awards given by the West Virginia Division of Tourism.
West Virginia Tourism Office
The West Virginia Tourism Office helps promote the... Read More
The West Virginia Tourism Office helps promote the state as a world-class tourism destination, as well as a place to live, study, work or retire.
West Virginia Tourism Office

The West Virginia Tourism Office helps promote the state as a world-class tourism destination, as well as a place to live, study, work or retire.