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West Virginia Photography Guide

Mid-Atlantic · 150 locations

150 photo locations in West Virginia — 35 state parks, 25 ghost towns, 22 covered bridges, 21 waterfalls and more — plus 8 National Park Service sites and golden hour times for 8 cities. Milky Way core season runs March–September (best in June). Aurora needs about Kp 7.5+ in central West Virginia. Wildflowers peak around April.

Photo locations
150
NPS sites
8
Milky Way season
Mar–Sep
Peak bloom
April
Aurora
Kp 7.5+

Top photo locations in West Virginia

ThurmondGhost Town
ThurmondFayette County
Blackwater FallsWaterfall
Blackwater FallsTucker County · 921 m
Spruce KnobMountain Peak
Spruce KnobPendleton County · 1,482 m
Elakala FallsWaterfall
Elakala FallsTucker County
Babcock State ParkState Park
Babcock State ParkFayette County
Monongahela National ForestNational Forest
Monongahela National ForestPocahontas County
Berkeley Springs State ParkState Park
Berkeley Springs State ParkMorgan County
Blennerhassett Island Historical State ParkState Park
Blennerhassett Island Historical State ParkWood County
Canaan Valley Resort State ParkState Park
Canaan Valley Resort State ParkTucker County
Beartown State ParkState Park
Beartown State ParkGreenbrier County
Beech Fork State ParkState Park
Beech Fork State ParkWayne County
Bluestone State ParkState Park
Bluestone State ParkSummers County

Browse by type

State Parks35Ghost Towns25Covered Bridges22Waterfalls21Caves9Scenic Viewpoints9Wilderness Areas8Mountain Passes5Canyons3Botanical Gardens3Rock Formations3National Forests2National Wildlife Refuges2Mountain Peaks1Hot Springs1Fire Lookouts1

National Park Service sites in West Virginia

New River Gorge National Park & PreserveWV
New River Gorge National Park & PreserveNational Park & Preserve
Gauley River National Recreation AreaWV
Gauley River National Recreation AreaNational Recreation Area
Bluestone National Scenic RiverWV
Bluestone National Scenic RiverNational Scenic River
CT/GA
Appalachian National Scenic TrailNational Scenic Trail
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkDC/MD
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkNational Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical ParkWV/VA
Harpers Ferry National Historical ParkNational Historical Park
Chesapeake BayDC/DE
Chesapeake BayNational Park Service unit
Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIA/ID
Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailNational Historic Trail

Golden hour in West Virginia cities

Huntington, WVPop. 48,638
Charleston, WVPop. 46,838
PA
Parkersburg, WVPop. 30,991
Morgantown, WVPop. 30,708
Wheeling, WVPop. 27,648
WH
Weirton Heights, WVPop. 19,450
WE
Weirton, WVPop. 19,175
Fairmont, WVPop. 18,733

Night sky

Darkest skies in West Virginia

Beartown State ParkState Park
Beartown State ParkGreenbrier County
Chief Logan State ParkState Park
Chief Logan State ParkLogan County
Droop Mountain Battlefield State ParkState Park
Droop Mountain Battlefield State ParkPocahontas County
Cass Scenic Railroad State ParkState Park
Cass Scenic Railroad State ParkPocahontas County
Cedar Creek State ParkState Park
Cedar Creek State ParkGilmer County
Watoga State ParkState Park
Watoga State ParkPocahontas County

Nature calendars

Scenic byways in West Virginia

Map