By state
National parks in West Virginia
Every National Park Service unit in West Virginia, scored and ranked by our Experience Score.
100ESSENTIAL
Gary Hartley
National Park & Preserve · WV
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
New River Gorge is the rare national park that earns a perfect activity score because it genuinely delivers across almost every outdoor discipline.
95ESSENTIAL
Photo Credit: ATC/Benjamin Hays
National Scenic Trail · CT
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Over 2,190 miles connecting Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail is less a single destination than a lifetime of options.
90ESSENTIAL
NPS photo
National Historical Park · DC
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The C&O Canal is one of the most quietly underrated linear parks in the country.
75EXCELLENT
NPS Photo
National Scenic River · WV
Bluestone National Scenic River
Bluestone is a compact, free-to-enter wild corridor protecting just 10.5 miles of river gorge in southern West Virginia, but those miles punch well above their weight.
74EXCELLENT
NPS Photo / Alex Wiles
National Historic Trail · IA
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
At nearly 4,900 miles across 16 states, this is less a destination than a framework for road-tripping American history.
72EXCELLENT
NPS Photo
National Recreation Area · WV
Gauley River National Recreation Area
The Gauley River is not a passive scenic drive or a gentle family float.
50NICHE
NPS Photo
Park · DC
Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Park is less a single destination than a coordinating framework across a massive mid-Atlantic watershed.
44NICHE
NPS Photo/Shenandoah Sanchez
National Historical Park · WV
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry punches above its weight as a history destination.