MD native, live 20 mins from DC, so im used to the bright loud, busy nights, wanted to stargaze and get away from the robotic city lifestyle, just came on here to let tell the residents and visitors that the state is honestly breathtaking, i can see why yall call it almost heaven, wild and wonderful, i saw a lot of bear country warning signs but didnt get lucky to see one, it wouldve been my first time seeing a wild one, and yall should make yall states animal bigfoot, it was almost every 3 houses had a bigfoot decoration lol, anyways if anyone wants to head out here to spruce knob to catch the stars, the observation deck is a bit crowded, so i just carcamped (due to the freezing weather) with my gopro a bit down the road at one of the scenic view stop signs

beautiful state again, i will definitely visit other places in the wild and wonderful if anyone got any suggestions that would be appreciated

I swear it's impossible to find friends or couples our age, early 20s in clarksburg and ever since moving here we have yet to make friends outside of work. Any tips?

Hello! I’m planning my bachelorette party, and I want to keep it local and cost-effective, somewhere in West Virginia or the surrounding area. Pittsburgh is probably the furthest north I’d consider going. Hagerstown to Fredericksburg is the furthest east into Maryland that I would go.

My plans for this bachelorette party are not exactly traditional 😂 One idea is to hire a driver for some kind of moonshine tour, ideally one where we can find some weird little backyard moonshine operations or other unconventional stops like oddity shops with occult/dead things along the way. It may be fun to go during morale foraging season as well, so I can have all my friends to help me find mushrooms.

But! The other part of the plan is to take all my friends to a bar on a Saturday night dressed in FULL pirate gear. I mean full costumes. Some people might literally look like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. I want the whole thing to feel like a chaotic pirate adventure.

Here’s the catch: I need a bar in West Virginia where a large group of pirates randomly showing up on a Saturday night would be enthusiastically welcomed. I’m NOT looking for a pirate-themed bar. I want a weird, fun, slightly chaotic establishment where the staff and regulars would see a whole crew of pirates walk in and think it was the best thing that happened all night.
I don’t have a particular city in mind yet because I feel like the right bar might determine where we go!

Does anyone have suggestions for bars, towns, moonshine tours, or generally weird West Virginia adventures that would fit this vibe? I’m very open to ideas! 🏴‍☠️

Hi WV friends! My friend and I are visiting Huntington during the week of 10/26 - we're from out of state and wondering if there's any local food stops we MUST try. Thank you in advance!!!

I know of Blackwater Falls, Lindy Point, and Hellbenders but I enjoyed Douglas Falls more in Thomas since you could walk up to it and there was like a 9 mile bike trail (never got to try Picnic unfortunately). Does Parsons have anything worth checking out I wanted to try Piccolo Paula's Cafe but their hours are really short it's my basic understanding that Parsons got hit worst during 85 flood and lots of buildings have a raised foundation but when corridor H is completed that will definitely help the area. Years ago I stayed at the Blackwater Falls resort and it was okay but I think I've heard much better things from Canaan

Hello all,

Looking for any suggestions for hiking, things to do or see, and good eats within 1 hour of Green Spring (Hampshire co).

So far on my list to check out is the Paw Paw tunnel, and maybe try and do some fishing

T.I.A. :-)

I saw at Tamarack little coal figurines. I'm curious who the vendor (the artist display only gave the name Josh) is, or if they're found elsewhere within the state, or if they can be found online. i ask because I've seen other items at Tamarack elsewhere at cheaper prices. Especially if they're sold directly by the artist.

A friend and I (18 and 22) are planning a trip to West Virginia in early November to do the NROCKS Via Ferrata. We’re driving from North Carolina and planning to camp for a couple of nights.

We’re both pretty outdoorsy and enjoy history, hiking, climbing, skiing, exploring. We’d like to do some other cool things while we’re in the area, especially things that are a little off the beaten path rather than typical tourist attractions.

Any recommendations for fun outdoor adventures, interesting places to explore? We don’t mind driving a bit if something is worth it…

Hey guys! Im looking for someone who does good paint work and paint correction. Ive got a 2019 Camaro ZL1 in Summit White that Im trying to get looking brand new again.

The paint itself is still really glossy and in good shape overall, but its got the usual rock chips, some scratches, swirling in the clearcoat, and a few spots where the paint is starting to chip or peel. I also have two small dents Id like fixed.

Ive gotten quotes anywhere from 12k, 20k, and even upwards of 36k just to restore the paint. Which is absolutely insane to me considering the car really isnt in THAT bad of shape. 😭

Im not changing the color, Im sticking with the OEM white. We're also replacing the front and rear bumpers and the hood insert, so those dont need to be restored.

Im not against having panels sanded down and repainted if they actually need it. But being told the entire car needs to be redone because of some rock chips and scratches is a little ridiculous to me.

Ill pay for all the materials AND your labor. Im not asking for free work or expecting someone to do it for dirt cheap. I just want someone who knows what theyre doing and takes pride in their work.

Ideally, Id like to have the chips and scratches repaired, the dents taken care of, any necessary paintwork done, and then have the whole car corrected and polished.

Ive put a lot into this car and just want the exterior looking as good as the rest of it.

If anyone does this kind of work or knows someone who does, please let me know! Id love to see some previous work too.

At Mountain State Spotlight, we consistently hear that the topics on the minds of everyday West Virginians — parents, grandparents, students, business owners — were often a far cry from the issues that candidates have built their campaigns around. 

So in the lead-up to this year’s general election, we tried to get candidates on the record about where they stood on the issues that West Virginians told us mattered most to them. 

We asked 244 candidates to rate their level of agreement on statements relating to clean drinking water access, SNAP and Medicaid funding and data center oversight among other things. 

Only 65 of them responded. 

If your candidate’s answers are missing, it’s because they didn’t respond to our survey. There’s still time for us to add their responses! Reach out and ask them to email [contact@mountainstatespotlight.org](mailto:contact@mountainstatespotlight.org). 

If you’re a candidate and didn’t respond, it’s not too late to let voters in your district know where you stand. Just email us and your response will be added to our guide.

Read the full story here: https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/10/14/unresponsive-candidates/

It’s supposed to rain and we’re going there. I don’t think I wanna do the diamond point hike in the rain. Still gonna go to cathedral falls. What else can we do?

Our Lady of the Pines Church of Silver Lake, Preston County, West Virginia. A Lithuanian immigrant, Peter Milkint, erected the so-called “smallest church in 48 states” in 1958. At that time, it was a true claim—Alaska and Hawaii had not yet been annexed into the union. Accompanying the church is the “world’s smallest mailing office” at its rear, within which a sign soberly informs visitors that it is not a USPS office, just a “mailing office” and that the smallest post office is actually in Florida. Inside, there are a variety of postcards one can purchase (on the honor system that you leave a couple dollars).

The interior of the church itself is beautiful and reverent, contrasting sharply with the adorable and absurd nature of such a tiny church existing in the first place. It has Catholic iconography and themes, though I am unsure as to whether it is officially a Catholic chapel. Information about its original and current spiritual purpose is sparse, but folks tend to regard it more as a roadside attraction and “place of reflection” than as a worship space.

Let me know if y’all like my history/photography posts and I’ll do them more often, I usually keep them to instagram but I like the interactions on here!