The West Virginia outdoor directory
The full West Virginia Outside directory. Businesses can be searched by type, including rafting outfitters, campgrounds, breweries, hotels, bike shops and fishing guides. Organizations are the agencies, nonprofits and clubs that manage the land, run conservation and access work, and publish conditions.
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List your businessThe organization directory
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
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Tourism offices and visitor guides · 14
County and regional visitor bureaus, with local listings for lodging, events and what is open this week.
Statewide agencies and essentials · 10
The offices that license, manage and publish for the whole state.
WVU Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative
University
Outdoor recreation research, economic impact analysis, community development and outdoor industry development.
Adventure WV / WVU Outdoor Recreation Center
University
Outdoor programs, recreation, education and regional resources through West Virginia University.
Visit West Virginia Watershed Network
Nonprofit
Network connecting watershed organizations, agencies and local conservation initiatives across the state.
National parks, forests and federal lands · 20
The National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps units that manage the biggest pieces of public land.
Other state and county agencies · 19
Trail authorities, county commissions and specialist state offices.
River and watershed groups · 30
Friends-of-the-river groups and watershed associations, most of which post current water conditions and cleanup dates.
Friends of New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Nonprofit
Supports the New River Gorge, Gauley River and Bluestone National Scenic River through conservation, recreation and National Park Service partnerships.
Friends of the Cacapon River
Nonprofit
River access, kayaking, fishing, cleanups, recreation and watershed protection on one of the East's finest gentle rivers.
Friends of the Cheat
Nonprofit
Cheat River restoration, recreation, water trail, access, events and conservation. Its work specifically combines restoration with promoting recreational opportunities.
Visit Greenbrier River Watershed Association
Nonprofit
One of West Virginia's oldest watershed associations and especially important for Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas and Summers county research.
Meadow River Valley Association
Nonprofit
Particularly important around the Meadow River Valley and climbing and recreation access.
New River Conservancy
Nonprofit
Major New River conservation organization spanning North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Now also developing the New River Water Trail, making it especially important for paddling and tourism.
Visit West Virginia Rivers Coalition
Nonprofit
Statewide river protection, public lands, water quality, and paddling-related conservation and recreation.
Visit Buckhannon River Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Buckhannon River watershed protection, monitoring and river recreation.
Visit Cacapon Institute
Nonprofit
Watershed science, environmental education and Potomac Highlands water resources.
Visit Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association (CLEAR)
Nonprofit
Cheat Lake water quality, shoreline recreation and lake access advocacy.
Cheat River Water Trail
Nonprofit
Paddling access points, river sections and recreation information along the Cheat.
Visit Friends of Blackwater
Nonprofit
Blackwater River, Blackwater Canyon, public lands, trails and recreation conservation in the Potomac Highlands.
Visit Friends of Deckers Creek
Nonprofit
Deckers Creek restoration, trails, water quality and outdoor recreation in Monongalia and Preston counties.
Visit Friends of Mill Creek
Nonprofit
Local watershed group; listed in the WVDEP watershed group directory.
Visit Friends of the Hughes River
Nonprofit
Ritchie County watershed organization covering the North, South and Middle Forks of the Hughes River.
Friends of the Lower Greenbrier River
Nonprofit
Historical/contact record only — appears to have folded back into the Greenbrier River Watershed Association rather than continuing independently.
Guardians of the West Fork
Nonprofit
West Fork River watershed protection, cleanup and river access advocacy.
Visit Guyandotte Water Trail Alliance
Nonprofit
Guyandotte River paddling and water-trail development in southwestern West Virginia.
Meadow River Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Meadow River watershed protection and stream monitoring.
Morris Creek Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Kanawha-area watershed restoration group focused on acid mine drainage remediation.
Visit New River Clean Water Alliance
Nonprofit
Local New River Gorge-region water-quality partnership connected with New River Conservancy.
Visit New River Water Trail
Nonprofit
Emerging 320+ mile multi-state paddling route with West Virginia access information.
Visit Opequon Creek Project Team
Nonprofit
Opequon Creek watershed restoration, monitoring and stream access in the Eastern Panhandle.
Visit Paint Creek Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Paint Creek watershed monitoring and restoration in the Kanawha basin.
Visit Piney Creek Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Piney Creek watershed group working in the Raleigh County area of the New River basin.
Visit Save the Tygart Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Tygart Valley River watershed protection and recreation access.
Visit Sleepy Creek Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Sleepy Creek watershed protection in Berkeley and Morgan counties.
Visit Upper Monongahela River Association
Nonprofit
Monongahela River recreation, boating, riverfront development and quality-of-life initiatives.
Warm Springs Run Watershed Association
Nonprofit
Warm Springs Run watershed group in the Berkeley Springs area.
Visit
Conservation groups and land trusts · 12
Land trusts, preserves and stewardship organizations, several of which own and manage the land themselves.
Appalachian Headwaters
Nonprofit
Watershed restoration, reforestation and Appalachian ecological and economic recovery work.
Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust
Nonprofit
Land conservation in the Cacapon and Lost River watersheds of the Eastern Panhandle.
The Nature Conservancy — West Virginia
Nonprofit
Large-scale land protection and preserve management, including several publicly accessible West Virginia preserves.
Visit West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Nonprofit
Long-running public lands advocacy for the Monongahela National Forest, wilderness designation and highlands protection.
Visit West Virginia Land Trust
Nonprofit
Land protection and public preserve creation — a frequent source of new trail and public access announcements.
Visit Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund
Nonprofit
West Virginia grant program funding public land acquisition and outdoor recreation access projects.
Sierra Club — West Virginia Chapter
Nonprofit
Outings, conservation advocacy and public lands campaigns in West Virginia.
Visit West Virginia Environmental Council
Nonprofit
Environmental policy coalition tracking legislation affecting public lands, water and recreation.
West Virginia Master Naturalists
Nonprofit
Structured volunteer naturalist training and certification program in West Virginia ecology.
West Virginia Native Plant Society
Nonprofit
Native flora study, field trips and botanical conservation, including shale barren and bog communities.
Visit West Virginia State Parks Foundation
Nonprofit
Philanthropic support and volunteer coordination for the state park system.
WV Association of Natural Resource Professionals
Nonprofit
Professional network for West Virginia natural resource managers, scientists and agency staff.
Clubs, coalitions and access groups · 58
Climbing coalitions, caving grottos, paddling and cycling clubs, trail associations and the volunteers who keep access open.
Friends of Seneca
NonprofitClimbing
Seneca Rocks climbing access, stewardship, trail work and rescue infrastructure.
Mountaineer Trail Network
NonprofitBiking
Building a connected purpose-built singletrack network across north-central West Virginia.
Move United (Disabled Sports USA)
NonprofitAccessible
Adaptive recreation resources and an affiliate directory for adaptive skiing, paddling and cycling programs.
Visit National Speleological Society
NonprofitCaving
National caving organization and the grotto network that is the realistic entry point for new cavers.
Visit New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC)
NonprofitClimbing
One of the most important organizations on this entire list. Protects and expands climbing access, maintains trails, replaces hardware and works with landowners and land managers throughout the New River Gorge region.
Visit NRAC Climbing Access Database
NonprofitClimbing
Especially useful for determining land ownership, current access restrictions and sensitive climbing locations before you visit a cliff.
Visit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy / TrailLink
NonprofitBiking
National rail-trail advocacy and the most complete West Virginia rail-trail inventory, with paved and accessible segments flagged.
Visit Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative (SHARC)
NonprofitBiking
Regional trail development around Snowshoe and Pocahontas County, home to an IMBA Ride Center designation effort.
West Virginia Association for Cave Studies (WVACS)
NonprofitCaving
Major cave-exploration, mapping and scientific organization focused heavily on southeastern West Virginia. Members have contributed to mapping hundreds of miles of WV cave passage.
Visit West Virginia Cave Conservancy
NonprofitCaving
Cave ownership, conservation and managed access — acquires and protects significant West Virginia caves outright.
Visit West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA)
NonprofitBiking
Statewide mountain biking organization — race series, advocacy, trail building and club coordination.
Visit West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners (WVMTR)
NonprofitRunning
Statewide trail-running organization with races, group runs, trail resources and stewardship projects.
Visit West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council
NonprofitBiking
Statewide rail-trail advocacy, development and conversion of abandoned rail corridors.
West Virginia Scenic Trails Association
NonprofitHiking
Home organization for the Allegheny Trail — maintenance, mapping, guidebooks and volunteer trail work.
Visit West Virginia Speleological Survey
NonprofitCaving
Maintains the scientific and cartographic record of West Virginia caves.
West Virginia Wildwater Association (WVWA)
NonprofitPaddling
Long-running WV paddling organization offering trips, clinics, conservation information and river-access resources.
WV TRAIL — Accessible Trails
NonprofitAccessible
Accessible trail advocacy is explicitly within WV TRAIL's statewide trail mission.
Visit Access Fund Local Climbing Organizations Directory
NonprofitClimbing
Identifies three WV-specific climbing groups: New River Alliance of Climbers, Friends of Seneca and Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition.
Visit Allegheny Trail
NonprofitHiking
West Virginia's roughly 300-mile north–south long-distance hiking trail.
Visit American Canoe Association
NonprofitPaddling
National paddlesports instruction, certification and safety standards, with regional West Virginia instruction.
Visit American Horse Council National Trails Directory
NonprofitHorseback
Includes a dedicated West Virginia trail section listing public equestrian trail opportunities.
Visit Appalachian Trail Conservancy
NonprofitHiking
Particularly important around Harpers Ferry and the Eastern Panhandle, where the ATC is headquartered.
Visit Audubon
NonprofitBirding
National bird conservation, Important Bird Area designations and climate-range research.
Visit Back Country Horsemen of America
NonprofitHorseback
National organization defending stock access to public lands and maintaining backcountry trails.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
NonprofitHunting
Public land access advocacy with a West Virginia chapter.
Visit Blennerhassett Chapter Trout Unlimited
NonprofitFishing
Mid-Ohio Valley TU chapter working on coldwater conservation and angler education.
Ducks Unlimited
NonprofitHunting
Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with Ohio River corridor projects.
Visit Elk River Trail
NonprofitTrail systems
Growing rail-trail and water trail corridor along one of West Virginia's best trout and smallmouth rivers.
Elk River Trail Foundation
NonprofitBiking
Supports the Elk River Rail Trail, Water Trail and the BC&G trail system.
Elk River Water Trail
NonprofitPaddling
Elk River paddling access developed alongside the Elk River Rail Trail.
Harrison Recreational Trails
NonprofitBiking
Develops hiking, biking, running, equestrian, accessible and water trails in Harrison County.
Mon River Rail-Trails Conservancy
NonprofitBiking
Maintains the Mon River, Caperton and Deckers Creek rail-trails through and around Morgantown.
Visit Monongahela Grotto
NonprofitCaving
Morgantown-area NSS grotto with regular trips and beginner-friendly outings.
Mountain State Grotto
NonprofitCaving
West Virginia NSS grotto running trips, training and cave survey projects.
Mountaineer Chapter Trout Unlimited
NonprofitFishing
North-central West Virginia TU chapter — stream restoration, education and youth programs.
National Wild Turkey Federation
NonprofitHunting
Turkey habitat conservation with West Virginia chapters and public land habitat projects.
Visit Orienteering USA
NonprofitGeocaching
National orienteering body with regional clubs, events and navigation instruction.
Visit PDGA Course Directory
NonprofitDisc golf
Official Professional Disc Golf Association course listings and sanctioned events in West Virginia.
Visit Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
NonprofitHiking
Important for trails, shelters and cabins in West Virginia's eastern region.
Visit Potomac Valley Audubon Society
NonprofitBirding
Eastern Panhandle birding, field trips, land conservation and nature education.
Visit Rails-to-Trails / TrailLink — Accessible Segments
NonprofitAccessible
Helpful for locating paved and accessible trails with surface and grade information.
Visit Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
NonprofitHunting
Elk habitat conservation, relevant to West Virginia's reintroduced southern coalfields herd.
Visit TrailLink — Horseback-Compatible Trails
NonprofitHorseback
Rail-trail listings filtered for equestrian-permitted surfaces and segments.
Visit Tri-State Grotto
NonprofitCaving
Regional NSS grotto active in the West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania cave country.
Visit Trout Unlimited
NonprofitFishing
National coldwater conservation organization with active West Virginia chapters and restoration projects.
Visit Upper Mon River Water Trail
NonprofitPaddling
Monongahela River water trail access from Fairmont to the Pennsylvania line.
Virginia Region of the National Speleological Society
NonprofitCaving
Includes numerous West Virginia and regional caving organizations under one regional umbrella.
West Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation
NonprofitFishing
Statewide competitive bass fishing organization, tournaments and youth angling programs.
West Virginia Golf Association
NonprofitGolf
State amateur golf body running championships, handicapping and junior programs.
Visit Wild Wonderful Back Country Horsemen of West Virginia
NonprofitHorseback
West Virginia affiliate of Back Country Horsemen — trail maintenance, access advocacy and stock-use education.
Wildwater Kayakers
NonprofitPaddling
Charleston-based paddling community covering the New, Gauley, Elk and other rivers.
WV B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series
NonprofitFishing
Kayak-fishing events, standings and resources — the competitive arm of a fast-growing discipline.
WV Connecting Communities
NonprofitTrail systems
Initiative linking West Virginia towns to trail networks and outdoor recreation infrastructure.
Visit
Universities and research centers · 3
University outdoor programs, research centers and mapping labs.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.