Seneca Rocks
A steep summit trail, technical climbing routes, historic homestead, and valley-floor discovery center make folded Appalachian geology unusually visible.
West Virginia, United States: places and wildlife — page 3
Browse the published Explore collection for West Virginia, United States. Open a discovery for its field guide, practical details, and background.
Dolly Sods Wilderness
A high plateau above the Allegheny Front supports exposed heath barrens, red spruce, wetlands, rocky overlooks, and a dense network of unblazed wilderness routes.
Spruce Knob
A short loop, observation tower, boulder-strewn meadow, and nearby trails provide an accessible introduction to the state’s highest highland ecosystem.
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area
A half-mile boardwalk enters an acidic wetland complex more typical of northern latitudes, surrounded by red spruce and Allegheny hardwoods.
Lost World Caverns
A self-guided commercial cave route descends through flowstone, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and the immense Snowy Chandelier formation.
Greenbrier River Trail
Crushed-stone grades, bridges, two tunnels, riverside campsites, and gentle elevation make a long Appalachian corridor approachable by bicycle or on foot.
Hatfield-McCoy Trails
Distinct systems offer signed ATV, UTV, motorcycle, and selected 4x4 routes across steep southern West Virginia terrain, with difficulty ratings and town access.
West Virginia Botanic Garden
Designed beds, woodland trails, wetlands, seasonal flowers, and remnants of a historic reservoir create a botanical garden where ecology and civic infrastructure overlap.
Oglebay Good Zoo
Red pandas, snow leopards, cheetahs, lemurs, native species, a veterinary hospital, and seasonal experiences occupy a walkable Oglebay hillside.
West Virginia State Wildlife Center
A 1.25-mile interpretive trail passes black bear, elk, bison, mountain lion, wolf, otter, owls, and other regional wildlife managed by WVDNR.
Cheat Mountain Salamander
This small, dark woodland salamander has a brassy-flecked back, straight-edged tail, and one of the narrowest vertebrate ranges in the central Appalachians.
West Virginia Spring Salamander
Pale pink-orange skin, reduced eyes, and an elongated body distinguish this exceptionally localized salamander of underground Greenbrier karst waters.
Candy Darter
Orange-red bars, blue-green flanks, and a low perching posture identify a small fish threatened by habitat stress and hybridization with introduced variegate darters.
Guyandotte River Crayfish
Robust claws, a compact body, and life under large flat stones suit this endemic crustacean to swift upper Guyandotte tributaries.
West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel
Large dark eyes, dense brown fur, and a furred membrane between limbs distinguish this uncommon squirrel of cool Appalachian mountaintops.
Virginia Big-eared Bat
This medium-sized brown bat roosts in a small number of Appalachian caves and forages over forest and field edges, detecting moths with sensitive echolocation.
Baltimore checkerspot
Black wings checked with cream and orange identify a wet-meadow butterfly whose official status contrasts with its rarity in Maryland.
Baltimore oriole
Maryland’s orange-and-black state bird whistles from leafy edges and suspends a woven pouch nest near a branch tip.
Black-eyed Susan
Rough-haired stems and golden rays around a raised brown center make Maryland’s state flower a familiar open-ground wildflower.
White oak
Maryland’s state tree supports insects and wildlife; rounded leaf lobes and pale bark reward a slower look in mature woodland.
Brook Trout
Follow this jewel-colored char from shaded headwaters to Adirondack ponds, where water quality shapes its future.
Common Snapping Turtle
A rugged freshwater turtle is easiest to notice when it leaves the water to nest, not while it lies hidden below.
Sugar Maple
Recognize New York's state tree by more than its color: bark, paired buds, and leaf shape tell the whole story.