8 Of The Most Captivating Small Towns In West Virginia

Considered the southernmost northern state, northernmost southern state, westernmost eastern state, and easternmost western state, West Virginia is everything everywhere all at once. Possibilities are endless within its chaotic borders, especially around small towns. Those pearls of civilization flecked with a gothic asylum and grand castle and Carnegie Hall, ornament wilderness where you can find geologic pearls like the Lost World Caverns and New River Gorge. Mine these captivating gems in the wilds of West Virginia.

Weston

Home of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston served as a psychiatric hospital for well over a century before becoming one of West Virginia's top tourist attractions. Gothic with a central spire and arched windows, the converted asylum offers grand tours and ghost tours tailored to guests' predilections. At Weston's Museum of American Glass, visitors can indulge in events like chocolate feasts and cocktail parties while exploring thousands of examples of WV's glassmaking heritage. If those aren't enough Appalachian oddities for your predilections, head down the street to Appalachian Oddities for eerie art, jewelry, collectibles, and artifacts.

Elkins

East of Weston, Elkins offers natural asylum as headquarters of the Monongahela National Forest. It preserves almost a million acres of Allegheny Mountains wilderness, perfect for hiking, biking, climbing, camping, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. Along with being a gateway to Monongahela, Elkins is a gateway to the historic Swiss-German village of Helvetia. Helvetia hosts an array of cultural fusions for such a small town, such as The Hütte Restaurant, which serves Swiss Appalachian cuisine, and Fasnacht, which is called the Mardi Gras of Appalachia. Another festival to attend, this one in Elkins proper, is the Mountain State Forest Festival. It ushers in fall with everything from lumberjack competitions to forestry exhibits.

Berkeley Springs

You can spend your life soaking up Berkeley Springs (AKA Bath), a tiny town that was first soaked up by George Washington. The future inaugural president was an early surveyor and purveyor of the land that would become Berkeley Springs. The town is revered for its titular mineral springs; modern guests can bathe where Washington bathed—sort of. Though probably not a genuine Washing-tub, the "George Washington Bath Tub," which sits in Berkeley Springs State Park, resembles the primitive trench-like baths dug during the 1700s. Of course, you can skip the stagnant presidential pond and dip into luxurious pools at the park's Main Bathhouse and Old Roman Bathhouse. Whatever you choose, get a good look at Berkeley Springs Castle, a 19th-century edifice guarding "America's first spa."

Harpers Ferry

More an open-air museum than a working town, Harpers Ferry features Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, which spans ~3,500 acres of iconic land not just in West Virginia but Virginia and Maryland. Besides the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, which funneled action during the Civil War, the park showcases, among many other relics, the Industry Museum, White Hall Tavern, Civil War Museum, Master Armorer's Quarters, John Brown Museum, and John Brown's Fort (where John Brown and his comrades barricaded themselves during their infamous 1859 raid).

After sampling those architectural treats, taste True Treats, a cache of historic candy like Turkish delights, molasses pulls, and saltwater taffy. Topographical treats also abound via the Appalachian Trail, whose headquarters/visitor center are in Harpers Ferry.

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is often voted one of the coolest small towns in America. Its 2,900ish residents have year-round access to the Secret Sandwich Society, a not-so-secret sammich hub with 2,177 reviews and a 4.6 rating on Google at the time of this writing, and Pies & Pints, a similarly celebrated eatery that is now a chain but originated in Fayetteville. Between gorging on sandwiches, pizza, and pints, Fayettevillians gorge on a natural gorge, the New River Gorge, which is carved just east of town in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The best way to experience the park is by walking across the 3,030-foot-long, 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge. The company Bridge Walk takes pedestrians into the bridge's undercarriage, but Bridge Day, an annual extreme sports extravaganza, is the only event granted bridge-top access. October 18 is tabbed for Bridge Day 2025.

Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant is certainly pleasant, but that's not the whole point. Flying over this scenic Appalachian city—at least metaphorically—is Mothman, one of America's most famous cryptids. When he's not terrifying townsfolk, he supposedly inhabits an abandoned WWII TNT factory in the McClintic Wildlife Management Area. That the area housed a TNT factory is not in dispute, at least. Still, the disputed Mothman has made his mark throughout Point Pleasant via the Mothman Museum, Mothman Statue, and Mothman Festival. The last of those attractions, which comprises paranormal tours and speakers, is held the third weekend of each September.

Lewisburg

Lewisburg is a portal to West Virginia wonder. To its west lies the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, to its north the Monongahela National Forest, to its east the George Washington National Forest, and to its south the Jefferson National Forest. Those don't even include smaller surrounding sanctuaries like the Greenbrier State Forest and Lost World Caverns. Though perusing such preserves is highly recommended, you don't have to leave Lewisburg for lovely looks. This 3,900ish-person city claims the General Lewis Inn, a luxurious 19th-century retreat named after a French and Indian War general, as well as one of the last authentic Carnegie Halls.

Charles Town

Another George Washington-adjacent settlement, Charles Town, was founded by George's brother Charles in the late 1700s. His original estate, dubbed Happy Retreat, is still intact and tourable, plus it hosts annual events like the Happy Retreat Craft Beer & Music Festival and Christmas at Happy Retreat. Other old but elegant Charles Town attractions include The Old Opera House (c. 1911) and Jefferson County Courthouse (c. 1836), the latter of which was the site of John Brown's treason trial. If Charles Town whets your appetite for historic sites, Harpers Ferry is just several miles away.

Experience the Wonders of West Virginia's Small Towns

West Virginia captivates in so many ways. In addition to Civil War relics, presidential properties, and mountainous marvels, the Mountain State presents paranormal gems like a ghostly asylum and a Mothman museum. All of those—and many other—attractions are accessible via small, unassuming towns tucked into WV's turbulent topography. Visit Weston, Elkins, Berkeley Springs, Harpers Ferry, Fayetteville, Point Pleasant, Lewisburg, and Charles Town for a weird and wondrous West Virginia vacation.