9 Cozy West Virginia Destinations To Visit In 2025

"Heaven" evokes fluffy clouds, golden attractions, and general ecstasy. "Almost Heaven" evokes the same things plus Appalachian thrills. As you may know, that is the John Denver-coined nickname for West Virginia, a state so close to heaven geographically and culturally thanks to breathtaking highlands and cozy retreats. Some of the coziest places to explore West Virginia's wilderness are tiny towns already enmeshed in nature. Take those proverbial country roads to the following serene settlements in 2025.

Parsons

The Allegheny Mountains are West Virginia's top natural attraction. Sprinkled along those pretty peaks are towns-cum-basecamps for outdoor recreation. Parsons is among the best of the bunch. Check in at elegant Irene's Place or the rustic Five River Campground before hiking, biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, skiing, canoeing, and/or whitewater rafting in the Alleghenies. Afterward, rest and refuel at Parsons' numerous eateries. Piccolo Paula's Caffe, B & J's Family Diner, MR PIZZA, The Sunrise Coffee Company, and Black Fork Pizza & Riverside Brews are all worthy of your wallet.

Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry is where nature and history meet. Perched on the bluffs of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, HF has scenic trails many miles long paired with spectacular structures many years old. Such sites are preserved in the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Stay at the 1839-built Stonehouse B&B while exploring other historic buildings like the Master Armorer's Quarters, Provost Marshal Office, and Industry Museum. Of course, being infamously linked to John Brown's Raid, HP also preserves the John Brown Museum and John Brown's Fort. Beyond sights and hikes, HP has good eats, notably the Civil War-era sweets sold at True Treats Candy.

Lewisburg

Elevated in a variety of ways, Lewisburg sits roughly 2,000 feet above sea level and hosts galleries, theatres (yes, "re"), and one of only four genuine Carnegie Halls still in use. Thus visitors can comfortably watch indoor shows before catching the outdoor shows of mountainous preserves like Greenbrier State Forest and Watoga State Park. The latter was designated an International Dark Sky Park for its lively night skies. Come in April for all those attractions plus the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival. The same goes for August and the 100th Annual State Fair of West Virginia. Whichever date you choose, make your base the General Lewis Inn.

Green Bank

True to its name, Green Bank is a verdant settlement with a wealth of natural wonders. These come courtesy of the surrounding Monongahela National Forest. However, Green Bank is best known for an unnatural wonder, the Green Bank Observatory, which contains the "largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world." Tranquility is forced in Green Bank because, in order for the observatory to operate properly, it is part of the National Radio Quiet Zone that restricts radio frequency interference. Besides wide-open nature, you can spend your radioless vacation on the nearby Cass Scenic Railroad. Stay right across the tracks at the Cass Trading Company.

Berkeley Springs

Berkeley Springs is also known as Bath, which, as you will soon learn, could not be a more appropriate name. It was founded in the late 1700s as a spring-fed mineral spa resort. Around 250 years later, it still functions that way for most tourists. Sure, Berkeley Springs does have non-spa attractions such as the Berkeley Springs Castle and Mendenhall 1884 Bed and Breakfast, but its holy grail is Berkeley Springs State Park. Preserved in the park are an Old Roman Bathhouse, a Main Bathhouse, and George Washington's Bathtub, which is a primitive tub of the kind Washington supposedly soaked in. What is cozier than a presidential bath?

Elkins

Another scenic railway town, Elkins, offers wondrous rides on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. Passengers are treated to a near-five-hour round trip from Elkins to High Falls aboard vintage diesel-powered locomotives. They wind around the mountains, streams, and waterfalls of West Virginia's highlands. After returning to Elkins, tour the West Virginia Railroad Museum, dine at Scottie’s, and sleep at the Graceland Inn. If feeling extra adventurous, explore the nearby village of Helvetia, which was settled by Swiss and German immigrants and retains much of their charm. Guided peaceful walking tours are offered with 48 hours' notice.

White Sulphur Springs

Earlier, we asked what is cozier than a presidential bath. Though mostly rhetorical, that question may have a legitimate answer: a presidential bunker. Underneath the luxurious Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs is an elaborate bunker built to house America's government in the event of nuclear holocaust. To be more precise, the bunker was meant for Congress not the sitting president, but 28 presidents have stayed above-ground at the Greenbrier. You can join that elite company by visiting the Presidents’ Cottage Museum, touring The Bunker (which remained a secret until 1992), and hiking the surrounding luxuriant wilderness.

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is a quaint retreat on the rim of a massive gorge. Tourists can thus feel the warm embrace of Pies & Pints, the Historic Fayette Theater, and the Historic Morris Harvey House before experiencing the heart-pounding breadth of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This 70,000-plus-acre wonderland offers hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing, paddling, fishing, hunting, backpacking, and night sky viewing. Each October, it offers BASE jumping as part of the annual Bridge Day, which is the only day of the year when spectators can walk atop the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge.

Davis/Thomas

Davis and Thomas are 1A and 1B for scenic WV settlements. Nestled side by side in the Canaan Valley, they come as a package for many outdoor adventurers. Therefore, they are a package on this list. Surrounding Davis/Thomas are Blackwater Falls State Park, the Dolly Sods Wilderness, and the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area. Retreats from hardcore recreation include Hellbender Burritos in Davis and the Purple Fiddle in Thomas. But the area's ultimate retreat is Canaan Valley Resort State Park, which, as its name suggests, is both a state park and a state-of-the-art resort.

Whether embraced by nature or culture or both, you should feel comfortable in these West Virginia communities. Spend 2025 nuzzled by Irene's Place in Parsons, True Treats Candy in Harpers Ferry, Watoga State Park near Lewisburg, the Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, Berkeley Springs State Park in Berkeley Springs, the Graceland Inn in Elkins, The Bunker in White Sulphur Springs, Pies & Pints in Fayetteville, and the Dolly Sods Wilderness near Davis/Thomas. Which of those sounds the most like heaven?