Mountains and Lakes Country, West Virginia travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

The Mountains and Lakes Country region is in West Virginia.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Jun–Sep. Summer highs reach about 70°F; winter lows dip to about 14°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Snowshoe)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
CKB North Central West Virginia Airport, Bridgeport — 42 mi away. Directions
CRW Yeager Airport, Charleston — 62 mi away. Directions
PIT Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh — 122 mi away (major hub). Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Morgantown — Core Arboretum, Dorsey's Knob, The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum.
Day 2: Fairmont — Barrackville Covered Bridge, Mary Lou Retton Park, Pricketts Fork State Park.
Day 3: Sutton — Sutton Lake, Mountain Lakes Amphitheater, Landmark Studio for the Arts.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Food for you

Buckwheat is produced in Bruceton Mills, and is available in local stores from mid-September through December.

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Places in Mountains and Lakes Country

Morgantown

City / town · 73 listings

Fairmont

City / town · 30 listings

Sutton

City / town · 28 listings

Clarksburg

City / town · 18 listings

Summersville

City / town · 15 listings

Weston

City / town · 15 listings

Buckhannon

City / town · 12 listings

Richwood

City / town · 12 listings

Clay

City / town · 9 listings

Grafton

City / town · 9 listings

Kingwood

City / town · 8 listings

Bridgeport

City / town · 1 listings

Shinnston

City / town

Cities

Bridgeport
Buckhannon
Clarksburg
Clay
Fairmont — home of the original pepperoni roll
Grafton
Kingwood
Morgantown
Philippi
Richwood
Shinnston
Sutton
Summersville
Weston

Other destinations

Cathedral State Park, near Kingwood, is a 133-acre ancient hemlock forest and the only stand of mixed virgin timber left in West Virginia.
Cranesville Swamp Preserve on the Maryland border, near Kingwood, has 1600 acres of wet bog preserve. Several trails, including a quarter-mile boardwalk over the swamp. Carnivorous sundew plants, bog cranberry, sphagnum moss, and several species of endangered plants and animals can be seen throughout the wetlands.

See

Tunnelton Tunnels, on route 26 near Tunnelton, are a pair of railroad tunnels, dug by hand between 1850 and 1853. On their completion, at 4,100 feet long, they were the longest in the world, and were crucial during the Civil War.
Our Lady of the Pines, on US-219 near Silver Lake, bills itself as the "smallest church in 48 states", although at 24 by 12 feet, it has a lot of competition for the title! Nevertheless, it's a pretty little church in a scenic area, and can be rented for weddings. Nearby are a wishing well and the "smallest mailing office".

Do

Big Bear Lake, east of Morgantown, is a 35-acre lake for swimming, fishing or sunbathing on the beach. 24 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails, lakeside waterslide, 18-hole miniature golf, game room, tennis courts, volleyball courts, baseball field, country-western dances. Cabins available.
Collect fossils at Hebron. Brachiopods can be found in the road cut across from Hebron Church in the unincorporated community of Hebron.