Basecamp towns
Ten towns with lodging, food, fuel and outdoor services, listed with the activities they suit and the destinations within driving range of each.
Sutton
A small county seat on the Elk River directly off I-79, at the geographic centre of the state. Sutton Dam sits immediately upstream, creating both Sutton Lake and the cold tailwater below it that holds the state's strongest trout fishery.
Fayetteville
The primary service town for the New River Gorge, built around a walkable courthouse square with climbing shops, rafting outfitters, restaurants and breweries. The New River Gorge Bridge is about four minutes north on US 19 and the Endless Wall trailhead about ten minutes east.
Davis & Thomas
Two former coal and timber towns about two miles apart in Tucker County. Thomas has a row of galleries, music venues and restaurants on a single street above the Blackwater River.
Lewisburg
A preserved eighteenth-century downtown with restaurants, galleries and a theatre, located at the southern end of the Greenbrier River Trail and in the middle of the state's most significant karst. Lost World Caverns and Organ Cave are both within a short drive, and I-64 provides direct access from Virginia and Charleston..
Marlinton
The midpoint of the Greenbrier River Trail and the main service town of Pocahontas County. Shuttle operators, lodging and bike services are available here.
Elkins
The largest town in the Potomac Highlands and the location of Monongahela National Forest headquarters, where forest maps and current road and trail information are available. Elkins is the practical resupply point for trips into Otter Creek, Cheat Mountain, Laurel Fork and the Seneca Creek backcountry, with full groceries, gear and a hospital..
Morgantown
A university city of about 30,000 with roughly 48 miles of connected rail-trail running through it. Coopers Rock State Forest is about fifteen minutes east on I-68 and the Cheat Canyon put-in at Albright about forty minutes south.
Summersville
Located between Summersville Lake and the Gauley River put-ins, with chain lodging, groceries and services along US 19. Rooms here are generally available during Gauley Season release weekends when Fayetteville and Oak Hill are booked out..
Harpers Ferry
A town of roughly 300 people at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, occupied by a national historical park and the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Amtrak and MARC commuter rail both serve the station, making it one of the few places in West Virginia reachable without a car.
Gilbert
A Mingo County town that has reorganized its economy around the Hatfield-McCoy trail system. Local ordinance permits off-highway vehicles on town streets, so riders can travel from lodging to fuel, food and trailheads without trailering.
Hinton
A railroad town on the New River below Bluestone Dam, with a preserved brick downtown and a stop on Amtrak's Cardinal route. Sandstone Falls, the Bluestone National Scenic River and the Class I to III upper New are all within a short drive, and this end of the national park receives far less traffic than the Fayetteville end..