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New Book by Ed Rehbein Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia: A Hiker's Guide to Beauty off the Beaten Path Introduction For hikers who like adventure and the thrill of discovery, this book is for you. Based on twenty years of exploring West Virginia�s State Parks, National Parks, and Forest Service Lands, it�s a guide to hidden waterfalls, little-known river trails, and unique vistas in West Virginia. Originally published as magazine articles, the 21 chapters in this guidebook carefully explain how to find trailheads and navigate your way off trail, too. What�s more, GPS coordinates of key locations and trailheads are provided in the text and in a table at the end of the book. Everything is prepared for you to have a great time �Exploring the Wilds of West Virginia.� Book Cover About the Author Ed Rehbein is an award-winning writer and photographer focused on sharing with others the beauty of nature in Appalachia. He has published one book and more than 60 magazine articles explori...

The world has its seven wonders. So why not West Virginia? After all the State is called �Wild, Wonderful West Virginia,� and rightly so. West Virginia, The Mountain State, abounds in scenic wonders. Nestled among more urban and populated eastern states, West Virginia is an island of mountains, forests, rivers, and plateaus. Indeed, choosing just seven natural wonders to highlight proved daunting. But subjective as it is, from north to south here is my list:  1. Dolly Sods 2. Canaan Valley 3. Seneca Rocks 4. The Cranberry Glades  5. The Falls of Hills Creek 6. The New River Gorge  7. Sandstone Falls Dolly Sods Credentials of the Seven To make the list, the seven wonders had to fit certain criteria. For instance, they all had to be well-known landmarks, if not nationally, certainly state-wide. They had to be �on the map,� that is, located and identified on a West Virginia State Highway Map. Furthermore, I felt the north, central and southern regions of West Virginia all ha...

Besides a haven for wildlife, Canaan Valley is one of the most pristine and picturesque spots in all of West Virginia. Everywhere beauty abounds, and so much of it is accessible to the public. Between Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge more than half of the valley is public land (22,500 acres).   Blackwater River Trail Where do you begin to explore such a vast area? After hiking and photographing this Valley for a decade, my favorite trail is the Blackwater River Trail. The Blackwater River Trail makes an easy 3/4 mile loop through mixed northern hardwood stands and follows the Blackwater River as it begins its meandering journey through Canaan Valley. Picturesque views of the river, wildflowers lining its banks, and adjacent meadows delight the eye and have inspired some award-winning photography. On this self-guided nature trail are unusual limestone outcrops resembling tombstones and the largest Bigfoot aspen in the park. Blackwater River ...