Nature and Environment

The Mountain State

Situated within the Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia has become known as the state of mountains, beautiful landscapes, rich natural resources, lakes and forests, and a great diversity of plants and animals. West Virginia’s rolling mountains, green hills, and valleys inform almost every aspect of the state’s history and culture and earned West Virginia another name - the Mountain State.

West Virginia's Landscape

West Virginia’s landscape can be divided into three major provinces:

The Appalachian (Allegheny) plateau in the west and north;
The Allegheny Mountains which run from the southwest through the northeast;
The Ridge and Valley province along West Virginia's eastern border with Virginia.

Two other provinces make up the eastern panhandle: The Great Appalachian Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition, West Virginia’s average elevation is 1,654 ft, which is higher than any other state in the east.

West Virginians are proud of the unique landscape and the beauty of nature surrounding them. Besides being proud of their state, West Virginians learned how to situate their lifestyles around nature and grew an intimate knowledge of nature rhythms. Throughout Appalachia, people learned how to use the natural resources available to them. For example, in the fall, families and small communities gathered for an Apple Butter Makin' Day. After harvesting apples, Appalachians cooked traditional apple butter outside in a copper kettle with copper pennies added to the bottom of the pot to keep apple butter from scorching. Nowadays, many West Virginia towns, such as Berkeley Springs and Salem, hold annual Apple Butter Making festivals.

Apple Butter Festival - Berkeley Springs, WV

Coopers Rock

78% of West Virginia is covered in forest, which makes it the third most-forested state. One of West Virginia's largest forest systems is Coopers Rock State Forest. Established in 1936, Coopers Rock State Forest became one of the most popular West Virginia destinations that offers panoramic views of the region and a variety of recreational pursuits. The name Coopers Rock comes back from the 1800s, when people began to call a series of sandstone cliffs Coopers Rock. According to the legend, a fugitive hid near what is now the main overlook. The fugitive was a cooper, and he made barrels from the forest and sold them to the iron industry that started to develop in West Virginia during that time. Now, Coopers Rock offers a variety of outdoor activities, including 50 miles of trails, climbing and bouldering sites, cross-country ski trails, trout fishing, rafting, camping, and hunting.

New River Gorge

West Virginia is home to many beautiful rivers and streams, including the Kanawha River, the Ohio River, the Cheat River, and one of the oldest rivers in America, the New River.

In 1978, West Virginia’s New River Gorge became America’s 63rd National Park and Preserve. For centuries, the gorge was isolated and inaccessible along its length. Then, in 1873 the railroad for shipping coal to the outside world was developed near the river, and the landscape started to change. The whitewater river flows through deep canyons and offers excellent fishing and rafting.

WV Coal miners

Coal Mining in West Virginia

West Virginia's landscape is unique not only in its beauty but also in the natural resources it contains. West Virginia is the second-largest coal-producing state in the US, with coal deposits located in fifty-three out of fifty-five state counties. The first coal operations started as early as 1810 in Wheeling. The other coal mines began to develop in the following two decades. Mining operations have brought a massive capital investment in West Virginia. The state started to transform socially and economically; railroads were built to ship coal, and small company towns sprang up to house the rapidly expanding labor force. In 1867, West Virginia produced 490,000 tons of coal; 20 years later, that number had grown to 4.9 million tons. By 1917, the state was producing nearly 90 million tons annually.

At the same time, the coal industry harmed West Virginia's pristine nature. Mountaintop removal, fracking, industrial waste, and chemicals left a mark not only on WV's environment but also affected the lives of West Virginians. To protect their homes and lands, many West Virginians united and fought for their rights. They showed strength and courage, love for their land and nature, and built even stronger connections to their homes.

WEST Virginia Writers and Artists

Many West Virginia writers and artists get inspired by the natural world and narrate about Appalachia, tell personal life-stories related to nature and dedicate songs to the wild and wonderful West Virginia.

Irene McKinney

Irene McKinney (Listen to Track Number 2) describes the freedom of exploring nature as a child growing up in West Virginia and how it helped her cultivate independence, solitude, and a writerly disposition.

Colleen Anderson

“If You Love My West Virginia” is a song written to be performed at a state legislative hearing regarding a chemical spill in one of West Virginia’s rivers. Colleen Anderson sang instead of speaking at the public hearing, and her song expresses the way many West Virginians feel about the land: deep commitment and love.

Dustin McCray

The song “Almost Heaven” offers a West Virginia charm country atmosphere and shares the author’s love and a feeling of enchantment with West Virginia.

Aristotle Jones

"The West Virginia Hills" (Aristotle Jones version) is one of West Virginia’s state songs, and this version references another state song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” All of West Virginia’s anthems refer in some way to the landscape and the natural beauty of the state.

Writing Prompt

West Virginia is a place where landscape is valuable for a range of reasons: pleasure, sustenance, and extraction. A space of contradictions, West Virginia’s natural environment is both treasured and exploited, and many West Virginians live at the edge of this contrast. Write about the ways land is used, appreciated, or exploited in your place. What are the contrasts? What values emerge?

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