Adventure

Lost World Caverns Admire a 30-ton compound stalactite; discover the prehistoric cave bear whose remains were found onsite; learn about T-Rex at the dinosaur museum; strap on some kneepads and a lantern helmet for the Wild Cave Tour where you can slip into "The Keyhole," climb through rock chambers, and emerge muddy from head to toe. On Fairfiew Rd. two miles north of Lewisburg, WV; + 1 304 645 6677. Fee.

Monongahela National Forest Hike by the caves and raging waters of Smoke Hole Gorge; picnic amid the boulder-strewn Dolly Sods; wander underground amid stalagmites, underground pools, and sideways-growing helectites in the Smoke Hole Caverns; forage for blueberries and huckleberries—keep an eye out for berry-hungry black bears keen on the same task; admire the imposing quartzite at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center. + 1 304 636 1800.

New River Gorge National River Experience the natural beauty of this not-so-new waterway—it's actually one of the continent's oldest rivers; marvel at the New River Gorge Bridge, the second-highest vehicular bridge in the world; wander through the gorge with a park ranger on a guided hike; brave the white-water rapids in a family-friendly and beginning rafter experience on a float down the Upper New. Hwy. access from Route 19 between Beckley and Hico and from I-64 between Mossy and Sandstone, WV: + 1 304 574 2115.

Organ Cave Tunnel through the second longest cave on the East coast, where scientists discovered the remains of a giant prehistoric three-toed sloth and a saber-tooth cat; see the giant limestone formation that resembles a pipe organ and inspired the cave's name; glide through air outside the cavern on a zip line or scurry up the rock wall. Route 63 between 219 and 60, near Ronceverte, WV; + 1 304 645 7600. Fee.