Visit the Country with us in Monroe County, WV (Video/Blog)

“There’s no stoplights, in town, no fast food restaurants. A lot of things that just sort of clutter up the landscape, we don’t have it here.”

That was from Helen Graves of Monroe Tourism, speaking of the rural character of Monroe County in a recent video for Visit Southern WV. The entire county is covered in sweeping farmland, preserved through generations.

“It’s beautiful country,” said Doug Maddy of Southern WV. “It’s manicured, well maintained. It’s still an agricultural mentality that you find. The people are very much stewards of their land.”

The whole community takes pride in the countryside, and while there are many different things to enjoy and explore in the county, it often centers around the gorgeous settings you find there.

One popular activity is driving the scenic routes, especially the Rural Heritage Quilt Trail, which leads you from painted quilt pattern to quilt pattern across the open landscapes, and through some of the historic and cultural attractions— old grain mills, cemeteries, covered bridges, churches and more.

“If you would follow the quilt patterns around the county, they will give you the full picture of what the rural heritage of the county is,” Graves said.

And it’s a history as colorful as the quilt squares.

“This county being on the border was actually more of a Confederate supporter,” said Kelly Sills of Creekside Resort. “This creates a lot of interesting stories around that time.”

You can also explore the scenery hiking the Appalachian or Allegheny trails. There are also trails and recreation in Moncove Lake State Park.

Or get the view of wilderness and wildlife from above. Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory is a easy hike into the woods.

“When you get to the top, you just have such an amazing view of the valley, and the hills beyond,” Sills said. “You can see eagles and hawks flying below you, which is a pretty great experience.”

Regardless of what you do, you’ll get an authentic look at rural life in Monroe County.

“It’s not something commercially pre-packaged,” Sills said. “It has a lot of natural beauty and there are genuine, warm people here who are happy to meet you and tell you about their way of life, about their business, about why they love living here.”