Start from 22 curated places around Elkins, WV, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
The Forks Restaurant & Inn
A dinner-only restaurant perched above the Tygart Valley River, ranked #1 in Elkins, with a menu of steaks, fresh salads, and carefully sourced local ingredients in a setting that genuinely earns its countryside-drive reputation. The Inn rooms upstairs make it a convenient base if you're spending several days exploring the forest. Thursday through Sunday only — plan ahead.
El Gran Sabor
A Venezuelan-Latin kitchen on Kerens Avenue that doubles as a live music venue on weekends, with generous plates of arepas, empanadas, and grilled meats at prices that make the quality feel almost implausible for a city this size. The bar in the back gets lively on weekend nights with local bands, while the front dining room stays relaxed enough for a proper sit-down meal. Open Wednesday through Saturday only.
Trails & outdoors
Seneca Rocks Trail
A 3.6-mile out-and-back hike to the observation platform atop the most dramatic rock formation in the eastern United States — a 900-foot quartzite fin rising vertically from the valley floor of the Monongahela National Forest, about 55 miles from Elkins. Rated 4.8 on AllTrails with nearly 4,000 reviews, this is the Mon Forest's marquee day hike and a worthy drive from Elkins. The summit platform delivers views that feel genuinely out of scale for West Virginia.
Bickle Knob Observation Tower Trail
The shortest worthwhile hike near Elkins: a 10-minute walk to a historic 1933 CCC fire tower in the Monongahela National Forest with panoramic ridgeline views of Randolph County. At 0.2 miles from the trailhead, it's the definition of a high-reward low-effort outing — and has a 4.9-star rating on AllTrails from 80+ reviews to prove it. A perfect first stop if you're orienting to the area before committing to a longer hike.
Things to do
Gandy Dancer Theatre and Conference Center
The only Branson-style dinner theatre in West Virginia, hosting a full live country, gospel, and variety show every weekend alongside a buffet dinner in a converted barn venue on Beverly Pike. The performers are genuinely multi-talented and the two-hour show is designed to be accessible for all ages. It draws both tourists and loyal local regulars who make it a seasonal ritual. Book in advance — it sells out regularly.
Augusta Heritage Festival
A summer series of public concerts, dances, and craft markets on the Davis & Elkins College campus, running during the Augusta Heritage Center's intensive folk arts weeks. Evening contradances and old-time music jams are open to anyone — no experience required for the dances, and callers walk beginners through the steps. This is the most authentic mountain music event in West Virginia, and being in Elkins during a festival week is the best possible timing.
Landmarks & sights
Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad
A historic railroad running scenic excursions through the Monongahela National Forest on vintage diesel and steam locomotives, departing from the 1908 Elkins depot into wilderness that has no road access. The Greenbrier Express run makes a four-hour round trip to High Falls on the Cheat River, with lunch included and an observation car for watching the ridgelines slide past. One of the most distinctive train experiences on the East Coast.
Bickle Knob Observation Tower
A 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps fire tower atop Bickle Knob in the Monongahela National Forest, offering 360-degree views of Randolph County's ridgelines with a walk of less than five minutes from the parking area. One of the few remaining original CCC towers in the Mon Forest — the structure itself is as interesting as the view. An easy morning side trip from Elkins that most visitors skip in favor of longer hikes.