This is a great place for picnic and quick history lesson for folks of all ages. American Civil War…read morebuff? Follow the "Morgan's Raid" road signs for an adventure. Love Native American history? Check out the mound!

I had long heard about Buffington Island, but don't get down this way much. When I was driving to…read moreNorth Carolina I noticed it was only a few miles off my route, so I had to swing by. The only Civil War battlefield in Ohio- how could I pass that up? It is small, and probably not of much interest unless you are a real history buff, in which case it is fascinating. There is a small park with plenty of parking, an Indian mound, and a small outbuilding with bathrooms. A few historical markers and a small pavilion with display panels round out the amenities. The story is fascinating: John Morgan, later imprisoned in the old State Pen in Columbus, was a Confederate raider who attacked all along the Ohio River. This was the only major battle, and it eventually led to his capture. The displays explain the background, battle, and aftermath. It's quiet and isolated, and pretty cool. Maybe not worth a special trip unless you are a Civil War buff, but if you live in the area or are traveling nearby, definitely worth a visit.

This beautiful red bridge was completed in 1887 and it originally spanned the Tug Fork of Big Mill…read moreCreek. It was named after Enoch Staats, whose water-powered mill and store anchored the surrounding community. The Staats family were early settlers, arriving around 1780. Enoch's father, Isaac Staats, built the first mill on the site. H.T. Hartley built it using the Long Truss system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830, featuring distinctive "X"-braced diagonals across 11 panels. In 1971, the bridge was modified with steel girders inside the original trusses to support modern loads and in 1983, it was relocated about three miles to here and converted to pedestrian only use. The park can get quite busy on beautiful summer days so be prepared to be challenged finding a parking space. [Review 571 of 2025 - 156 in West Virginia - 24132 overall]

This lovely piece of history has been a constant in my life growing up. We have many outings at…read moreCedar Lakes Park in Ripley, and this lovely red wooden historical covered bridge has been in the scenery backdrop all those many years. The bridge is well built since 1887. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek and was named for Enoch Staats' water-powered mill.. The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge is a 97-foot-long "long truss" built by Henry Hartley This location is not the original location it was moved here for safe keeping and easy public access. My people use this lovely old bridge as a back drop in photo ops for weddings, prom, graduation, birthday pics, various different ideas. This is a lovely bridge and FREE to enjoy

The lore of the iconic Mothman is alive and well in the center of town in Point Pleasant, West…read moreVirginia. The statue was created by Bob Roach with an unveiling in 2003. Mothman stands in all his glory at 12', his red eyes piercing through your soul. He was constructed from stainless steel that has a mirror effect. Paying homage to Mothman is one of the biggest draws during the annual Mothman Festival. Folks have been drawn to the mysterious human/creature since 1966. It's said to have been at that time when several witnesses spied the creature at the West Virginia Ordinance Works (an abandoned TNT area). Go to Point Pleasant for the Mothman...if you dare!

It's bright silver and really doesn't match the witness descriptions of the alleged Mothman too…read morewell but so what? Mothman is so fun and freakishly wild and just about the only thing that puts this sleepy West Virginia town on the map. If you're within twenty or thirty miles and at all susceptible to kitsch how can you not swing by and snap a pic or three and maybe a couple dozen selfies with ol' red eyes here in all his anthropomorphic glory? And not only is your time with the statue free but you might actually make money if you choose to snatch the funds people have stuck into Mothy's bunghole. I don't know the story on that custom and pilfering butt money might be bad luck, though. As much as it pains this Detroiter to admit it I must say the Mothman statue is cooler than the Robocop statue.

It's just a small monument marking the place of where Fort. Randolph used to stand…read more The site where Fort Randolph was built emerged as a strategic location in the years before the American Revolution. In the Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, the British acquired title to present-day West Virginia from the Iroquois. Thereafter, British colonists and land speculators began to explore the region. One of the first to do so was George Washington, a planter and politician from Virginia, who in 1770 made a long canoe trip down the Ohio River to examine the land around Point Pleasant. Many other British colonists and surveyors did the same over the next few years.

This marker is located near the center of the city of Ripley and points out some of the earliest…read moresettlement history. It has the same text on both sides, reading "Established in 1832 on land which was settled by William John and Lewis Rogers in 1768 and later acquired by Jacob and Ann (Staats) Starcher. Near here lived Capt. William Parsons who was active in the early life of Jackson County." There is no number or erection date on the marker, but it was erected by the West Virginia Archives & History. Ripley grew from a quiet Mill Creek settlement into a true county hub once the Starchers laid out the town and donated land for the courthouse, which helped secure its selection as the county seat despite fierce competition from Ravenswood. The town's name honors Harry Ripley, a young Methodist minister who drowned on the eve of his wedding, a story that lingered in local memory long after the town was chartered. By the late 1800s Ripley had become a lively commercial center with hotels, mills, tailors, blacksmiths, and one of the region's earliest newspapers, the Jackson Democrat. Ripley also hosted West Virginia's last public execution in 1897, an event so notorious that it pushed the legislature to end public hangings statewide. Today the town is known for its long‑running county fair and its claim to the biggest small‑town Fourth of July celebration in America. There is street parking nearby. [Review 21 of 2026 - 201 in West Virginia - 25212 overall]

The George Rogers Clark marker in Point Pleasant stands as a compact reminder of the region's…read moreRevolutionary War era, set along a quiet stretch where the river and town meet. Its text is brief, yet it anchors visitors in the story of a young militia officer whose later campaigns helped shape the early United States. The setting around the marker encourages a moment of reflection, since the landscape still hints at the frontier world Clark once knew. As a quick stop, it rewards anyone who enjoys linking present‑day Point Pleasant with the deeper currents of its early American past. George Rogers Clark was the older brother of William Clark, who co-led the Lewis and Clark expedition with Meriwether Lewis. The marker reads, "From the Kanawha's mouth in May, 1778, George Rogers Clark set out to attack the British at Vicennes and Kaskaskia. The conquest of the Northwest by his little army of 175 men is ranked among the greatest exploits of all history." There is no number on it and no indication of when it was erected. There is parking. [Review 35 of 2026 - 207 in West Virginia - 25226 overall]

Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge Sandyville, WV - Jackson Co., WV…read more Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge built in 1890, originally spanned over John Carnahan's Branch of Mill Creek. 101 feet Bridge was moved and rebuilt in 2000 and is opened to public traffic still today. The Bridge is located not to far off the main highway leading to Parkersburg from Ripley. Easy to locate.

With signs along the way clearly pointing out that the bridge has only nine feet of clearance and…read moremy Sprinter van is ten feet tall with the solar panels on the roof, I was hoping that there would be a spot nearby that I could stop and u-turn. There was and I was able to walk the bridge that is open to vehicular traffic. The Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge, also known as the Sandyville Covered Bridge, is a beautifully preserved Long Truss structure that was completed in 1890. It first spanned John Carnahan's Fork, a branch of Mill Creek. When a newer modern bridge was completed, the covered bridge was relocated here in 1924 and rebuilt in 2000 with the original timber decking and siding. This is one of two remaining covered bridges in Jackson County (the other is the Staats Mill Covered Bridge). It measures 101 feet 3.5 inches long and 11 feet 8 inches wide with 13 Long Truss panels, reinforced with steel stringers and a dual-bent support system, allowing it to carry modern traffic. [Review 581 of 2025 - 165 in West Virginia - 24142 overall]

This marker points out an event that happened at the end of the 19th century and was quite…read morenoteworthty for its time. The tragedy remains one of the most infamous crimes in Appalachian history, remembered for its brutality, its lone survivor's courage, and its impact on criminal justice reform. The front of the marker reads, "On November 3, 1897, John Morgan murdered Chloe Greene and two of her three children, James Greene and Matilda Pfost. Daughter Alice Pfost managed to escape despite being wounded during the attack. G.W. Shamblen captured Morgan who was tried and convicted of the triple murder. O.J. Morrison paid Morgan for an exclusive prison interview about his life." And on the reverse, "While awaiting execution, murderer John Morgan escaped from jail but was recaptured in Roane County by local authorities. On December 16, 1897, thousands of spectators converged on Ripley, creating a carnival like scene. As a result of the spectacle, in 1899, State Delegate John S. Darst sponsored legislation that ended executions in public places in West Virginia." The marker was erected in 2014 by the Jackson County Historical Society and West Virginia Archives and History. [Review 580 of 2025 - 164 in West Virginia - 24141 overall]