About Pocahontas County

In 1821, Governor Thomas Randolph of Virginia named a new county after his ancestor, the Native American Princess Pocahontas.

Established in 1821, Pocahontas County is the third largest county in West Virginia, with an area of 940.28 square miles.

There is 121,878 acres of farm land in Pocahontas County.

Pocahontas County is known as the "Birthplace of Rivers", because the Greenbrier, Cherry, Elk, Cheat, Gauley, Tygart Valley, Williams, and Cranberry Rivers, originate here.

The town of Frost got its name because frost occurred there in every month of the year.

The Gesundheit Institute, of Patch Adams fame, is located in Pocahontas County.

The 77 mile Greenbrier River Trail runs through Pocahontas County; offering a great outdoor experience.

Pocahontas County was used by Shawnee Indians as a hunting ground.

Pocahontas County has the highest average elevation of any county east of the Mississippi River, ranging from slightly under 2,000 feet to just over 4,800 feet.

Bald Knob is the second highest point in the state of West Virginia at 4,842 feet.

More than 800 miles of hiking and biking trails are located in the county.

The novelist, Pearl S. Buck, was born and raised in Hillsboro which is located in Pocahontas County.

Snowshoe Ski Resort is the county's largest employer and the largest ski area in the Southern United States.

More than one million tourists visit the county each year.

Marlins Bottom, now known as Marlinton, is the first recorded settlement west of the Alleghenies.

With five state parks and two state forests, over 62% of the county, totaling 312,000 acres is public land. This is more than any other county in the state of West Virginia.

The second highest waterfall in West Virginia - Falls of Hills Creek - is located in Pocahontas County.

Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150) is the highest average elevated highway east of the Mississippi River.

Watoga State Park, is the largest state park in West Virginia.

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope.