Visitors who expected another sweltering July day discover that West Virginia has quietly become one of the most comfortable places in the East. West Virginia became one of those destinations. “People sometimes think of West Virginia as simply another Appalachian state, but our mountains create a completely different summer experience,” said David Sibray, publisher of WVExplorer.com and a longtime West Virginia travel historian. Although West Virginia has relatively few large urban heat islands compared with major metropolitan areas, downtown streets, expansive parking lots and developed valleys absorb and radiate heat long after sunset. Fortunately for hikers, West Virginia offers dozens of places where those conditions come together naturally.