Jackson County · West Virginia · Almost Heaven
Two river towns. Hundreds of thousands of annual visitors. America's largest small-town Independence Day. Kayak trails, Ohio River sunsets, and moonshine poured from the cornstalk to the bottle. Most people driving I-77 pass straight by.
Where the Appalachians meet the Ohio River · Ripley and Ravenswood, West Virginia
The Jackson County places we'd send a visitor to without thinking twice. These are editorial picks, and none of them is a paid advertiser yet. Local businesses can become a Featured Partner, a paid card that keeps this guide independent and free to read, and claim a permanent placement.
Anchor Attraction · Jackson County
Cedar Lakes Conference Center
Four lakes, 450 acres, and generations of West Virginia summers.
Event Venue & Lodging · Ripley, WV
West Virginia's most-visited venue, with 450 acres, four lakes, 30 buildings, and overnight lodging for groups of 20 to 500. Home of the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair and the 1887 Staats Mill Covered Bridge. Open year-round for conferences, weddings, youth camps, disc golf, and hiking. Four miles from downtown Ripley.
Editor's Pick · Ripley
Appalachian Distillery
Cornstalk to bottle, nothing in between.
Distillery & Tasting Room · Ripley, WV
Craft moonshine produced from the cornstalk to the bottle in Ripley, WV. Traditional white lightning alongside signature WV flavors: paw paw, blackberry, peach, and strawberry lemonade. One of the more unexpected stops in the region.
Editor's Pick · Ravenswood
Great Bend Campground & Marina
Sleep where the river bends.
Camping & Marina · Ravenswood, WV
Ravenswood's Ohio River base camp. Full hookup RV sites from $40/night, boat slips from $10/night, and direct access to the river at Washington's Riverfront Park. Within 45 miles of Cedar Lakes, Parkersburg, and Charleston. A good base for the whole region.
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Jackson County sits between Charleston and Parkersburg along the Ohio River, within a few hours' drive of half a dozen states. People come back every July 4th, the bigger events draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, and the place has been worth the trip for over 150 years.
Its two towns have distinct characters. Ripley, the county seat, is a small town that gets voted Most Community Pride and earns it. Ravenswood, on the Ohio River, took its name from a Walter Scott novel and is rebuilding its Main Street.
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Drag or swipe through four Jackson County experiences.
Drag to explore
Ripley and Ravenswood sit 11 miles apart. Between them you get craft spirits, river access, trails, and two very different Main Streets.
Conference & Event Venue
Four miles from downtown sits West Virginia's most-visited venue: 450 acres with four lakes, lodging for hundreds, and year-round events and workshops.
Craft Distillery
Ripley is home to a craft spirits producer making traditional moonshine and WV flavors, cornstalk to bottle.
Water Trail
A 20+ mile kayak journey from Ripley to Cottageville along Mill Creek, one of West Virginia's most accessible water trails.
Artisan Market & Historic Theatre
Over 100 local artisans, live performances, concerts, and film at a Main Street landmark operating since 1936.
City Park & Recreation
Olympic-size pool with water slide, skateboard park, lit tennis courts, picnic shelters, and a gazebo. Ripley's community hub, free to visit.
Trail System
The Kevin Clegg Trail System at Eastwood Recreation Area has nine trails totaling 13 miles across 120 acres. Hiking, mountain biking, and trail running for all skill levels. Actively expanding.
Ohio Riverfront
Washington's Riverfront Park on the Ohio River has fishing, a boat launch, bird watching, walking trails, and a performance stage hosting major acts each August.
Local History & Museum
Native American roots through the 20th century, including an early 1900s photography exhibit documenting Ravenswood in close detail.
Campground & Marina
Full RV hookups, boat slips, and direct Ohio River access, within 45 miles of three major markets.
Ohio River Festival
Major performers, fireworks by Premier Pyrotechnics, a crazy boat race, and a full carnival at Washington's Riverfront Park each August.
Downtown Revival
Ravenswood's OnTRAC Main Street program is at work on Washington Street. New businesses, events, and the annual Harvest in the Wood festival.
A weekend here is easy on parents. Hands on museums, four public pools, lake days, disc golf, and parks with room to run, most of it a short drive apart and cheap or free.
Indoor, Any Weather
Explorers Children's Museum
A hands on, kid sized museum in downtown Ripley that draws families from across the region. Good for a rainy day.
450 Acres of Play
Cedar Lakes
Mini golf, disc golf, four lakes, easy trails, and a swimming pool, all open to day visitors as well as overnight guests.
Summer Water Fun
Pools & the Splash Pad
Four public pools open in summer, at Cedar Lakes, Parchment Valley, the Ripley City Pool, and the Ravenswood City Pool. Right beside the Ripley pool, a free splash pad with fountains to run through is a favorite with the little ones who are too small to swim.
Room to Run
Parks & Playgrounds
City and county parks across Ripley and Ravenswood, with playgrounds, picnic spots, and open fields. All marked on the county map above.
A quick reference to local restaurants. No chains listed. For a fuller write-up of any spot, see Featured Local Places above.
Ripley
Ravenswood
Directory growing with Ravenswood's OnTRAC revitalization. submit your listing.
Is your restaurant listed here?
A basic listing puts your name in front of every visitor. A Featured Partnership is how they learn about you. Full editorial description, photo card, and placement at the top of the page.
Independent local shops in Ripley and Ravenswood. Boutiques, artisan goods, country décor, and things you won't find at a chain.
Ripley
Ravenswood
More Ravenswood shops opening on Washington Street with OnTRAC revitalization. submit your listing.
Is your shop listed here?
A basic listing puts your name in front of every visitor planning a Jackson County trip. A Featured Partnership is how they read about you. Editorial description, photo card, and top-of-page placement.
Jackson County's biggest annual events. Dates and lineups shift year to year, so each card links straight to its official source. Always confirm there for this year's details.
Early July · Annual
Ripley, WV · Downtown & Courthouse Lawn
America's Largest Small-Town Independence Day. Six days of it: a 200-unit parade, carnival rides, the Firecracker 2-Miler, a watermelon contest, and free nightly concerts. The town of 3,000 swells to 20,000.
Free Entry Official site & lineupJuly 4th Weekend · Annual
Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley
One of West Virginia's premier craft events during July 4th weekend. Regional artisans, folk art, handmade goods, and workshops. Founded as part of WV's 1963 Centennial, now in its seventh decade.
Cedar Lakes Official siteMid-Summer · Annual
Jackson County Fairgrounds, Cottageville, WV
Youth projects, livestock competitions, carnival rides, local food, and community traditions. A fixture of the county's farming year, and an easy one to bring kids to.
Family Event Official siteLate Summer · Annual
Washington's Riverfront Park, Ravenswood
Three days on the Ohio River with live bands, food trucks, craft vendors, a crazy boat race, pet pageant, carnival rides, and fireworks. Free admission and free riverfront parking.
Free Admission Official site & scheduleLate September · Annual
Downtown Ravenswood, WV
Ravenswood's autumn festival. Local vendors, artisans, food, and fall color along the historic Washington Street corridor.
Downtown Ravenswood Official siteNovember 11 · Annual
Ripley, WV · Downtown to the Alpine Theatre
Hundreds of photo posters of veterans and service members lead the parade, followed by a ceremony at the Alpine Theatre. Held each Veterans Day.
Free & Open Official pageWe don't write our own testimonials. These link to Google reviews from people who made the trip.
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Basic Directory
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These figures describe Jackson County tourism and the regional market. They do not represent traffic to this site. Want our current site visitor numbers before you commit? Ask us and we'll share them.
County Business Directory · Free Listings
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To add your business to the free directory, email us your name and category. Free listings show a search link so visitors can find you. A direct link to your website comes with a Featured Partnership.
Submit Your ListingTwo unhurried days from Columbus, Pittsburgh, or Charleston, about a 2.5 hour drive. Here's how to spend them.
Day One
Ripley & Cedar Lakes
Day Two
Ravenswood & the Ohio River
Every season here has a reason to come.
Spring
Quiet trails, rising creeks for paddling, and green hills before the summer crowds. The mildest weather for hiking.
Summer
Peak season. The July 2 to 5 Independence Day celebration, the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair, and the August Ohio River Festival. Book lodging months ahead.
Fall
Appalachian foliage, the Harvest in the Wood festival in Ravenswood, and the best photography light of the year along the river.
Winter
The quiet off season, with distillery tastings, small town dining, and the Veterans Day Parade carrying into the holidays.
Conference lodging, a Victorian B&B, campgrounds, cabins, and chain hotels at the interstate.
Conference & Event Lodging
Holt Lodge at Cedar Lakes
Hotel-style accommodations on the Cedar Lakes grounds. 440 beds across 9 cottages plus Main and Mountaineer Lodges. Ideal for groups of 20 to 500.
82 FFA Drive, Ripley · (304) 372-7860
Bed & Breakfast
The Ravenswood Inn
A restored Late Victorian home with three rooms, cooked-to-order breakfast with WV ingredients, and walking distance to Washington's Riverfront Park. No online booking, call for reservations.
400 Walnut Street, Ravenswood · (304) 532-7102
RV & Tent Camping
Great Bend Campground
Full hookup RV sites from $40/night, boat slips from $10/night. Direct Ohio River access. Within 45 miles of Cedar Lakes, Parkersburg, and Charleston.
Ravenswood, WV
Campground & Cabins
Statts Mills Campground & Cabins
Seven furnished, pet-friendly cabins and 15 full-hookup RV sites on 217-acre Lake O'Brien, 15 minutes off I-77. Kayaking, fishing, WiFi, and bathhouse on site.
5445 Statts Mills Rd, Ripley · (304) 373-0030
Hotels in Ripley
National Brands at Exit 138
Quality Inn, Super 8, and Holiday Inn Express, all at Exit 138 on I-77, roughly $60 to $125/night (as of 2026). Free WiFi and breakfast included. Book 6+ months ahead for July 4th weekend.
Book far ahead for July 4th, rooms sell out county-wide
Getting Here
Jackson County is Central
Ripley sits on I-77 between Charleston and Parkersburg. Under 90 minutes from Huntington WV and Athens OH. Columbus OH: ~2.5 hours. Pittsburgh: ~3 hours.
Exit 138 on I-77 · Ripley, WV 25271
Some lodging links may earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects which places we recommend.
Official county sources, linked here as a public service. These are the people who run things day to day.