Marlinton

Marlinton is a town of 960 people (as of 2019) in West Virginia. It is the county seat of Pocahontas County. Pocahontas County is known locally as the "Birthplace of the Rivers" because the Greenbrier, Cherry, Elk, Cheat, Gauley, Tygart, Williams and Cranberry rivers all originate from the area.

Get in
Marlinton is on US-219, which runs between Elkins and Lewisburg.

Do

 * Roadkill Cook-off, . Part of the Autumn Harvest Festival, held annually in late September. Cooking begins at 11AM, judging at 3PM. A culinary competition in which chefs prepare dishes made from animals that are commonly found on the side of the road: turkey, opossum, squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, bear, deer, boar, elk, moose, rattlesnake, frog and turtle. Dishes are usually given unappetizing names, such as "Turkey Gobble Vomit over Maggots", "Squirrel Scrotum Stew" or "Blood, Rocks and Guts over Snails and Maggots". The cook-off started in 1991 as a joke, in a bid to increase tourism to the area, and although it has drawn criticism for playing on a negative stereotype of Appalachians, the contest attracts cooks from all over. Visitors can sample the results. There's also arts and crafts, an agricultural and homemaking show, mountain music and dancing, and regular food concessions.
 * Roadkill Cook-off, . Part of the Autumn Harvest Festival, held annually in late September. Cooking begins at 11AM, judging at 3PM. A culinary competition in which chefs prepare dishes made from animals that are commonly found on the side of the road: turkey, opossum, squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, bear, deer, boar, elk, moose, rattlesnake, frog and turtle. Dishes are usually given unappetizing names, such as "Turkey Gobble Vomit over Maggots", "Squirrel Scrotum Stew" or "Blood, Rocks and Guts over Snails and Maggots". The cook-off started in 1991 as a joke, in a bid to increase tourism to the area, and although it has drawn criticism for playing on a negative stereotype of Appalachians, the contest attracts cooks from all over. Visitors can sample the results. There's also arts and crafts, an agricultural and homemaking show, mountain music and dancing, and regular food concessions.
 * Roadkill Cook-off, . Part of the Autumn Harvest Festival, held annually in late September. Cooking begins at 11AM, judging at 3PM. A culinary competition in which chefs prepare dishes made from animals that are commonly found on the side of the road: turkey, opossum, squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, bear, deer, boar, elk, moose, rattlesnake, frog and turtle. Dishes are usually given unappetizing names, such as "Turkey Gobble Vomit over Maggots", "Squirrel Scrotum Stew" or "Blood, Rocks and Guts over Snails and Maggots". The cook-off started in 1991 as a joke, in a bid to increase tourism to the area, and although it has drawn criticism for playing on a negative stereotype of Appalachians, the contest attracts cooks from all over. Visitors can sample the results. There's also arts and crafts, an agricultural and homemaking show, mountain music and dancing, and regular food concessions.

Go next

 * Elkins is about 1 hour 15 minutes north on US-219.
 * Lewisburg is about 50 minutes south on US-219.
 * Richwood is about 50 minutes west on WV-39.