West Virginia winter wonderland
Winter is winding down, but there is still enough time (and snow!) to take advantage of the outdoor winter activities in West Virginia. Check out what they mean when they say West Virginia is “Almost Heaven.”
Snowshoes, anyone?
With a name like Snowshoe Mountain Resort, you better believe it’s the best place to trek through the mountain trails of Canaan Valley and Blackwater Falls. There are also guided snowshoe tours at Whitegrass Cross Country Ski area.
Skate your troubles away
Ice skating remains a favorite activity for the young and old. One of the best spots is the South Charles Memorial Ice Arena, with a rink large enough to fit Olympic figure skating routines.
Hitting the slopes
Both the aforementioned Snowshoe Mountain Resort and Canaan Valley Resort provide incredible skiing and snowboarding opportunities. But there’s also Oglebay Resort and Conference Center, Timerline Mountain, which has had $10 million in improvements made, and Winterplace, which features night skiing on 26 different slopes.
Sledding and tubing
Try your hand at sledding in Blackwater Falls State Park, but for those who prefer snow tubing, there’s Canaan Valley Resort, which boasts the longest tubing park in the region; Winterplace Ski Resort, which features the largest snow tubing park in West Virginia (14 lanes!); and the Snowshoe Mountain Resort’s Coca-Cola Tube Park.
Rev up your engines
For some, it’s all about the ride, and snowmobiles are a popular way to get around West Virginia’s winter trails. The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System is actually open all year, but when the snow falls, it becomes snowmobile paradise with more than 700 miles of off-road trails.