Canaan Valley Resort State Park can be found high up in the Allegheny Mountains in Tucker County, West Virginia. Surrounded by forests, the park is situated in a stunning area with breathtaking views all year-round. Canaan Valley Resort State Park is open to the public during all four seasons, but if you're looking for snow-covered ski trails, then come during the winter months. The Canaan Valley's unique location allows it to retain its snow for longer than most ski resorts because it's protected from the heat of the sun, most years even up to April.
Golfers will delight in shooting on the green at one of the top 18-hole golf courses in the state. There are loads of outdoor adventures for the whole family, including a climbing wall, slide tube ride, archery range, swimming pool, and 18 miles of trails. If you visit during the winter, you can explore the park's 6,000 acres by cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or snowboarding. You can choose between a cabin, a room at the lodge, or a paved campsite with full hookups when you stay at the park. Canaan Valley Resort State Park is approximately 180 miles from Washington and 200 miles from Baltimore - perfect for a weekend RV trip away.
RVers traveling from Washington or Baltimore will easily find the Canaan Valley Resort State Park, located just of the Appalachian Highway. The drive promises to be beautifully scenic with several steep grades along the way. Many roads in this area are mountainous and winding, so make sure to drive slow and watch out for sudden sharp turns. RVers needing any supplies can take the short drive to the nearby town of Davis, roughly 12 miles from the park.
Roads inside the park are paved, spacious, clearly marked and easy to navigate. Adjust your speed when you enter the park and keep an eye out for wildlife, pedestrians, and cyclists. Once you arrive, go ahead and check into your accommodation before setting out to explore the rest of the park and activities available. The park is quite spread out, so you can walk around if you are feeling brave, but an easier option would be to cycle or drive around.
Lots of parking is available at the park. You'll find it spread out between the different activities and facilities including the ski resort, golf course, park office, and lodge.
RVers staying at the park can enjoy the park's 34 paved and forested campsites. Each site is equipped with full hookups, and RVers in need of a dump station will find one handy. Sites are big enough to accommodate rigs from 25 feet up to 45 feet long. This is a pet-friendly campsite and leashed pets are allowed. Campground amenities include laundry facilities and a restroom with flushing toilets and showers, which are open year-round.
Campers are welcome to bring along generators on their camping trip. Quiet time is enforced from 10 PM to 7 AM and during that time generators are not to be used. Should you need firewood or ice during your stay you can purchase it at the park.
If you really want to treat yourself, then book a room at the park's 160-room lodge. The staff will be sure to meet your every need, and you can fully enjoy relaxing while being out in the countryside.
You can choose between a queen or king-sized bed with a balcony view or no view. Each room features a TV, hair dryer, iron, ironing board, climate control, coffee pot, refrigerator, and microwave. You'll also have a constant speed internet connection and your own spacious bathroom.
One bedroom suite suites also feature a balcony, fireplace, and separate sleeping and living rooms. You may be able to get a room if you arrive without a booking, but it's advisable to reserve a room in advance of your arrival.
Canaan Valley Resort State Park has seven different caches across the park for geocachers to find when they visit. Geocaching, a treasure hunt-like game, is lots of fun to play and is suitable for the whole family. To play, you will need a GPS-capable device, like a smartphone, and some trinkets to trade for the treasures that you find in the hidden caches. Once you're done with a cache, leave it exactly as you found it so that others can enjoy the search after you. Be sure to take some snacks and water along to keep you going on your search.
Calling all rock climbers! The park's climbing wall is geared up so that three people can climb at the same time - perfect for a race between your friends. This fun activity is suitable for the whole family.
If climbing is not your thing, then try the eurobungy, a great way to burn energy and have fun at the same time. It's basically jumping on a giant trampoline while being secured by safety harnesses. Once you've got the hang of it, you can even try and do some flips.
Winter is one of the best times of the year to visit the park. It transforms into a winter wonderland and avid skiers will be in their element. The park's ski resort features fun activities like skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, snowshoeing, ice skating and cross-country skiing for visitors to enjoy. There are nearly 50 different trails available to keep skiers, tubers, and snowboarders very busy. They are marked varying difficulty, and visitors can access the different ski areas easily, using the various chairlifts. An indoor ice-skating rink and 35 miles of trails will keep ice skaters and cross-country explorers entertained for hours!
Be sure to check out a map of the trails so that you know what you are dealing with and obey all the rules on the slopes so you can be courteous to other visitors along the trails. A season pass is available to purchase for visitors who live close by or come to the park often.
RVers who want to take a break from their rigs and enjoy sleeping somewhere with four solid walls can try one of the cottages or cabins available. There are 34 cabins and cottages to choose from and they vary between two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and four-bedroom. They all feature a mountain view from the backyard and are available year-round. Two of the cottages are ADA-accessible and have enough beds to sleep 12 people each.
They are each equipped with a fully furnished kitchen, linens, TV, internet, an indoor fireplace, picnic table, and an outdoor fire pit and grill. Eleven cabins and cottages are pet-friendly and people with pets should book those.
Bring along your golf clubs along on your RV trip and enjoy playing on the breathtaking 18-hole course at the park. The course, designed by Geoffrey Cornish, features eight water obstacles and 65 sand bunkers, giving the course a challenge that is not to difficult for beginners, but enjoyable for experienced golfers.
Canaan Valley Resort State Park is renowned for its golf course and is the 12th best course in the state. Also available is a driving range, pro shop, clubhouse, and practice green. For family fun, you can enjoy the miniature golf course at the recreation center.
During the warm summer days, you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the park's Olympic-sized outdoor pool. Although the pool is heated, when it gets colder, you can move to the indoor pool. The indoor pool, spa, and gym area are all available to visitors year-round.
Thankfully, tubing is not only a winter pastime. When the snow melts away, it is replaced with a synthetic 'slope' that can be operated without the use of water. As you fly down the slope, the rubber tubes slow down, turn, and accelerate by themselves, allowing you to enjoy the exhilarating ride without having to do anything. Once you reach the bottom, a lift will take your tube and you back up to the summit, where you can do it all over again.
The park has 18 miles of trails for hikers and bikers to enjoy during their visit to the park. If you are visiting for the day, you can try and get in as many miles as you can, but you'll want to stay for a couple of days to fully enjoy the trails available. The majority of the trails are roughly two miles long, but several of them interconnect, and you can continue on for a longer distance if you want. A couple of the trails meander through the Monongahela National Forest, and you'll get to hike a variety of different terrains like meadows and woodlands. One trail even requires you to take the chairlift to access it!
Several of these trails can be biked along as well. If you didn't bring your bike, you can always rent one of the park's cruiser bikes, which includes a rental helmet.
