West Virginia Ski Resorts: The Mountain State for a Reason

West Virginia ski resorts are gaining in popularity and have been for years. Ongoing additions and improvements have rekindled interest among local skiers, while also bringing in more out-of-state visitors than ever before. Part of the appeal is the central location. Looking for new challenges or simply new terrain, skiers from the East Coast, the Great Lakes States, and all across the South frequently visit West Virginia ski resorts.

West Virginia Ski Resorts

But first and foremost comes the amazing ski terrain offered at these four major resorts:

• Timberline
• Canaan Valley
• Snowshoe
• Winterplace

Timberline

Timberline is a true ski resort, heralded underneath the Four Seasons banner. Located at Herz Mountain, the resort features 100 acres of skiable terrain with a total vertical of 1000 feet. Average snowfall for Timberline is about 200 inches, but if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, the resort has 100 percent snow-making coverage. Timberline is home to the longest trail in the South. The Salamander is a gently sloped two-mile easy cruiser that takes a meandering path down the mountain. If you prefer something a little faster, the double-black diamond Silver Streak is a straight shot down the mountain from peak to base. There are three chair lifts with a total capacity of 5000 skiers per hour, two of which go to the summit and one that services the learning annex.

Canaan Valley

Canaan Valley is one of the West Virginia ski resorts with an interesting history. The resort originally opened in the early 1970’s on the site of the old Weiss Knob Ski Area. Canaan has 39 ski trails spread over 91 acres on the tallest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains. This is a can’t-miss for skiers who love to see what different parts of the country have to offer. You can enjoy night skiing on over 15 acres with full snow-making coverage over 75 acres. Two primary lifts ferry skiers from the base to the peak, where a bevy of expert and intermediate trails await. Canaan has an 850-foot vertical and is the only mountain in the area to allow air boarding.

Snowshoe

Snowshoe is located in the Seneca State Forest roughly four hours west of Washington D.C. This resort has three distinct parts, all serviced by their own set of lifts. The main park is located in the Snowshoe Basin, which has 38 named trails, two glades, and two terrain parks. Seven lifts service the area including two high-speed detachable quads. Silver Creek features 18 trails, 12 of which are open for night skiing. There are six lifts here and three terrain parks and one glade for your enjoyment as you make your way down to the Black Run Sugar Shack. Western Territory has a 1500-foot vertical and all of it is in steeps. It is 1.5 miles from summit to base with two expert runs, Shay’s Revenge and Cupp Runn. The entire park has full coverage for snow making, so no matter what, when the park is open, the trails will be able to deliver.

Winterplace

This ski resort is located near I-77 between Bluefield and Beckley. Winterplace features over 90 acres of skiing with 27 named trails and a vertical of just over 600 feet. The longest run at this resort stretches out at just over 1 1/4 mile as it meanders from the summit along the ridge before taking a turn into the base. One of the interesting aspects of this resort is the condominiums that are placed mid-mountain. These luxury accommodations have ski-in/out placement, with access to a gentle beginners run and a dedicated chair lift. Winterplace also has short glades, a pair of tree-lined chutes and two terrain parks. The resort also has nighttime skiing on every part of the mountain except for the expert run, Turkey Shoot.