Canaan Valley Resort State Park - Skiing & Snowboarding

Review

Intro

Nestled in Allegheny Mountains of Tucker County, West Virginia, Canaan Valley Resort State Park sits at 3,200 feet in the highest elevated valley east of the Mississippi River. Canaan Valley is home to extensive wetlands and plant life not often found in the eastern United States.

Canaan Valley winters are typically very cold with high wind chills—extreme lows can fall into the negatives. Because of these temps and an average snowfall of more than 180 inches during the winter, natural snow consistently covers the majority of the trails in the ski park.

What Makes It Great

Canaan Valley is great because of its variety of winter activities. The trails at the state park have an equal balance of difficulty levels for skiers and snowboarders—roughly 30% beginner, 40% intermediate, and 30% adventure or expert rated. A summit elevation of 4,280 feet with vertical drops of more than 850 feet gives skiers and snowboarders the chance to practice and hone their skills before taking on the mountain’s many slopes, including the Gravity, Dark Side of the Moon, Timber, and Weiss trails.

The park has 1 quad lift, 2 triples, and 2 magic carpets. The resort boasts an uphill lift capacity of about 6,000 people per hour. Nightly grooming and snowmaking for more than 75% of the trails give skiers and snowboarders the freshest downhill experience in the valley.

The Terrain Park gives freestylers an opportunity to test their skills on a variety of boxes, rails, sculpted jumps, and a 12-foot wall. Races every Saturday and Sunday encourage visitors to test their abilities and push their limits against the best of the best.

The best part is that it doesn’t matter if you are an expert at maneuvering your way down the snowy slopes, just starting to strap your feet to the skis, or aren’t even a downhiller at all, you can still find fun. Be sure to check out the Tubing Park: 8 lanes of downhill on a tube. It’s hard to say no to that.

Who is Going to Love It

People of all ages will fall in love with Canaan Valley Resort’s diverse winter recreation and scenic views. Because of the variety of trails, the ski park’s slopes are perfect for families, making everyone’s experience thrilling and satisfying.

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

Canaan Valley Resort State Park is located at 230 Main Lodge Rd., Davis, West Virginia, 26260. Get directions at canaanresort.com.

There is no entrance fee. Parking is available at the Ski Area and throughout the park at the Main Lodge, Nature Center, Golf Clubhouse, and Recreation Building Parking Lot. Park hours are 6am to 10pm daily.

Helmets are required in the Terrain Park. Canaan Valley Resort State Park follows all West Virginia state park regulations, including a “Leave No Trace” mentality.