My wife and I will be in CV the weekend of October 6 for some hiking. Does anyone have any favorites they would like to recommend?
By the way, we are staying here:
https://www.thebillymotel.com/
Looks like fun!
Head up to the sods and Bear Rocks Trail.
The trail from the CV tube sled park that you can take up to the pipeline and then over to CV ski hill or Whitegrass is a easy warmup jaunt that only takes a few hours. I forget the name.
Buy a Canaan Adventure map at the State Park for a full list of trails.
My favorites include the Breathed Mountain””Blackbird Knob loop on the Dolly Sodds; State Park to State Park on the Allegheny Trail; and anything in the Wildlife Refuge but Brown Mountain is particularly good.
Would be curious what you end up doing. Please report back. Oh, and be prepared for some grade A WV mud.
PS The hike up Senneca Rocks is interesting and will not be too muddy.
Whatever you do, go to Stumptown Ales afterwards!
jonjon1 wrote:
Whatever you do, go to Stumptown Ales afterwards!
Well played sir. now just tell us when it will snow!
Thanks for all the recommendations. I am partial to the Almost Heaven Amber Ale from Mountain State but I have been wanting to try Stumptown. And Dolly Sods for the hiking.
Good weekend in CV. Per recommedation here picked up a map at CV lodge that showed the various trails in the state parks, the wildlife refuge, Dolly Sods, etc. Really provided a great overview of the various hiking options. Saturday afternoon we headed to the Sods intending to do the Breathed Mountain/Blackbid loop; however, given our late start (2 PM) and the tough trail conditions ("grade A" mud and several inches of standing water along several stretches of the trail) we ended up turning it into an out and back along the Breathed Mountain trail. Very cool hiking in the wilderness through several different environments, we will have to go back when we have a full day. Sunday we spent a few hours in Blackwater Fall state park paddling on the little lake in our kayak and taking a short hike to Pase Point overlook.
Davis and Thomas were a lot of fun. This is only the second time we have been there when it was not winter, and both towns were really happening. Many people there both saturday evening and Sunday during the day, 30 minute waits for seating at Siriannis and hellbenders, etc. We ended up at the Steakhouse for dinner on Saturday and Hellbender's for lunch on Sunday. I can certainly see what other's have said - winter is no longer peak tourist season in CV.
wgo wrote:
Good weekend in CV. . . .
Davis and Thomas were a lot of fun. This is only the second time we have been there when it was not winter, and both towns were really happening. Many people there both saturday evening and Sunday during the day, 30 minute waits for seating at Siriannis and hellbenders, etc. We ended up at the Steakhouse for dinner on Saturday and Hellbender's for lunch on Sunday. I can certainly see what other's have said - winter is no longer peak tourist season in CV.
Was winter ever the prime tourist season in that part of WV?
Even though the ski hill was part of the original resort plan, the golf course and summer activities were what were important to establish Massanutten as a resort for folks from DC back in the 1970s and 1980s. Meaning people who interested in staying for a long weekend or full week. The timeshare units are all booked during the summer. Need to book a year in advance. I can get a non-holiday winter week pretty much any time. A holiday week takes little advanced planning, but can wait until the fall.
marzNC wrote:
Was winter ever the prime tourist season in that part of WV?
I suppose not. Others can answer with more authority than I can. Maybe it's just that I was not aware how popular the area is this time of year. It was good to see. One of the guys working at the motel we were at told us that the new highway has really led to an increase of visitors from DC/Northern Virginia. It's good to hear that working out as envisioned.
