Why Snowshoe Mountain is the Perfect Getaway
I recently visited Snowshoe Mountain in partnership with West Virginia Tourism and wanted to share my thoughts about this truly amazing place but before I do, I feel that it is important to help people understand more about the state of West Virginia in order to fully appreciate the wonderful places, like Snowshoe Mountain, that it has to offer. West Virginia is home to Americas newest National Park, the New River Gorge National Park and Reserve, 35 State Parks, 9 state forests and 1.5 million acres of National Forest and public land. This vast swath of land is purposed for adventure, and is riddled with trails cut for all types of activities, all of which will connect their travelers to beautiful scenery and stunning landscapes. Most of the cities within West Virginia have fewer than 50k people; creating a small town cozy feel that is seemingly endless in supply. This quiet and rustic state is also home to the highest technical summit east of Wyoming, and has a massive density of waterways and lakes that enable the outdoor enthusiast limitless options to disconnect and enjoy. Needless to say, with the vastly diverse landscapes, and wonderful outdoor attractions, it is no wonder an incredible resort like Snowshoe Mountain exists.
The Mountainous Resort That Defines West Virginia
On the Eastern side of West Virginia, tucked deep in the Allegheny Mountains, sits a ski town and resort called Snowshoe Mountain. At 4,848ft above sea level, Snowshoe Resort has; 257 acres of skiable terrain, 1,500 vertical feet, 60 different trails, and an average of 150ft of snowfall per year. Such numbers are impressive, however not totally eye-popping among avid skiers. It’s what Snowshoe does with this mountain that makes it unlike almost every other ski town I have been to in America…
We were blessed to have 4 days of fun in Snowshoe WV. From the moment we stepped foot onto the resort, the staff was not only supremely helpful, but went out of their way to make our stay wonderful. We got in late, on a Saturday night, and checked into a beautiful room containing a spiral staircase, heated bathroom floors, an espresso maker, heated towel rack, and a gas fireplace, to complete the coziness of this beautiful place.
Our previous travels to other ski resorts have not experienced the friendly welcoming party we found at Snowshoe. Our first evening we dined at one of Snowshoe’s nicest restaurants, the Appalachian Kitchen where the chef was explaining the meals to each table. Everything was made from scratch, farm-to-table, and locally sourced. It was incredible food that we are still talking about weeks later. The next morning after breakfast at the Corduroy Inn, we headed to the main Village and grabbed some early morning Starbucks and did some Christmas shopping!
From here we grabbed a little lunch from Cheat Mountain Pizza. I would like to mention at this point that we were plenty full, making any additional food hard to feel peckish about, however, yet again we found ourselves enjoying a pizza that would have many Sicilian families questioning if they had relatives in West Virginia. It was delicious. We let our lunch settle by checking out some of the outdoor attractions near the dining areas.
RZR tours and snowmobiling tours had been advertised by the resort, and we soon crossed paths with a fleet of tricked-out, off-roading RZRs that looked like they had just completed the opening ceremony to the X-Games. The couples getting out of them looked at us with a wildness in their eyes that signaled, “maybe gravity is optional….?”
Although they looked awesome we ended up going with a one horse sleigh ride (We are going back in the summertime for Mountain Biking and RZR Tours, mark my words). We thoroughly enjoyed our ride, with a local expert to explain all the beautiful flora and fauna through thick forested pine trees. Our guide, Heater, filled the tour with awesome stories of the history and activity of Snowshoe, while his world class, and professionally trained horse, adhered to every voice command and could jog to the tune of jingle bells! It was magical. To finish up our day we grabbed dinner at Firefox Grille and then went back to Cheat Mountain Pizza for the cannolis I had been eyeing since lunch, and to see if they were actually hiding Sicilians in the back…
Monday morning came with a winter dusting, and naturally, that could only mean one thing; the slopes were calling. Twenty feet from our front door was the first run of the day, and since we were already at the top, it was time to take this run to send town. At the bottom of the run was a cabin themed Restaurant overlooking a beautiful lake, and after a few more runs we stopped to warm up and enjoy the view. What more could you want?
After skiing we grabbed some food at The Ale Junction House which has amazing soups, perfect for warming you right up after a day of cold air and skiing.
When we felt ready enough we hit a gorgeous hike out to a Fire Tower that was located 5 miles from the welcome center of Snowshoe. They say when the sky is clear, the Fire Tower can see 360 degrees and over fifty miles. We had some moody lighting with some snow dusting on the trees, which added to the beauty and uniqueness of the hike. We got back in pretty late Monday evening, and headed back to Corduroy Inn to order pizza from “Slice”pizza. By this point in the trip, I was considering asking the management to give up the charade and just tell me that this whole operation was run by Sicilian pizza makers, but they wouldn’t budge. We thoroughly enjoyed yet another amazing slice, and finished the night with their delicious Salted Caramel Gelato for a nice reward after a long day of fun.
We looked back on the time spent in this ski town and knew this was the first of many trips to this amazing place
Family activities to do at Snowshoe
One of the best parts about this wonderful town is the truly vast amount of activities that are available for anyone to enjoy. You might be worried about inviting friends or family that do not know how to ski or snowboard at a busy resort, but rest assured anyone can show up here, get on the mountain, and have fun. If skiing or snowboarding is not your cup of tea, I am here to tell you that there are so many other wonderful activities in Snowshoe, you will undoubtedly find something to enjoy! Check out the list below!
Winter Time
Snowshoe offers snowmobile tours for all levels and experiences. They have back country day options and night time tours available.
A magical time for all. This sleigh ride is one of the most iconic slay rides to be apart of, the guide takes you down a snowy pine tree forest where you feel like you are the star of a Christmas movie. The beautiful ride is lined with bells so the whole time you are listening to a wonderful chiming of bells.
Not interested in being in the snow very much? head over to these heated indoor/outdoor pools that also have a sauna and hot tub available! This is even perfect for warming up after a day on the ski hill.
Some days you just want to stay warm and do some shopping, I totally get that. Snowshoe offers a variety of wonderful retail shops in a European style Mountain top Village. Here you’ll find awesome outdoor shops, gift shops, yummy food and much more.
One of the most unique experiences on this mountain is their high adventure RZR 4 person heated rides out on beautiful terrain that lead to their “Sunrise Hut” for a backcountry 3 course meal.
Coca-Cola Tube park
With LED lights for laser tubing at night this time is one of the most enjoyable times around. You get all the snow tubing fun without any work to climb up the slope.
Summer Time
Trail Running and Mountain Biking
RZR Tours
Swimming/Kayaking
Fishing
Climbing
Where to Eat
One the best parts about staying in the Corduroy Inn was that there were 3 restaurants connected to our building. So naturally we tried all of them. If you’re interested in seeing photos of everything we had head over to my Instagram or Snowshoe MTN to see more details of each place! Below is everywhere we went and tried!
We had the wonderful opportunity to stay at the Corduroy Inn, which is managed and operated by one of the most helpful staffs around. They were always willing to assist, give awesome advice, and go out of their way to ensure that our stay was immaculate. The Corduroy Inn is one of the many lodging options the mountain had to offer, and I would pass along my highest recommendation for this location. I am sure that each of the other lodging locations are just as accommodating.
Other highly recommended lodging locations to consider are below:
I have lived in Colorado for a considerable amount of time, constantly pursuing alpine towns and the unique memories they inevitably create. Before living in Colorado, I was living in California at Lake Tahoe, doing the same types of activities, and enjoying all that mountainous getaways have to offer. What drew me to Snowshoe, and made it a one-of-a-kind trip, was the sincerity of the people who work there, and their ingenuity to design a mountain that has seemingly unlimited activities to explore. I could write more, but at this point you better just go check it out for yourself… :)
Ready for your own mountain getaway to West Virginia? Visit wvtourism.com to learn more and start planning!
