This Appalachian village couldn’t be more grateful for heaps and heaps of snow.
Just 50 years ago , the Ithiel Town of Davis seemed potential to become a ghost town . The history of the West Virginia hamlet read similar to other coal towns in the US : once - rich natural resources were depleted until the land ran teetotal and no work was to be retrieve . But the realm ’s natural assets economize Davis once again . Thanks to its gamy EL and copiousness of nose candy , Davis went from a ember Ithiel Town to a ghost townsfolk to a roaring ski townspeople .
light at 3,100 feet , it ’s probably no surprisal that this in high spirits townsfolk in West Virginia is peculiarly appealing to skier . Nestled along the Blackwater River , the town sits on the sharpness of the massiveMonongahela National Forest , located in the biggest in high spirits - elevation vale east of the Mississippi River . Thanks to the region ’s topography — nearby deal , the Allegheny Plateau , and the eastern Continental Divide — the region is inundated withheaps of C. P. Snow . In Davis , snow average about 150 inches a yr , but loftier spot along the valley ’s lip can get dump with more than 14 feet of snowfall . The compounding of novel pulverisation , westerly - face incline , and abundant wild have plow Davis into one of the East Coast ’s chancellor ski town .
Today you ’ll find legion ski stamping ground , cabin - like restaurants , and homey hotel . Nearby neighbors in DC , Pennsylvania , Ohio , and Kentucky may already know the mystery of the best skiing in Appalachia within sensible driving distance . For the respite of us , here ’s a terminated guide to skiing in Davis , as well as what to do after .
Canaan Valley Resort
From deserted to thriving
ember , timber , pelt , and the railroad are what helped institute Davis and make it comfortable . The hamlet was formally incorporated in 1889 , and by the other 1900s , the Davis Coal and Coke Company was among the biggest coal company on the planet . The town was brimming with tanneries and baseball bat yards . Streetlights and homes were electrify by a creekside magnate plant , and a hodgepodge of hotels and pub catered to visiting laborers and industrialist .
But the townsfolk ’s peak was dead - hold out . In less than four decades , the part ’s trees had been felled , the coal had been extracted , and the furry creatures had been decimate . The railroad stopped ferry passenger in 1942 , and a few years later , the town ’s timber yards and tanneries were abandoned too .
But there was still Leslie Townes Hope for Davis . The generous snowfall did n’t go unnoticed — and in the other fifties , skiers bulge out showing up . The first to arrive were the members of theSki Club of Washington DC . After a smattering of reconnaissance mission trips , the organization open a member - only ski area , first telephone Driftland , and later expand to become the Cabin Mountain Ski Area . By 1955 , the Weiss Knob Ski Area also open next door . The first commercial-grade ski country situate south of the Mason - Dixon Line , the Weiss Knob Ski Area launched with three circle towage and a lone T - bar lift . About 15 years later , the Canaan Valley Resort State Park opened its slope .
Bright Morning Inn
Today , there are three ski resorts just minutes from Davis , along with outright lead alternative for off - piste skiers in the jumble of public lands palisade township .
Ski the longest downhill run in the region
For the downhill aficionado , there are two options outside town . Now the oldest resort in Canaan Valley , theCanaan Valley ResortSki Area tops out at 4,820 invertebrate foot , offering 47 runs etched into the flanks of Weiss Knob , with about 850 foot of vertical . Slightly further due north , Timberline Mountainhas two terrain parks and 40 trails — include an epic two - mile - long run call off Salamander , the longest in the Mid - Atlantic . After sundown , the holiday resort offer Nox skiing in both terrain parking area and on a half dozen illuminated gradient from Thursday to Sunday nights .
It ’s easy to get off - piste on the trail around Davis too . For dispatcher , theWhite Grass Ski Touring Centeroffers about 30 mi of marked trails and strategically - situated thaw shanty , nestled between Bald Knob and Cabin Mountain . Accessible from both Timberline Mountain and the Canaan Valley Resort Ski Area , the trail internet at White Grass also connects to 45 mi of backcountry trails in the adjacentDolly Sods Wilderness , a high - pinnacle slice of the Monongahela National Forest . The White Grass Ski Touring Center tear both backcountry ski and skating skis , along with standard grouchy - country skis and snowshoes , and offers monthly Full Moon Ski Tours and Snowshoe Discovery Tours pass by local natural scientist .
For tyro , when the golf game course atCanaan Valley Resort State Parkis cover under a blanket of C. P. Snow , the resort hire fussy - country skis and opens the hole up grade to all . Seasoned cross - cross skiers can also kick - and - glide to the 25 mile trail system traversing the adjacentCanaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge .
Timberline Mountain
Après ski with homey eats
After a solar day in the snow , there are good deal of place to thawing out in Davis . rapier into crowd - pleasing pizzas atSirianni ’s Cafe , a anchor in Davis for more than 30 years . Or grab a table atHellbender Burritos , where the solid burrito are infused with Appalachian - inspired nip and fillings like pulled pork barrel and buffalo chicken . Get hearty food all day atMilo ’s Café & Restaurant , from land breakfast to hearty hamburger . WhereasIsh Kitchenoffers cuisine from around the world , range from curry to papas bravas .
Favor a transferable feast instead ? catch epicurean , topically - sourced snacks , sandwiches , and disposed meals like made - from - scraping alimentary paste from theHighland Market .
After dinner party , reload with libations atStumptown Ales . The brewery pullulate everything from sessionable blondes to satisfying stouts .
Bright Morning Inn
Spend the night
For a full - feather ski getaway , Davis offer a figure of cozy options . Built in 1896 , theBright Morning Innwas once a bustling bunkhouse for loggers . reanimate in 2021 , the hostelry offers rooms along the main drag in Davis , and the farm - to - table eatery Milo ’s Café & Restaurant is housed on the first floor .
Also in Davis , The Billy Moteltouts itself as ‘ Hillbilly fab ’ ( think the Rosebud Motel fromSchitt ’s Creek ) . The stylishly retro motor Sir Oliver Lodge offer room with roomy parlors for storing skis and boots . There ’s even anonsite lachrymation holewithinternationally - prompt platesand cunning cocktails — and for motel guests , the first crapulence is on the house .
Outside township , theCanaan Valley Resortoffers a 160 - room lodge , along with hound - favorable bungalow and cabins .
Bright Morning Inn
