Where: Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia
When: winter
If you like: the outdoors and sports
Why you should go: Flying downhill is a fun way to enjoy snow, but it’s not the only way, especially in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Come December, when the peaks and slopes start whitening up for winter, cross-country skiers cut a leisurely course through this Southern snowbelt. “To be able to glide through the forest and fields in your favorite places is so special,” says Chip Chase, who for over four decades has operated White Grass Ski Touring Center in the Canaan Valley of Tucker County. With a base elevation of 3,200 feet, the center maintains thirty-one miles of trails and a handful of warming shelters stocked with woodstoves and snacks.
Nearby, Blackwater Falls State Park offers ski rentals and groomed trails, as does Canaan Valley Resort State Park. For a more advanced, backcountry experience, Nordic skiers can take to the ungroomed trails of Monongahela National Forest, where some of the most difficult—and beautiful—terrain awaits in the Dolly Sods Wilderness and Cranberry Wilderness.
G&G tip: When you’re not skiing—or if you’re waiting on a snowfall—stop by the Snow Sports Museum of West Virginia in the mountain town of Davis, or shop around the colorful, artsy town of Thomas just up the road.
