Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Canaan Valley Resort that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Canaan Valley Resort stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Canaan Valley Resort review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Canaan Valley Resort
Total (3.2)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
I drove all the way up from Marco island FL, 1200 miles each way. Overall, I was pleased. Very nice of them to offer free skiing to people over 70. Highly appreciate it. No lift line was a fantastic experience. Snow conditions were far better than expected. Little or no ice, well groomed. Overall, I enjoyed it very much. Much better than continuing up to Vermont. I will be back next year. Too bad my Hertz rental car broke down and I was stranded in Elkins, for a full day of my planned three ski days.
Jay Wetsel
This is great place for intermediate, older skiers, and families. I am 72 and have skied there years and 14 times so far 20-21. Terrain highly variable, so can ski piste or off piste. Crowds disperse on the mountain. I generally ski during the week, and there is very rarely a lift line. Scenery is fabulous as there are red spruce at the top and several runs are lined with spruce. The views to west are splendid with nice views of Bald Knob. Good crowd dispersal during Covid. Be sure to visit Thomas and Davis, nearby old timber and coal towns with nice places to eat. Take a break and eat lunch at Whitegrass, Nordic ski center 2 miles away with the old Weiss Knob ski lodge. Great food and great vibe!
Jeff Fox
I watched a little girl fall off a lift directly at the offloading ramp, and 3 chairs went over her head as she tried to avoid impact. Operator was paying no bit attention and even had a substantial group of people yelling for it to stop.
Theres a snowblower at the bottom of 'Dark Side of the Moon' which is one of the resorts double black diamond trails. Not always so easy to get yourself stopped, and watched a person lose control and smack their head off the blower.
Do better Canaan....
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What a shame for the slopes to be in the condition they are. We can't help the weather but the gravel on the slopes from careless workers driving across the parking lot in the snow cats and then not cleaning the tracks depositing gravel on the snow is a shame. My high dollar skis now again need tuned. I bought a season pass and it was a waste of money. Shame on the workers and management for the condition of the snow. Next year you will have competition and I promise anything better is where I'll spend my money. If I have to drive to snowshoe I will do it and as a local I want to spend local but refuse to support a company that doesn't care.
Great Resort..awesome skiing gets more snow then Snowshoe and half as cheap.Beautiful place and alot to do there..been going for 10years and will keep going!!!
Taylor Thomas
This is my new favorite ski resort on the east coast. Lots of intermediate runs a few beginners runs, one of which starts at the top of the mountain and is nice and long, and some varied terrain and natural snow after a good snowstorm. Lift drips watery oil when it was snowing on my clothing. I was wearing cheap stuff but someone who spent a lot on their clothing might not be happy. All in All better than snowshoe. Way less crowds, way less ugly and resort like than snoweshoe..
Tom Wagner
Canaan Valley is located at high elevation in the Allegheny Mtns of West Virginia, this allows for long winter, and great snow conditions from December until late March. The drive from Northern VA/DC/MD takes 3.5 hours (or less in good weather). The roads are well maintained during winter, and the new 4-lane WV 44 Corridor H highway provides smooth driving all the way to Davis, WV. Canaan provides varying degree difficulty slopes, from steep groomers, to powdery glades. The mountain has (3) chairs lifts, and a Magic carpet for beginners
Anton
I went there with a group of friends for weekend skiing. Some of us had experience and came with their own gear, others rented the gear on site. The guys who rented gear payed $90 for 4 hours of skiing.
One of the rental snowboards was terrible. It wasn't waxed and had huge scratches on the bottom, it was unusable, It didn't slide down the mountain at all.
My friend went to the rental office, explained the problem and asked if they can wax or replace the snowboard. The guy at the counter told my friend that he has to pay extra if he wants the snowboard to be treated. Really?!
So my friend ended up paying $90 for an unusable snowboard and worthless pass.
In addition I noticed another huge costumer service failure. In my usual ski locations, Liberty mountain, and Whitetail resorts, in the places the lifts approach the skiers quickly, the crew slows down the lift, right before the skiers need to get on it. In this resort no-one cared. Each time I got onto the seat, it hit my legs pretty hard.
In one instance a group of four elderly people were about to get onto the seat, the strong hit caused one to loose balance, swing the seat and drop all the other people that already got onto the seat. All of them fell off the seat and when it swung back it hit their heads. No serious injuries, but it could have been prevented if the crew had done their job.
The mountain itself is nice, but the treatment to people is terrible. Will never get back there!
Mathieu Greenwood
Located in the micro-climate sweet spot of Canaan Valley in WV where the resort receives and average snowfall of 180in per year, an Alpine climate at the summit, an 850 ft Vertical Drop, two new gladed areas for 2015/2016, a sweet new terrain park, and fantastic resort accomodations!
PROS: A good mountain with a nice variety of trails ranging from beginner to expert. It is a good mountain for families and to learn how to ski. The views from the summit are quite picturesque. The Vertical Drop is 850ft and the lifts will get you back up on the mountain quickly for another run. Their snowmaking is pretty good and they can get their snow guns blasting to open up terrain quickly. Canaan Valley Resort is slated to open up two new gladed areas for the 2015/2016 season. Their terrain park built for the 2014/2015 terrain park is pretty solid with a good amount of features. The new resort accommodations are top notch and feature a restaurant, cafe, indoor swimming pool and hot tubs, an arcade, and a pub for nightlife.
CONS: The expert trails are not really that challenging but they do make you feel good after you ace them! The layout of the resort is a bit funky and challenging to navigate the first few times when skiing from the summit.
THE RUN DOWN: It's a 3 hour drive to Canaan Valley from Washington, DC and it's well worth to experience some real ski country without having to go to Vermont or deal with the expensive money pit which is Snowshoe Resort. It's definitely worth going to Canaan Valley to experience what it has to offer! When in the Canaan Valley area I like to also visit Timberline Resort ($20 Lift tickets with a Student ID, 150-200in of annual snow, has great tree skiing!). Timberline is a 13 minute drive from Canaan Valley Resort and when combined, they offer over 80 trails which is more than Snowshoe (and still cost less on lift tickets haha) and is on par with Vermont/New Hampshire resorts.
My Timberline Resort Review: http://www.epicski.com/products/timberline-four-seasons-resort/reviews/3558
RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTLIFE: The nearby towns of Davis & Thomas offer some great options such as Hellbenders Burritos, Sirianni’s Café for excellent pizza, Blackwater Brewing Co. for a some great microbrews and pub fare, and The Flying Pigs for a delicious breakfast to start your next ski day! The Purple Fiddle is an excellent pub for nightlife, great local micro brews (some for just $3!), and live music. It's wild & wonderful out here in WV and you have to experience it for yourself!
Bill Rymer
I've skied there 40 years since they opened. This was nearly as good as I have ever seen it. Every trail was well groomed. Zero lift lines. Cold day kept crowds away but excellent snow. Gravity (their steepest slope) was in great shape with no ice and easy carving for a steep one. None of these areas have the gumption to sell lift tickets inside. I vote for having the sales agents sit outside in the cold,snow and wind and sell tickets through windows to customers indoors in the heat.
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