Canaan Valley Resort State Park Overview & History

Park Overview

Located on a high plateau in the Allegheny Mountains, Canaan Valley Resort State Park is a beautiful four-season destination. This mountain retreat is home to unparalleled natural beauty and recreational activities. Canaan Valley is a major golf and ski resort and one of West Virginia’s largest state parks. It has a full-service lodge, cabins and campgrounds, has been named one of America’s Best Parks by Arthur Frommer’s magazine and has been listed among the 50 Great Places to Stay by Washingtonian Magazine.

Park History

Canaan Valley State Park was established in 1963 on 6,014 acres of land, part of which had been willed to the state by resident S. Maude Kaemmerling for recreational use. In 1971, the park opened its ski slopes on the 4,420 foot Weiss Knob. It was the state’s first ski resort and sparked a new industry in West Virginia. The park’s lodge has been managed by a private operator since the mid-1970s, but the state park system still provides certain services.