W INTER doesn’t lastforever, but even whenit’s time to put awaythe skis, sleds and

tubes, the fun continues at Black-water Falls and Canaan ValleyResort state parks near Davis inTucker County.

Cool weather and snow-making equipmentkeep the slopes open as long as possible in thenew year, but eventually, spring returns andother forms of outdoor recreation take theplace of snow activities. Blackwater Falls andCanaan Valley Resort state parks are closetogether, so it’s easy to enjoy the offerings ofboth parks during the same visit.

Blackwater Falls State ParkAfter the snow melts, Blackwater Falls State

Park’s sledding and cross-country ski areastake a break to make way for a wide varietyof other outdoors activities. The most popular,of course, are hiking trails that lead you to thefamous Blackwater Falls on the scenic Black-water River, with side trips to the Elakala Fallson the waters of Shay Run near the edge ofthe Blackwater Canyon and the PendletonFalls of Pendleton Run. Other trails take youto Lindy Point – 45 acres of pristine mountainviews into Blackwater Canyon – and Pend-leton Point, which lets you see the canyon’sdeepest and widest point.

Special events and activities are scheduledall year, daily and on weekends. The NatureCenter is open from Memorial Day throughLabor Day and features displays, programsand information on the park’s natural re-sources.

A major spring event scheduled, for April7-9, 2017, is the Becoming an Outdoors-Wom-an (BOW) spring workshop. This programoffers hands-on activities for adult womenages 18 and older of all fitness levels andoutdoors experience. This is an opportunityfor women to learn new skills or hone existingtalents. Early registration is required and theopenings fill up quickly.

If you have cabin fever and just want toget away for a while on a budget, Blackwa-ter Falls State Park offers a several lodgingoptions. The park boasts a 54-room lodge, 39vacation cabins and a 65-unit tent and trailercampground, which is open from MemorialDay through Labor Day.

From March 1 through May 18, 2017, takeadvantage of the “Spring Cozy Cabin Break”early season special. It features discountedrates of 20 percent off standard cabin rateswith a fireplace, housekeeping and linensprovided. All you need is your own food andclothing. The special is for Sunday throughThursday, with two nights minimum required.

Blackwater Lodge, cabins and restaurant

are open year-round and welcome visitors toenjoy spring greening, cool summer evenings,autumn foliage and winter sled riding. To planyour next vacation, visit www.blackwaterfalls.com or call 304-259-5216.

Canaan Valley Resort State ParkBecause Canaan Valley Resort is a four-sea-

son resort, there is always something to do,especially in the spring. It offers world-classgolf, rugged mountain trails for hiking andbiking, and many special activities to let youenjoy an escape from daily life.

Early season golf rates go into effect April2 for the 18-hole, par 72 golf course that wasdesigned by Geoffrey Cornish. It has beenrated four stars by Golf Digest and named oneof the top 10 courses in West Virginia.

Hikers and bikers can choose from among18 miles of marked trails that lead throughwoodlands, meadows, hills and streams. Manylink with hundreds of miles of marked trailsin the Monongahela National Forest. Springis a good time and this is a good place for birdwatching, wildlife sightings, plant discoveriesand star gazing. Bike and helmet rentals areavailable.

Canaan’s newest outdoor sport activity istrap shooting, one of the three major forms ofcompetitive clay pigeon shooting. Each shootergets 25 shotgun shots – fiveshots per stand – with all shoot-ing done under the authorityof a range supervisor. Reserva-tions are highly suggested forthis popular activity.

Many other recreational op-tions are available at this timeof year. Geocaching is popularfor “treasure hunters” who useGPS units to find hidden cach-es. Canaan Valley has five geo-caches hidden in the park, andthe park offers GPS rentals foranyone who wants to try it. Thepark’s Nature Center includes a25-foot climbing wall that holdsup to three climbers at a time,and family and friends can signup for the paintball field for anafternoon of active excitement.

Overnight guests can stay inone of 160 beautifully appoint-ed new lodge rooms and suiteswith full amenities or one ofseveral cozy and comfortablecabins and cottages, and enjoymeals at one of three resortdining areas. Discounts arefrequently available. Be sure toask when making reservations.

Most of these activities re-quire reservations. Call 1-800-622-4121 for information andscheduling.

END-OF-WINTERCanaan Valley Resort and Blackwater Falls stateparks a hub of recreation even after the snow melts FUN

From a snow-covered slopeat Canaan Valley to a hiking trailat Blackwater Falls, recreational

opportunities abound at stateparks in Tucker County.

Electric vehicle (EV) driv-ers can now rest assured thatthey West Virginia’s statelodge parks and return homewithout fear of running out ofcharge. EV charging stationshave been installed at Pipes-tem, Twin Falls and Cacaponresort state parks, with plansunderway to install stationsat Blackwater Falls, HawksNest, North Bend and TygartLake state parks, at Chief Lo-gan Lodge, and at StonewallResort.

Installation of stations isfunded by a grant providedby the U.S. Department ofEnergy through the West Vir-ginia Division of Energy.

“We’re opening the door fora whole new demographic,”says Paul Redford, districtadministrator for the Parksand Recreation Section ofthe West Virginia Divisionof Natural Resources. “WestVirginia will be the first statethat has EV chargers at all ofits lodge parks. With all theInterstate systems runningthrough the state, we aresitting in an area that’s per-fect for electric car chargingstations.”

Redford says State Parksofficials anticipate the in-stallation of the EV chargerswill make the parks moreattractive to visitors fromPennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia,Washington, D.C., and evenas far away as Canada. “Oncethey visit us, we hope ourhospitality and facilities willbring them back again,” saysRedford.

The stations, which willhave dual chargers, are clas-sified as Level 2 stations thathave 240 volts and can pro-duce 30 to 80 amps. Althoughit is hoped the stations willhelp draw overnight gueststo the state park lodges, theyalso are available to any dayvisitors who drive electric orplug-in hybrid vehicles. Thereis no charge, so to speak, touse them.

Besides making the stateparks more attractive to EVdrivers, the installation of thestations fits in with part of themission of West Virginia stateparks, which is to promote

conservation by preservingand protecting natural areaswhile providing outdoor rec-reational opportunities.

“We are trying to be asenvironmentally friendly as

possible by doing our part toreduce admissions,” Redfordsays. “We’re really preparingfor the future as technologyimproves and more and moretravelers are buying electricand hybrid vehicles. This is a

good way to encourage themto visit West Virginia as theyplan their vacations and busi-ness trips.”

Learn more about West Vir-ginia’s state parks at wvstate-parks.wordpress.com.

STATE PARKS

West Virginia State Parks irst to install electric vehicle charging stations

EV charging stations have been installed at Pipestem, TwinFalls and Cacapon resort state parks, with plans underwayto install stations at Blackwater Falls, Hawks Nest, NorthBend and Tygart Lake state parks, at Chief Logan Lodge andat Stonewall Resort.

Service promotesconservationgoals

Photos courtesy of West Virginia Dept. of Commerce

2K OUTLOOK: Travel & TourismSunday Gazette-Mail, February 19, 2017

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