All Trips > West Virginia > West Virginia Winter Weekend West Virginia Winter Weekend Book Your WV Winter Weekend AT A GLANCE West Virginia 14 Explorer Chicks Hotel Cross Country Skiing, Hiking, Multisport, Snow Shoeing, Snowy Adventures, US-Based, Weekend 4 Days 2 - Moderately Active Physical demand level for this trip The Sisterhood of the Traveling Parka Photos Itinerary Logistics Activity Level What's Included Book Your WV Winter Weekend Share The Sisterhood of the Traveling Parka Shout YASSS at frozen waterfalls on our small group women’s winter weekend trip! Can we get an OUT OF OFFICE for this?! Canaan Valley in West Virginia is the perfect spectacular, snowy paradise for winter activities. Cross-country ski, snowshoe, and explore the live music and local microbreweries of the surrounding towns with other bold, adventurous women. Become part of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Parka as you enjoy the best winter sports in the East. We’ll explore West Virginia’s mountainous Canaan Valley via snowshoe. Cross-country ski through the snowy paradise. Hike past frozen waterfalls, ice curtains, and rivers in Blackwater Falls State Park. Then, slow it down with relaxing evenings in the colorful towns of Thomas and Davis, WV as we enjoy local eateries, live music, and microbreweries. #adventurethencocktails Each night is spent in a cozy State Park lodge with views of Blackwater Gorge. Every day of our long weekend together will be filled with outdoor activities! Embrace the winter weather and have the best snow days ever on this Winter Weekend Adventure in Canaan Valley, West Virginia! Photos Itinerary Expand All Days Day 1 - Blackwater Falls Welcome It’s the best day ever because YOU’RE HERE! Away from your needy boss and elderly dog with two teeth! Arrive at your cozy wintery lodge for check-in by 4pm. Blackwater Falls State Park lodge nestles on the edge of Blackwater Canyon’s South Rim with views of a GORG gorge right outside the front door. Heck yeah! Once you’ve kicked off your airplane shoes and slid into your Crocs, you’ll meet your Explorer Chick Guide in the lobby for introductions and a tasty Welcome Dinner in the lodge. After we chow down, we’ll prune up in the hot tub before we switch off for bed. Meals: D Day 2 - Cross Country Skiing 101 Keep those Nature’s Valley crumbs SEALED. You’ll enjoy a hearty, sit-down breakfast at our lodge before we load up our daypacks. Today we take on West Virginia’s disco-bright snow trails! Even if you’ve spent your entire life in Phoenix, you’ll be cross-country skiing like a champ after our demo. Just show up with a can-do attitude and some padded buns in case of falls. We’ll start on a beginner bunny trail for a vibe check before breaking for lunch at the on-site cafe, featuring local and organic goodness. After we get our carb fix, we’ll tackle a more challenging trail. Depending on how the group’s feeling (no woman left behind!) we have our choice of over 48 trails on one of the best cross-country ski networks in the Eastern US. Along the way, we’ll take in views of the surrounding West Virginia high country while stopping at cozy ski shelters to warm those fingies and toes by the fire. After a full day of skiing, we’ll head back to our cozy lodge to get cleaned up for dinner and an evening of live music in town. Davis is a postcard mountain town that will give you instant Virgin River vibes. Situated at 3,250,’ Davis is the highest incorporated town in West Virginia. Explore tasty restaurants, darling artisan shops, and thriving microbreweries in a town of only 580ish people. Cross Country Skiing: 3-5 miles. Minimal elevation change Meals: B-L-D Day 3 - Snowshoeing at Canaan Valley Get another hot breakfast in your belly before stepping into your snowshoes. If you can walk, you can snowshoe! After everyone gets fitted, we’ll hit an easy trail until lunch. (Notice how everything revolves around food. You’re welcome.) We’ll hit a more moderate trail after we eat in the snow-covered Allegheny Mountains with nothing but trees and quietude all around. We’ll return to our lodge to change for another dinner together in town. You and your Explorer Chicks are probably already the talk of Davis! Snowshoeing: 3-5 miles. Minimal elevation changes Meals: B-L-D Day 4 - Sledding and Hike to Blackwater Falls Why do the eggs gotta taste so much better at the last breakfast? *Tear. We’ll enjoy our last morning meal together before we flip out your inner child. IT’S SLEDDING DAY! Lucky for us, the longest sled run on the East Coast is directly outside our lodge. Prepare for cackles galore as you relive some of your best sledding memories with your new Winter Girl Gang. After sledding, we’ll take a short, scenic hike to the waterfall that gives our lodge its name: Blackwater Falls. Depending on the weather or if Elsa stopped by to hang, we may see it frozen in time. Either way, it’s a beautiful 57’ cascade that is one of West Virginia’s most photographed spots. After snapping a million pictures, we’ll enjoy our last lunch in a local cozy hangout to reminisce about our snowglobe weekend. We’ll head home by 2pm today and will dream of all the braless snow angels we made. Hiking: .5 miles. 121’ elevation gain Meals: B-L *Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, availability, or other unforeseen incidents. Explorer Chick cannot guarantee snow for your trip. Alternative no snow itineraries are in place. Logistics What to Pack Check out our recommended hiking gear for all trips. You’ll receive a complete packing list in your Travel Guide upon booking; note that winter trips may require additional specialized items, although we provide all technical gear for activities like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Arrival Airport City: Washington Dulles (IAD) or Pittsburgh (PIT). Approximately 3.5 hour drive. Meeting Location: Black Water Falls Lodge Meeting Time: 5pm on Day 1. Departure Airport City: Washington Dulles (IAD) or Pittsburgh (PIT). Approximately 3.5 hour drive. Depart Location: Black Water Falls Lodge Return Time: Plan to depart by 1pm on Day 4. Optional Add-Ons: Limited Single Room Upgrades are available at booking. You will receive a Travel Guide with all the campground, packing, and additional information you’ll need to prepare for your epic trip. We require a minimum of 5 Explorer Chicks for this trip. Please confirm your trip is guaranteed before booking airfare. Activity Level Rated 2 – MODERATE ACTIVE This winter adventure is rated moderate and focused on a variety of outdoor, winter activities. We’ll be outside every day in a variety of winter elements snowshoeing and cross-country skiing while exploring Canaan Valley. You should train your body to be outside for hours at a time bundled up and staying active. Daily Activities: Day 2: Cross Country Skiing. 3-5 miles. Minimal elevation change Day 3: Snowshoeing. 3-5 miles. Minimal elevation changes Day 4: Hiking. .5 miles. 121’ elevation gain Please consider your ability to meet the physical demands very seriously. It is for the safety of both you and our group. All Explorer Chicks will be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Physical Demands as part of their waiver upon booking. Read more about our Activity Levels. What's Included Lodging 3 nights in a State Park Lodge with views of Blackwater Gorge, Wi-Fi, indoor pool, fitness center, cozy social areas, and restaurant on site. Rooms will be shared, double occupancy Activities Entrance and commercial permit fees to all parks and public lands All activities as outlined in the itinerary and technical gear like snowshoe and cross-country skiing rentals Gratuities for all excursions Meals All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-3, L-3, D-3 Gratuities for included meals Practical Professional leadership team with an Explorer Chick Guide. Gratuities for local guides A detailed Travel Guide with everything you need to know for your trip The freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander! Not Included Airfare Airport Transportation Alcoholic beverages Travel Insurance Meals exclusive of itineraries Costs for additional activities Gratuity for your Explorer Chick Guide (read our tipping guidelines here) Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, or other unforeseen incidents. More from West Virginia 💗Spend Galentine’s Day with us! 🗓Join the fun in Canaan Valley West Virginia on February 15 - 18 Swap out your rom-com weekend for an adventure-filled escapade with amazing, like-minded women. ⛷️Hiking, cross-country skiing, sledding, and nights alive with live bluegrass and handcrafted microbrews await!❄️This trip is perfect for beginners, and Canaan Valley boasts the BEST slopes in the southeast (seriously, they’ve been voted “best snow” for 3 years)!Conveniently under a 6-hour drive from major East Coast cities:🚗Baltimore and DC: Just a 3-hour jaunt🚗Philly & Pittsburgh: A chill 4-hour drive🚗Cleveland: A scenic 5-hour road trip🔗Hurry! Tap the link in out bio to snag one of the few spots left for this ultimate Galentine’s adventure! 👯♀️#Explorerchickwvwinter #Explorerchick #Easydoesntchangeyou #wildandwonderfulwv #nordicskiing #snowshoe 106 0 Open 106 0 🤔 Do you know what the BEST winter cardio exercise is?⛷️ Say hello to cross-country skiing!It`s super beginner-friendly and quick to learn, especially with expert-led lessons.Not only is it a total blast, but it`s also way kinder on those joints compared to running. 🙌Don`t let the winter blues get you down— join our West Virginia Winter Weekend and dive into the world of XC Skiing, snowshoeing, winter hiking and more!🏆PLUS, we`re heading to the `Best in Snow in the Southesast,` Canaan Valley, where February brings the most epic snowpack.💬Comment `Winter` in the comments, and we`ll shoot over all the deets!📆Feb 15 - 18📆Feb 22 - 25#explorerchick #womentraveling #explorerchickwvwinter #xcskiing #WestVirginia #womentraveling 103 9 Open 103 9 😲Guess what?! We`ve cracked the code to time travel (well, almost)!❄️ Our West Virginia winter weekend is your ticket to carefree childhood days—sipping hot cocoa and playing in the snow, worry-free.🪄Ok, while we can`t *actually turn back time, we DID transport Explorer Chick Judy back nearly 50 years ago to her youth:"I can’t believe that after an almost 50 year break, I put on ice skates and was able to remain upright. All I got was encouragement from those around me!Everything was wonderful from start to finish, friendships, food, and adventures!Guide Janie was fantastic! She was always enthusiastic, attentive, and fun. She took care of all the details and planning considering the group input, and we ENJOYED! Everyone was so positive! We all love snow tubing more than anyone could imagine. I’m glad I had this wonderful getaway!"What`s your favorite nostalgic winter activity?☃️🔗 Link in bio to get in on the winter fun in WV 📆 Feb (8-11) (15 - 18) (22 - 25)#Explorerchickwvwinter #Explorerchick #Easydoesntchangeyou #wildandwonderfulwv #nordicskiing #snowshoe #Womenwhohike #solofemaletraveler 89 1 Open 89 1 3⃣ REASONS you HAVE to try xc-skiing at THIS east coast destination:📍Canaan Valley, WV ❄ This mountainous area totes the BEST slopes in the southeast (Seriously! They`ve been voted "best snow" for 3 years)! Even better? They`ve got a TON of beginner-friendly terrain. 👌🗺 Access! It`s under a 7-hour drive for most big cities in the east making WV a simple getaway:🚗 Baltimore and DC , a mere 3 hours jaunt🚗 Philly & Pittsburgh, a leisurely 4 hours drive🚗 Cleveland , a scenic 5 hours roadtrip🪕 And finally, culture! Nestled deep within Appalachia, our nights come alive with the twang of live bluegrass while sipping handcrafted microbrews.We`ve got THREE weekends for you to get away in WV!🗓 Feb (8-11), (15-18) & (22-25)#ExplorerChick #WomenWhoTravel #AmongTheWild #IdHikeThat #WanderWomen #OutdoorWomen #EasyDoesntChangeYou #WomenWhoHike #WomenTravelingTogether #WildernessExplorer #WeAreExplorerChick #HikingCulture #HikeLikeAWomen #SheIsNotLost #WomenWhoExplore #WeAreNature #WomenSupportingWomen #HikingTips #PositiveMindset #OutdoorTherapy #NatureTherapy #BucketListTrip #BucketListTravel #explorerchickwvwinter #wv_natureshots #westvirginiamountains #nordicskiing #snowshoe #bluegrass #appalachia 44 2 Open 44 2 Load More Let's Do This Starting from $1,699 Book Now Save $200 with our Early Bird Discounts! Just book at least 6 Months in Advance! Discount is automatically applied. Non-Refundable Deposit: $200 due at booking to secure your spot Questions About WV Winter? Book a call with our Destination + Guest Experience Manager, Amy, or fill out the form below. Name(Required) First Name Last Name Email(Required) Enter Email Confirm Email Send us your WV Winter questions!(Required)CommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In Her Words Marjorie H.November trip to Iceland was magical.Guide Christina Bruno and Explorer Chick put together a fantastic itinerary. Diamond Beach is a must see.Rachel R.Just finished up 10 days on the most extraordinary trip of my life. Uganda was so amazing all round - the animals, the people, the culture-- that I'm now an unofficial spokesperson for the country! Nicki was an amazing guide, Gerald our driver had all the answers I could throw at him, and everyone in the group was chill and fun and felt like best friends within minutes. We stayed in the most beautiful and posh places and saw wildlife closeup like we were in a freaking national geographic magazine. How many people have seen a family of endangered mountain gorillas with a freaking 6 months old baby doing acrobats in the heart of the impenetrable forest? Me! Crazy and amazing. I can't believe I got to do all that I did. And the best part is I was along for the ride and didn't have to plan all the nitty gritty details. Love you Uganda! I'll be back.susan V.I went on the most amazing trip to Jordan this past October. I can't even begin to describe the surreal feeling of standing in front of the Treasury in Petra, riding a camel through the expansive Mars-like desert, and floating in the dead sea. This was my first Explorer Chick trip and let me tell you it did not disappoint. EC guide Kara was phenomenal with great organization and special surprises along the way. Can you say pedicure in a Turkish spa? So many firsts that I was able to experience and absolutely no need for concern about solo travel with this group. None of us knew each other beforehand, yet within hours we had our own inside jokes. Seriously, do not let the idea of traveling alone keep you from experiencing these phenomenal tours. Also, there was never a time that I didn't feel safe. Jordan is a beautiful country with the most hospitable people. We were constantly greeted with warm smiles and coffee or tea! Our lovely local EC local guide welcomed each of us and passionately shared her extensive knowledge of her country and culture. My EC trip to Jordan was a dream adventure come true. My only problem now is deciding which EC trip to take next!hannah B.Now I've....had...the time of my liiiiife....and I owe it all to Explorer Chick! Me and three friends went on the Zion/Bryce trip and it was absolutely amazing! Our guides, Christina and Ashley, made the trip so amazing and had little fun surprises set up for every day. I would take this trip time and time again, but I'm hoping after I take more EC trips!Abigail H.I just finished my first Explorer Chick trip to Iceland, and it was seriously a bucket list experience! I was really nervous, but the other women on the trip and our guides (Christina from EC and our Icelandic guide Dagny) made it such a wonderful time! I made so many friends and memories, tried things I never would have otherwise, and got to support other women while they pushed themselves too. I’m already looking at booking another trip haha.For info - I’m 32 years old. The other women on the trip ranged from 31 to 74 and everywhere in between. I loved getting to meet all of them and look forward to staying connected with these amazing women. ❤️Vicki O.Great hiking trip. Each trail was different and challenging. Hannah and Christina took so very good care of us. They paced the hikes so that everything seemed easy. Book with Confidence Your wanderlust doesn’t have to wait. Our payment plans make booking your dream trip easier than ever. The best part? Zero additional fees. Payment Plans We want nothing more than for you join us. However, we understand emergencies do occur that may cause you to cancel your reservation. Cancellation Policy To protect your travel investment and your hide, we recommend purchasing travel insurance. Receive a no-hassle, online quote in less than 2 minutes. 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