Canaan Valley Resort State Park got a few new upgrades in anticipation of the 2025–26 season.
As one of West Virginia’s largest state parks—also holding the honor of the state’s first-ever ski resort—Canaan Valley Resort State Park has been a hub for winter recreation since opening slopes on Weiss Knob in 1971.
It’s a legacy the park’s operators honor through their work to maintain the area’s natural beauty and offer luxurious accommodations for recharging after a long day of unmatched excitement and top-of-the-line West Virginia recreation. Since November 2025, the resort has been welcoming skiers and outdoor adventurers to check out the latest upgrades to its slopes, thanks to $6 million in support from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
A ski resort can’t exist without snow—it would kind of defeat the purpose. While the Canaan Valley area is no stranger to heavy snowfall during the winter months, it can be hard to predict, and it sometimes needs a little boost. That’s why a new snowmaking pump house has been added to the ski area, allowing groundskeepers at the resort to produce even more snow in a shorter span of time, getting you on that fresh powder even faster. In improving the resort’s ability to cover the mountain in fresh powder, an estimated 35 million gallons of water have been used for snowmaking this season—easily doubling the amount from last year.
With expanding snow-making capabilities comes a need for an efficient way to manage and maintain it all. That’s where the resort’s new snowgroomer comes in! It works hard to improve your skiing experience by smoothing and leveling the snow, redistributing it where needed, and finishing it off with just enough texture for grip and control—ultimately creating smoother and safer slopes ideal for a day on the mountain.
If you haven’t been to Canaan Valley Resort State Park for a few years, you haven’t seen the previous round of upgrades yet. In 2022, the park completed $2.65 million in projects, renovating its cabins and campground as well as expanding the tube park and upgrading the ski rental shop and ticketing system. The park is always growing, and you get to reap the benefits.
There’s still time left to hit the slopes this winter! Visit www.canaanresort.com to purchase ski passes, book your suite at the lodge, and check weather conditions on the mountain.