One of the undeniably awful things about being an adult with nearly full grown children is a massive snowstorm can hit and melt and somehow you missed that short window to hit an epic sled hill.
My timing had been atrocious earlier this winter. We arrived to hike Ritter Park’s sledding hills with the snow melting and the hills filled with nothing but mud, memories and dozens of lost mittens, gloves and destroyed plastic sleds. During a recent ski trip to the snow sports mecca of Canaan Valley, I was not to be denied a second chance this wild winter to get my sled on!
Although we were mostly up in the Valley, the highest one east of the Mississippi at 3,200 to ski, we could not resist making some night moves and popping over to one of the best – and longest – sledding runs in the East – The Blackwater Falls State Park Sled Run. https://wvstateparks.com/things-to-do/blackwater-falls-sled-run/
Like everything else Outdoors during Covid, the Sled Run, and Blackwater Falls, which has received more than 110 inches of snow has gotten a LOT of love. The best way to secure your tickets is online where you can reserve the two-hour session tickets. Same-day tickets cannot be bought online or by phone but if you get lucky a limited number might be available for walk-ins.
Although we couldn’t get into the final day session on a recent weekend, a bit of serendipity happened as we were able to snag the very last tickets for Blackwater Falls’ epic night sledding, 7 to 9 p.m. timeslot during the night of the full Snow Moon.
With a cozy warming hut turning more into a night club lit up and pumping radio tunes, our group of adults, teens, tweens and kids truly felt the call of the wild, throwing snowballs, setting up multiple sled races and embracing their inner wolves howling at the moon during the about five minute long Magic Carpet rides. Oh, yeah, I guess I should mention the best part of this sled run is not having to run your sled back to the top under your own power. The Magic Carpet not only whisks you and your sleds up to the top of the run but it also does so through the middle of the evergreen forest that this winter was dolloped with massive marshmallow mounds of natural snow from the more than 110 inches that have blanketed Canaan Valley.
While we all got in at least a couple dozen runs, we also had plenty of time in that two hours to take a small break and warm up beside one of the two firepits are located around the warming hut from which you can buy the sledding fuel (hot chocolate and S’mores).
For folks who visit in the day time and do not want to sled, but want to explore (if there is natural snow), the Sled Run area is surrounded by trails and the hut rents out cross-country skis (only $16) and snowshoes to explore the more than 20 miles of hiking trails. Note that just a stone’s throw from the sled run is the trail that leads you to the very scenic and famed Blackwater Falls panoramic overlook, Lindy Point.
The Blackwater Falls Sled Run opens annually in mid December and is open now through March 6, 2022 weather permitting. It is open Wednesday through Sundays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. There is a 7-9 p.m. night session on Fridays and Saturdays only and holiday Sundays (MLK and Presidents’ Day).
Cost is $24 weekdays, $28 holidays and weekends for those ages six and up. The sled run is free for kids ages five and under but they must ride with an adult. Guests should arrive about 20 minutes early to attend a safety briefing before the sledding session.
