One of the things that I love about my children is that they are so much braver than I ever was as…read morea child. I stand in awe at the risks they are willing to take. Even though the things they do make my hands sweaty, I don't want to stifle their spirit or curiosity, so we often do adventurous things that I would never do when I was a young girl. One of those things was going on a zipline canopy tour in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. You're probably thinking, "That's nothing! Ziplining is perfectly safe!" And I'm sure it is, somewhat. But sometimes, I'm still that timid little girl who is afraid to get hurt. And I try to avoid doing anything that requires me to sign a waiver, wear a helmet, be strapped in by trained personnel, be high up off the ground, etc. So, yes, I was being a good mom and taking my kids to do adventurous things, but I let them have all of the adventure while I waited safely on the ground. Kids can zipline and traverse the canopy tour by themselves as long as they weigh at least 70 pounds. They also have to be able to make it the whole two hours of the tour. When we visited, it was very cold, and even colder once you get high up in the trees. If you visit on a cold day, bring some thin gloves and a beanie! The people who do the tours are students at West Virginia University. The three students we encountered on our tour were super knowledgeable and good with kids. They made sure my kids had all of their safety gear on correctly, showed them the basics, made sure they understood how to zipline safely, showed them what to do if they got stuck in the middle of a zipline (ay, dios mio!) and checked in with them throughout the tour. I felt like safety was of the utmost importance to them, which I appreciated. The canopy tour consisted of four zip-lines, seven platforms up in the trees, an aerial bridge, aerial ladder and a rappel station to exit the course. It was a fun time! No one died or fell and became paralyzed. (I mean, what kind of paranoid sicko would even think that sort of thing?!) The only thing I would do differently is visit on a warmer day. At the end, my oldest child said he couldn't feel his fingers and he was actively shivering. So, visiting on a warm day would probably make the experience a lot more enjoyable.

My family and I ziplined here today. It is a first class operation all the way! The guides are…read moreprofessional and informative. The course is great. Before we embarked on the ziplines, we did a small, low-to-the-ground practice course. The guides made sure we all knew their hand signals and how to brake. Then, we did three ziplines, each one a little more adventurous than the last. We ended by stepping off a 45-foot platform, with the guides lowering us down on a cable. My kids (ages 12 and 14) had a blast. My husband and I loved it too. It was a great family adventure.

I've been to so many parts of this forest that it's mind boggling. It's beautiful in ways that…read morewords could never describe. There is so much to see and so many cool places to explore. One of my favorite parts is Bickle Knob because the views from the fire tower are beyond spectacular. Bowden Cave is also a great place to explore as well. There is a ton of great places to camp, mountain bike, and hike. If you are ever able to stop in any part of the Monongahela National Forest please do yourself a favor and do it. Have fun and be safe!

Driving through WV, Monongahela National Forest is a must do. It's absolutely beautiful with tons…read moreof hiking trails. Many of the trails have adequate parking spots and restrooms. We went through the Cranberry Glades and also found a random trail that led to waterfalls. This forest is GIANT. We want to come back again and find a camping ground because this national forest is truly stunning.

There's good spots for sightseeing at both the top and bottom of the dam. We stopped here on a road…read moretrip to stretch our legs and this was a good spot to get some fresh air. There are bathrooms and water fountains, but they were off for the winter. :( There's also a playground, picnic tables, and a pavilion that you can rent to reserve.

Sutton, WV was first settled in 1792 in what was then Bath County, Virginia. It served as a…read morecrucial spot in the Civil War for the Union. In the mid 1800's Confederates burned most of the town to the ground. We rebuilt. This review comes from my memoirs. Wait, I haven't written them, but, if I did, I would give at least one chapter to my teenage years spent partying and hanging out at Sutton Lake. I went to high school in Sutton, and, we often skipped school and headed for the lake for a day of fun filled drankin' and smokin' and, well, you know. The early 80's were for socializing and partying with my gang of peeps. It's amazing I graduated. That any of us did, for that matter. Everytime I go home, I always visit the lake. When I was going there in my teens, it was simply a beautiful lake enveloped by the beautiful Appalachian Mtns, with picnic areas. Sometimes it felt as if those mountains were hugging you. Today, there is much more recreation to be had, but, this review is about my memories. All through high school, this was the spot. I had a music (Jazz Chorus) teacher who knew what was going on, so he would sometimes show up and stay with us. I didn't realize what he was doing until I became a mature adult. He was our protector, not, enabler. In the 80's, where I was from, kids would be kids. No matter what ma' and pa' said. I lived 40 miles from the school. If I missed the bus, which I often did, I had to hoof it home on my thumb. Many a time I would arrive home at 2100 or later, drunk, high, sober, hungover and famished and tired, only to be met at the door with my very angry grandmother (God love her, she raised me) and a fist full of brier switches! Let me tell you, that is the best time to take a beating because you are so numb you feel nothing. It's like, "Hey! You missed a spot!" I miss those years. I like to refer to them as my "rebel without a clue years", and, I have not one regret! Thanks for letting me share my personal story!

Did the 7 mile trip today for the first time. It was actually the first time I'd been in a canoe in…read moreabout 15 years! The online booking was fairly straightforward. Both the PFDs and the shuttle vans could use some updating, however. The canoe itself was fine, as were the oars. The river route was very peaceful, with the exception of some choppy water occasionally, with some rocks we had to maneuver around. We did get stuck in a shallow section, but that was on us for not realizing how shallow it was. The take-out was fine, if a little muddy. Overall a good experience.

This is the place that introduced my family to kayaking. We've been coming for years. The online…read morereservation isn't the easiest to navigate nor do I particularly care for paying for the entire thing right then especially when it isn't refundable. What if one in your group dips out of the plans. Then you have either paid for person and you're out that money or you have an extra ticket that you may or may not use. Accept a deposit at the time of reservation but the whole thing is a little ridiculous. Pre-covid, they passed out flyers on the shuttle out to the river. If you returned the flyer when you returned, you'd get a free scoop of ice cream. Our family used to love that. We'd still buy more ice cream but after paddling all afternoon, we'd love to sit and relax with our ice cream before loading everything back up and talk about the neat stuff that we seen. This by no means is their fault. I just hope they keep it in mind and bring it back in some way. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons. The shuttle that we rode in sounded and felt like it could use some maintenance and because the 2 rental kayaks we rented for our kids-both had tons of pieces of styrofoam, pieces of tree, and spiders in them. You don't have to spray them out after every use but least spray out the kayaks before using them each season.

Playground, splash pad, and cure of the river. A great time for the kids. There are picnic tables…read morefor the adults and the stage is near by where they host bands and concerts.

Great view of the Mon River with boat ramps and a kayak launch. The park hosts free concerts all…read moresummer with great area talent. They also have a farmers market with plenty of parking. The splash pad is very nice.

Loved this campground!! We saw Wild bunnies and they have a couple cool goats that live on the…read morepremises too. Quiet and peaceful park.

Upon first arriving and entering the camping store to check in I thought this place was going to be…read morepretty nice. Then we left to go to our site! This place is beyond rustic. First of all it is very hilly and covered with totally crushed concrete. Our motorhome was actually slipping backwards trying to go up one of the steep hills of broken and smashed concrete. Besides dealing with that the trees are very overgrown and hang pretty low ( I was lucky to get out with an intact roof), and the are sticking way into the roadway and actually put a nice scratch and chipped the paint on the side of our motorhome! Also note there are no full hookup sites, however there is a main dump station at the entrance. WiFi was virtually non existent as we couldn't even get a signal. Also forget about using cellular as Verizon, T-Mobile & AT & T all had no signal. there were too many trees for us to use Starlink. One: when I mentioned to a staff member about the trees they said "Oh!" And that was it. Never again, would rather travel a few hours away than stay here again.

Need my weekly "crave" for Elizabeth's restorative stretching & meditation class! Ahhhhhhh!read more

Great experience. Really enjoyed everything. The staff was very friendly. I would definitely…read morerecommend to anyone

I was disappointed with my stay at Canaan Valley Resort. As someone with disabilities, I found the…read moreproperty to be less accessible than expected, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience. One of the most frustrating moments was at dinner. Our tour group was told we could not sit by the windows and enjoy the view because we were "with a tour and not paying customers." Considering many of us paid nearly $2,000 for this trip, that was insulting. We were also not allowed to order from the regular menu and pay ourselves if we wanted something else. Unfortunately, the meal provided left me sick for going on 2 days. The resort itself also had several maintenance and convenience issues. The ice machine on our floor was broken, the snack machine and soda machine was nearly empty, and the shower had VERY poor water pressure. The gift shop closed before 7 p.m., making it impossible to purchase basic necessities when needed. There was also very little to do in the evenings. The pool closes at 8 p.m., and by 7 p.m. most activities and amenities seemed to be shut down, leaving guests with few options other than returning to their rooms to watch TV. Overall, the resort did not meet my expectations, particularly regarding accessibility, guest experience, and customer service.

Tube Park Review…read more This review is specific to the Tube Park. Highly recommend getting tickets ahead of time online. All sessions for the day were sold out when we visited. The lodge area for the tube park is very small, so don't expect to be able to change clothing quickly inside due to how busy it is. There's a fire place inside and a huge fire pit outside. Very small concession inside with about 8-10 small snack items to choose from. The staff here are top notch - very kind to each other and talkative to visitors. 10 minutes before the session starts, the group gets a safety briefing and reviews the rules. There's a nurse/medic on site. This is fun for the whole family. 1200 feet long and very fast. Be sure to read the requirements online for kids. Extra safety precautions are taken onsite for young kids.