Wendy “Wren”'s Guidebook
Sightseeing
Canaan Valley and Davis area have some of the most beautiful landscape east of the MS River. Outdoor paradise barely describes the region. Once you visit, you will be obsessed. Making the guidebook was a pleasure, with so many options for guests to enjoy.
In our neighborhood. World Class Hiking. Private access 3 roads up from cabin for owners and guests of Old Timberline Community Only. Go to Mountainside Rd and then to Valley View Road. Park at the map sign. Walk to the right on the main road about 50 feet to the Valley View Trail head. Tiny brown sign. Then another VVT sign up the hill that goes right or left. (There are two VVT signs…one down below and one up above which is a bit confusing). Remember this is VVT and not Dolly Sods yet, and not on main maps. Mark your entrance onto DS Rocky Ridge Trail or you may not find it coming back. VVT is confusing and not on Dolly Sods map. Just pay good attn and set up cairns when you merge with Rocky Ridge Trail. Easy to get lost coming back. Also see map at cabin that you can carry with you. Once you do it, it’s easy after that. And it’s properly named. Gorgeous view.
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Dolly Sods Wilderness
In our neighborhood. World Class Hiking. Private access 3 roads up from cabin for owners and guests of Old Timberline Community Only. Go to Mountainside Rd and then to Valley View Road. Park at the map sign. Walk to the right on the main road about 50 feet to the Valley View Trail head. Tiny brown sign. Then another VVT sign up the hill that goes right or left. (There are two VVT signs…one down below and one up above which is a bit confusing). Remember this is VVT and not Dolly Sods yet, and not on main maps. Mark your entrance onto DS Rocky Ridge Trail or you may not find it coming back. VVT is confusing and not on Dolly Sods map. Just pay good attn and set up cairns when you merge with Rocky Ridge Trail. Easy to get lost coming back. Also see map at cabin that you can carry with you. Once you do it, it’s easy after that. And it’s properly named. Gorgeous view.
Davis. State Park with amazing waterfall and many trails for all seasons including cross country. Mountain biking and hiking.
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Blackwater Falls
Davis. State Park with amazing waterfall and many trails for all seasons including cross country. Mountain biking and hiking.
Davis. Easy hike a short flat distance from the parking. Go thru Blackwater Falls State Park entrance and turn left at the 3 way intersection. Follow the road all the way past the lodge and keep going. A gravel road (fire road) will be on the right. Follow that to the parking lot. Hike the dirt trail (sometimes muddy). It’s beeeeautiful from the deck. Dogs are welcome. Stay on deck for safety. We went boulder hopping twice and saw bees nests and a couple harmless snakes. Plus it’s super steep on the boulders. So we don’t recommend it.
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Lindy Point Observation Deck
Davis. Easy hike a short flat distance from the parking. Go thru Blackwater Falls State Park entrance and turn left at the 3 way intersection. Follow the road all the way past the lodge and keep going. A gravel road (fire road) will be on the right. Follow that to the parking lot. Hike the dirt trail (sometimes muddy). It’s beeeeautiful from the deck. Dogs are welcome. Stay on deck for safety. We went boulder hopping twice and saw bees nests and a couple harmless snakes. Plus it’s super steep on the boulders. So we don’t recommend it.
10 min away. Hiking. Biking. Beautiful. Old Timberline Community is surrounded by this on 3 sides. See map at cabin.
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Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
6263 Appalachian Highway10 min away. Hiking. Biking. Beautiful. Old Timberline Community is surrounded by this on 3 sides. See map at cabin.
Thomas. GPS it to the entrance. You will think you made a wrong turn in the old neighborhood but it pops out the other side. When you find the entrance with the sign, keep driving down the dirt road (not the paved one). It fools you into thinking you need to park and walk. You will go a distance down a dirt road and across a tiny bridge. And surprise…another hidden parking spot. This is also the entrance to a downhill mountain biking along a rail trail to Parsons 12 miles straight downhill incline. It’s impossible to come back up so if you ride it, have another car meet you in Parsons. You can also walk a mile or two to more waterfalls down the rail trail.
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Douglas Falls
Blackwater Canyon TrailThomas. GPS it to the entrance. You will think you made a wrong turn in the old neighborhood but it pops out the other side. When you find the entrance with the sign, keep driving down the dirt road (not the paved one). It fools you into thinking you need to park and walk. You will go a distance down a dirt road and across a tiny bridge. And surprise…another hidden parking spot. This is also the entrance to a downhill mountain biking along a rail trail to Parsons 12 miles straight downhill incline. It’s impossible to come back up so if you ride it, have another car meet you in Parsons. You can also walk a mile or two to more waterfalls down the rail trail.
Past Thomas. Fun if you enjoy heights. 360 view on top of the world. Gorgeous!!!
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Olson Tower
Forest Road 717Past Thomas. Fun if you enjoy heights. 360 view on top of the world. Gorgeous!!!
Parsons. Hour away. Flat water - sit on top kayaks. They drop you up river and you take out at their location. Do the 8 mile if you can. Super low key and prettiest river! Water is so clear. It’s an hour drive from the cabin. We have done it a dozen times and it’s always an hour. They have white water also, which I’ve not done. You can book online also.
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Blackwater Outdoor Adventures
60 Location RdParsons. Hour away. Flat water - sit on top kayaks. They drop you up river and you take out at their location. Do the 8 mile if you can. Super low key and prettiest river! Water is so clear. It’s an hour drive from the cabin. We have done it a dozen times and it’s always an hour. They have white water also, which I’ve not done. You can book online also.
Ride the scenic chair lift in off season. 10 min from cabin in Canaan Ski Resort area. $8 to ride up. Get off and walk over the mountain to the paragliding takeoff for an ahhhhmazing view. (Ask the chair lift guide to point to it…no signs…it’s on the far right side after the lifts). Ride back down for the best view of the Canaan Valley. When you arrive, Park out front of ticket booth and Purchase tickets in the back of the ski resort at the restaurant. (Signage is horrible).
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Ski-oord Canaan Valley
Park Road 826Ride the scenic chair lift in off season. 10 min from cabin in Canaan Ski Resort area. $8 to ride up. Get off and walk over the mountain to the paragliding takeoff for an ahhhhmazing view. (Ask the chair lift guide to point to it…no signs…it’s on the far right side after the lifts). Ride back down for the best view of the Canaan Valley. When you arrive, Park out front of ticket booth and Purchase tickets in the back of the ski resort at the restaurant. (Signage is horrible).
Great trail leading to the top of the rock faces. 30 min drive from cabin.
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Seneca Rocks
Great trail leading to the top of the rock faces. 30 min drive from cabin.
Food scene
Thomas. Love this coffee shop! No sandwiches that I’ve seen but wonderful pastries, coffee and craft beer in individual cans to purchase.
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TipTop
130 State Hwy 32Thomas. Love this coffee shop! No sandwiches that I’ve seen but wonderful pastries, coffee and craft beer in individual cans to purchase.
Purple Fiddle
96 State Hwy 32Thomas. Live Music. Fun food and Great Ice Cream.
Thomas. Delicious! My favorite of all. Basket of fries with truffle oil and parm cheese is awesome. The chicken mother clucker sandwich is divine.
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Farm Up Table
272 State Highway 32Thomas. Delicious! My favorite of all. Basket of fries with truffle oil and parm cheese is awesome. The chicken mother clucker sandwich is divine.
Canaan Valley. Very close to cabin. Good food and nice view from back room. It’s open more hours than other restaurants. Ask to sit in the back by the window for gentle view of Mountains.
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Mama Mia Pie and Pasta
5524 Appalachian HighwayCanaan Valley. Very close to cabin. Good food and nice view from back room. It’s open more hours than other restaurants. Ask to sit in the back by the window for gentle view of Mountains.
Davis. People rave on it. Check hours. They have been closed a lot during Covid.
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Hellbender Burritos
457 William AveDavis. People rave on it. Check hours. They have been closed a lot during Covid.
Sirianni's Café
474 William AveDavis. Really good pizza. We order take out often.
Ski
Timberline Four Seasons Resort
254 Four Seasons DrWonderful ski resort 1.5 miles from cabin.
10 min away. Cross country skiing. Multiple skill levels. Fantastic area. Ski rental on site. Check with the company before you go for specific details.
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White Grass
643 Weiss Knob Ski Rd10 min away. Cross country skiing. Multiple skill levels. Fantastic area. Ski rental on site. Check with the company before you go for specific details.
Groceries
Shop 'n Save Express
371 William AveDavis 15 min away. Pretty good selection.
Davis. Check hours. It’s closed often. We have never been but it looks very nice and upscale.
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Highland Market
737 William AveDavis. Check hours. It’s closed often. We have never been but it looks very nice and upscale.
Biking
www.heartofthehighlandstrails.org. Tons of mountain bike trails. Promise Land is my favorite. You can Google it for location or see map at cabin. If you like to mountain bike, the scenery on this trail is beautiful. It has rolling hills and isn’t steep. But rocky in places. It’s for a bike with shocks. See maps attached and legends. Some trails are steep. Fire roads are also fun to ride like Canaan Loop. Also the fire road behind the grocery store Shop and Save is mostly flat and nice to ride with regular bike.
Canaan Valley
Liquor, Wine, Beer
New Heritage Distilling
737 William AveCheck hours
Mountain State Brewing Co
1 Nelson BlvdCheck hours.
SHOP 'n SAVE
3335 William Penn HighwayBeer cooler and wine area to left just past front door.