Our family recently returned from the most perfect winter getaway at Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort!
This was our first time visiting Snowshoe Mountain, our inaugural family ski trip, and the first time skiing for the kids and me! And we were so lucky to experience this epic adventure with our friends (who expertly planned the entire thing)!
From watching the kids conquer the slopes to après-ski evenings, the trip was truly an unforgettable experience, and we already cannot wait to plan the next one!
Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort
We are lucky to live within driving distance to this beautiful ski resort. It took us about 6 hours from Charlotte, NC and as we arrived it felt like we were stepping into a winter wonderland postcard — truly dreamy.
This resort sits at the top of the mountain and has the most stunning snowy mountain views, is very family-friendly, and easy to navigate. However, it is very isolated so I recommend bringing anything you think you might need from toiletries to gear to groceries. Also, the roads are very winding so if you get car sick, you will want to plan for that. And cell reception is pretty spotty.
Lodging
We rented a condo in Seneca which is just a few steps to everything — restaurants, shops, ski school, the slopes, and more. There is a wide variety of lodging options for families and groups of all sizes, but staying in the Village Plaza was perfect for us. Our 4 bedroom condo (#209) was updated, spacious, and clean. It also had a full kitchen, gas fireplace, and a washer and dryer which was great for drying our snow gear at the end of each day. We would absolutely rent it again.
Our building offered some great amenities too including a large outdoor hot tub that was perfect for relaxing in at the end of each day, ground level ski lockers for all our gear, and underground heated parking so we didn’t have to clear piles of snow off our car. It’s also worth noting that you secure better pricing on lift tickets when you book your lodging through Snowshoe.
Dining Around Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort
There is no shortage of places to eat in Snowshoe! Our trip was packed tight so we didn’t get very adventurous with dining outside of the Village. We ate breakfast in the condo each morning and then lunch and dinner out each day.
Since we were not able to explore all the dining options, I personally do not have a lot of helpful information. However, one of my readers owns a condo in Snowshoe and sent me some incredibly helpful recommendations and tips (thank you, Abby!) that I can share with you:
- For restaurants, the best food is Appalachia Kitchen and 10 prime. Appalachia Kitchen prides itself on using local ingredients. It serves upscale food in a quiet setting that is still appropriate for kids.
- 10 Prime is a steakhouse that is a short drive up the mountain. They also serve sushi on the weekends. It’s good food…not the best steakhouse I’ve ever been to but it’s very good. Reservations highly recommended.
- Pro Tip: You can see the sunset from The Village, but the best sunset spot is at the helipad on the way to 10 Prime. It’s beautiful!
- Tuques is upstairs of Appalachia Kitchen. It’s more lively and usually has live music in the evenings. It also serves food from Appalachia kitchen and the Pizza Slice.
- The Pizza Slice is wood fired pizza. They have gluten-free pizza and you can order it as takeout as well.
- Foxfire Grille is good. They don’t take reservations. If you have to put your name down you can go shop around village. Also, try the BBQ salmon!
- Starbucks: Usually a long wait in the morning!
- The Village Scoop: For ice cream located right in the Village!
Snow Tubing
On our first evening, we went snow tubing at the Coca Cola Tube Park in Silver Creek (Snowshoe’s sister property)! The 6 story, 8 lane tubing hill was super fun, not crowded at all, and has a tow rope so you don’t have to drag your tube back up the hill.
Our reservation was from 5-7 pm which was perfect because we had about an hour of daylight to tube and then once the sun set we got to experience Galactic Snow Tubing with colorful LED lights which was so cool.
Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort Ski School & Private Ski Lessons
It was my first time ever skiing, as well as all 4 of our kids first time too!
As the only adult in our group who had never skied, I knew it was imperative to learn from a professional before hitting the slopes with our friends. I booked a 3-hour private lesson with an instructor on our first day, and while it was expensive, it was totally worth it for the one-on-one dedicated instruction. I was able to learn a lot more and progress faster in this setting. I also had enough time to make two runs down the green slopes with my instructor before going off on my own. And let me just say, I am SO thankful I had her by my side for those first few runs because it was equally exhilarating and terrifying. While I picked it up pretty quickly, nothing rattled me more than hearing groups of snowboarders flying down the mountain behind me.
The kids spent two days in ski school from 9 am – 3 pm. The first day they learned all the basics like how to clip in and unclip their skis, how to safely get on and off the lift, and of course the pizza and fries techniques. They also got breaks for snacks, hot chocolate, and lunch.
At the end of their first day, we were told two of our kids would be moving from red to yellow level, and Caroline advanced two levels to green! But the best part was just how excited they were to see us and show us everything they had learned. Then we all spent time together on the bunny slope.
By lunchtime the second day, all 4 kids had made their way to green group and were FLYING past us down the mountain. IT.WAS.WILD and I couldn’t have been more proud to see how happy and confident they were! And we were able to spend the rest of the day (AND NIGHT) skiing the green slopes all together!
Snowshoe Mountain Skiing
Snowshoe is an amazing place for skiers of all levels, and I am so thankful it’s the place the kids and I learned to ski versus out west where the slopes are steeper and more intimidating.
Since the resort can get super crowded, we planned our trip for weekday skiing which made a HUGE difference (especially when you’re learning to ski)! Monday was slightly more busy than Tuesday since lots of people extend their weekend trip by a day, but on Tuesday we felt like we had the mountain to ourselves at times, and the lift lines were minimal!
The ski conditions were terrific while we were there too. Even without any snowfall, the resort has snowmaking technology and nightly grooming to ensure the conditions are top-notch. We also got really lucky with 4″ of snowfall on our first night, making our second day a ski dream!
Slope Tip: You MUST hit the Flume Shack, a slope bar you can access by taking the Soaring Eagle lift to Upper Flume Trail. This was a trip highlight for SURE for the adults. I am not a Bloody Mary drinker, but the rest of our group is and they all said it was the best they’ve ever had! And it’s kid-friendly too with hot chocolate options on the menu.
Snowshoe Mountain Night Skiing
On our last night we took our ski school graduates night skiing back at Silver Creek (same area as the tubing). Silver Creek is a quick bus ride away and has 12 trails open for night skiing. This was such a cool experience and the kids absolutely LOVED it. It was a long day of skiing, but totally worth it and I would highly recommend not skipping it!
Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort Packing List
Last but not least, what to bring. Admittedly, I had NO clue what or how to pack for a ski trip. I relied on our friends and lots of googling to make sure we had all the gear we would need.
We rented skis, poles, ski boots, and helmets.
Our Snow Gear Checklist
- Ski bibs for kids (Caroline + Thomas + My One Piece Snow Suit)
- Waterproof ski jacket (Caroline + Thomas + Matt + Christina)
- Thermal layer (Caroline + Thomas + Matt + Christina)
- Additional layer: like a wool sweater or fleece to put over thermal layer
- Gloves (Caroline + Thomas + Matt + Christina)
- Wool socks (Kids + Matt + Christina)
- Goggles (Caroline + Thomas — Over Glasses + Matt + Christina)
- Balaclava (Adults + Kids): I wasn’t sure if we would need this but we were all SO glad to have it!!!
- Snow boots (the kids just used their rain boots)
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Hand warmers
Peyton Cline
Monday 19th of February 2024
I remember in one of your Instagram posts from the trip you had a beautiful two-tones purple sweater on, and I was wondering if you had a link for it!!
Christina
Tuesday 20th of February 2024
It's old from Anthropologie!