Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Home of Snowshoe Mountain and widely known as “Nature’s Mountain Playground.” Beyond the ski slopes and bike trails of the resort, adventure is endless and unique day trips await. Venture out and marvel at the world’s largest fully steerable telescope, hop on a steam-driven locomotive, take a hike on the longest trail in West Virginia…just to name a few.
Snowshoe Mountain, central to all of these destinations and more, serves as the perfect home base for you to learn, experience, and explore your way across Pocahontas County.
Green Bank Observatory
The Green Bank Science Center, only eighteen miles from Snowshoe, introduces you to the science of radio astronomy. You’ll discover what radio waves are, how telescopes work, and what radio astronomers have learned about the universe. Experience all of this and more through hands-on exhibits, displays, and tours. Best of all, admission to the science center is free!
Why is there limited cell service at Snowshoe?
Snowshoe Mountain is within the border of the National Radio Quiet Zone, an area of 13,000 square miles around the Greenbank telescope.
You don’t have to be fascinated with radio astronomy, or even know what it is, to visit the science center. We guarantee you’ll leave with a new interest in telescopes and the universe. And if anything, we promise you’ll be captivated by the sheer magnitude of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope.
Cass Scenic Railroad
All aboard! The Cass Scenic Railroad offers you the rare opportunity to travel back in time to the days when steam-driven locomotives were a part of everyday life. The old railroad town of Cass, only ten miles from Snowshoe, remains relatively unchanged. Company houses, a company store, a restaurant, and the train station are all intact and functional.
Hop on a locomotive tour for a genuinely unforgettable adventure. You’ll experience the sounds and smells of the steam engines up close, get a history lesson of the railroad, and check out the lush expanses of untouched wilderness. Tours are offered daily May-October and vary in length and area covered. View all their offerings here.
And when you get back to Snowshoe, keep your ears and eyes out for the sound of the locomotive horn and thick black clouds of smoke peering through the trees. Signs of another lucky group experiencing the Cass Scenic Railroad.
Greenbrier River Trail
If you like to couple your adventures with physical activity, The Greenbrier River Trail is for you. Grab a bike or hike your way down any stretch of the 73 miles of old railroad trail. You’ll see some unique wilderness, remote towns, majestic bridges, and overall breathtaking views. Most of the trail runs parallel to the Greenbrier River, perfect for a feet soak during your hike/bike.
Rated one of the top 10 hiking trails in the country by Backpacker Magazine, the Greenbrier River Trail can be easily accessed ten miles from Snowshoe in the town of Cass.
Where does the Greenbrier River Trail start?
The Cass Scenic Railroad Park in Cass, West Virginia.
How long is the Greenbrier River Trail?
78-miles.
What Kind of fish are in the Greenbrier River?
Brown, rainbow, and brook trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, muskie, catfish, and carp, a big variety of promising options.
And much, much more
Those are just a few of the day trip adventures that are waiting for you around Snowshoe Mountain. View a full list of mountain adventures here. And remember, wherever you spend your day, the perfect home base and an infamous sunset will be waiting to greet you when you return to Snowshoe Mountain.