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Local Attractions


Smoke Hole Resort’s visitors can also enjoy many other local attractions that can range from fishing to rock climbing in the summer to touring a museum to skiing in the winter. Don't forget that Smoke Hole Caverns is open daily year round.  No matter the weather there is always plenty to do in the mountains of West Virginia.  Check out all of the local attractions below!


A woman on horseback

Yokum's Stables

Cannan Valley has gentle, well-trained, sturdy horses to fit any rider. Experienced trail guides will take you & your family for a horseback ride to the very top of Seneca Rocks to enjoy the breathtaking view - nearly 1,000 ft. high!

Dolly Sods Wilderness area

A federally designated wilderness area, the Dolly Sods Wilderness was created in 1970 to protect the unique scenic qualities of the area north of Forest Road 19. Today approximately 2,000 acres along Forest Road 75 is managed by the US Forest Service as a scenic area.

The Dolly Sods Scenic Area is the most accessible and most visited part of the Sods. Berry picking, hunting, and sightseeing are popular pastimes here. Forest Road 75 crosses the Scenic Area from south to north.

Water falling over stone

Blackwater Falls

Blackwater Falls State Park with 1,688 acres is named after the amber-colored waters that plunge five stories at Blackwater Falls, then twist and tumble through an eight-mile-long gorge. The 'black' water is a result of leached tannic acids from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles.

Hiking trails and observation points are easy to access in Blackwater Falls State Park. 'The Gentle Trail' provides stairways and boardwalks that lead to the base of the falls for a close-up view. Blackwater Falls State Park is a great place to spend a day.

Seneca Rocks

Purchased by the federal government in 1969, Seneca Rocks is one of the best-known landmarks in West Virginia. These rocks have long been noted as a scenic attraction and are popular with rock climbers.

The rock is composed of fine grains of sand that were laid down approximately 440 million years ago, in an extensive sheet at the edge of an ancient ocean. Years of geologic activity followed, as the ocean was slowly destroyed and the underlying rock uplifted and folded.

Climbers standing on forest cliff

Seneca Rocks Climbing School

The Seneca Rocks Climbing School has been based in the North Fork Valley of Pendleton Co. WV since 1971. “We believe that the only way to ensure the climbing experience for ourselves and future generations is to preserve  the vertical wilderness and the adventure inherent in the experience."

Leave No Trace practices are always apparent on any program. We stress the value of clean climbing and traditional climbing techniques. Call 304-567-2600.

Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides

Private guiding and private instruction offer an opportunity to rapidly expand your skills and maximize your climbing time.

Many climbers recognize the value that one-on-one instruction provides by accelerating the learning process through personalized attention. If you have a specific climb or goal in mind, hire a local and stretch your limits! 

NROCKS Outdoor Adventures

NROCKS Outdoor Adventures is the premiere guided climbing
center in West Virginia and the North Fork Valley Region.
NROCKS offers Sport Climbing, Top Rope Climbing, Zip Lines,
guided Canopy Tours, as well as the Nation's Premier Via Ferrata, NROCKS provides top quality equipment from
CMI for all activities!

Visitors from the Northeast region and around the world
enjoy adventure vacations at NROCKS. Located in the
Potomac Highlands region near Circleville, WV, NROCKS
is an easy drive from Smoke Hole Resort.

fall foliage across hills

Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

Spruce Knob consists of 100,000 acres and contains the highest peak in West Virginia, some of the best rock climbing on the east coast, outstanding views and a chance to enjoy America’s great outdoors.

Congress established the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in 1965.

Stone tower with metal stairs

Spruce Knob

Spruce Knob, 4,861 feet at its summit and the highest point in West Virginia, is located in Pendleton County on Spruce Mountain. Rocks here are of the Pottsville sandstone, dating from over 300 million years ago.

Acquired in 1921 by the U.S. Forest Service, has a climate similar to Newfoundland and due to the harsh climate conditions, trees grow only shrub-high and with limbs in other areas growing on one side.

With the Whispering Spruce Trail leading to an observation tower, you will enjoy panoramic views that are as far as the eye can see. Spruce Knob Lake, a 25-acre fishing lake, is a 20-minute drive from the knob and is also the states highest lake.

Grant County Convention & Visitors bureau

Grant County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Named for Ulysses S. Grant, General of the Union Army and 18th President of the United States, Grant County is the ‘HeartBeat’ of the Potomac Highlands.

Steeped in ancestral heritage, Grant County is known for warm hospitality, breathtaking mountainous landscapes, and abundant natural resources.

Canaan Valley State Park

Canaan Valley is the highest valley east of the Mississippi. It is home to state parks, ski slopes, and the nation’s 500th wildlife refuge sits at the top of a mountain chain that feeds three major waterways that converge in Parson, Tucker County.

Swimming, tennis, interpretive nature walks, and evening events fill leisure-time hours.

steam train circling forest

Cass Scenic Railroad

Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers excursions that transport you back in time to relive an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life.

Trips to Cass are filled with rich histories of the past, unparalleled views of a vast wilderness area, and close-up encounters with the sights and sounds of original steam-driven locomotives. 

Potomac Eagle Train crossing bridge

Potomac Eagle Train

It was a state study that first suggested that a scenic excursion train would be successful on the South Branch Valley Railroad. A few years elapsed before the Potomac Eagle became the company in charge of making the dream a reality.

In the fall of 1991, the Eagle Canon Passenger Car Company began operating the Potomac Eagle from a siding named Wappocomo Station just north of Romney. 

Closeup car cabs in winter

Tygart Valley Flyer

This smooth climate-controlled passenger train has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting mountain wilderness excursion rides in the US.

The 4-hour, 46-mile round trip departs at 11 AM from the restored Elkins Depot at One Station Square.

Closeup car cabs in winter

Durbin Rocket

In historic Durbin, you have the opportunity to ride & experience the sights and sounds of one of the rarest steam locomotives in existence.

The DURBIN ROCKET Excursion Train is powered by a rare steam locomotive. Today you can ride in an authentic 1920-era coach as she puffs and whistles her way along the free-flowing Greenbrier River in Northern Pocahontas County.

Black and yellow train

Cheat Mountain Salamander

Named in honor of the little endangered creature whose sole habitat is the river of the same name, the ALL-NEW CHEAT MOUNTAIN SALAMANDER takes you through some of the wildest mountain wilderness you will ever experience.

Your assigned-seat ticket includes a sandwich buffet for lunch and a dinner featuring a choice of hot entrees served buffet-style in the dining car. 

golfer swinging

Valley View Golf Course

Nestled in the scenic South Branch Valley of the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, Valley View Golf Club is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s best-kept secrets.

With its new 5400 square foot clubhouse, Valley View offers a snack bar, pro shop, locker rooms, and a gorgeous covered deck to enjoy after your round is completed.  

Green mountainside

North Fork Mountain Trail

The North Fork Mountain Area is part of the Seneca Rocks Unit of a National Recreation Area. It extends for 24 miles between US Routes 33 and 55. On its ridge crest is the district’s longest trail, the 23.8-mile North Fork Mountain Trail.

Radio telescope dish

Green Bank National Radio Observatory & Science Center

Come enjoy the Green Bank Science Center, featuring hands-on exhibits and displays that introduce you to the science of radio astronomy while you play! Discover what radio waves are, how the Green Bank Telescope works, and what radio astronomers have learned about the universe.

Admission to the Science Center and the hands-on Exhibit Hall is free! Enjoy a bite to each at our Starlight cafe featuring a full-service menu-from lattes to fresh salads and burgers, you'll find something for everyone!

Radio telescope dish

Gandy Dancer Dinner Theater

Enjoy the fine musicianship and performance quality of this Branson-style variety show… Features impersonations, good-time comedy interludes, and just pure fun for all ages! No matter how old you are, the “Gandy Dancers” bring you out of your seat with their charming, high energy performances!

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