MOUNTAIN LAKES

The lakes of this region – Stonewall Jackson, Stonecoal, Summersville, Sutton and Burnsville— all offer watery fun for everyone. Enjoy swimming, snorkeling, water-skiing and boating on all five, or try aqua cycling at Stonewall Jackson Lake. Fishing, hunting, biking and birding are popular throughout the region, and rock climbers love the ledges at Summersville Lake. This region also holds an abundance of arts, crafts and boutique shopping. Admirers of handcrafted glass can visit factories, outlets, a glass museum and watch individual artisans in action.

Snowshoe in Pochantas County is West Virginia’s biggest ski resort, and it has the highest total elevation drop. Its lifts service 251 acres. And with some runs approaching 1,500 feet, it’s got the steepest and longest slopes in the entire eastern U.S. south of New England.

With a new terrain park, tubing park and cross country ski trails, there are a lot of winter sports to try here, plus a whole mountaintop village to explore.