If you are looking for something to do with younger kids, look throughout the listings for the family friendly adventure notes.
Staff recommended means we, or members of our families, have experienced this first hand.
Snowsports
Roanoke, Virginia, Ski Club There are some pretty serious skiiers here. In 2006 they have heavily group-discounted weeklong trip packages (airfare, lodging, and lift tickets) planned to Big Sky, Montana; Banff, Alberta, Canada; Telluride, Colorado; Kitzbuhel, Austria and Munich, Germany; Steamboat, Colorado, and Snowmass, Colorado. In between these trips they have some to local ski resorts, rafting, hiking, canoeing and the occasional happy hour meeting. These trips are memorable, especially to those of us who couldn't go and had to hear about it from those who did.
Cross-country ski or snowshoe on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you're looking for climbs and downhills, some sections of the Parkway are closed after snows. Park off of a road that passes under the Parkway and hike up the overpass. Uh, just make sure it really is closed. You can tell because the Parkway will not be plowed and you will see the tracks of others who got out there before you.
Cross-country Trails in WV A link to some trails in West Virginia.
Elk River Touring Center Located on West Virginia's second highest peak. It has 35 kilometers of cross-country ski trail on its property and access to thousands more in Monongahela National Forest. Lodging, rentals, lessons.
Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia With an average of 180 inches of snow a year (plus 100% snowmaking), 1500 ft. vertical drop, 57 slopes and trails, including a 1.5 mile run, and 14 lifts this Intrawest Resort is the best skiing in the Blue Ridge area. They have lessons, rentals, adaptive programs, races, snowboarding park, cross-country and snowshoeing trails, and great restaurants. This is a true resort environment. Don't underestimate the weather here. Bring along enough gear to dress like you were skiing in northern Vermont, or you may end up buying a new parka in one of the shops, because you foolishly left your hefty one at home in order not to freeze to death in the blowing snow and overcast skies. Then, if the mountain sun smiles on you, as it often does, you can always leave some layers in the car. Staff recommended family friendly adventure
Watersports
Paddling Clubs Blue Ridge River Runners An American Whitewater affiliate dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of our area's wild waters. A good resource for paddlers in the Blue Ridge. Not just organized floats in our area, but also in other states, like the Salmon River in Idaho. Links to river trip descriptions and gauge levels for Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and Pennsylavania. Also lessons and volunteer opportunities. West Virginia Wildwater Association. Tarheel Paddlers of North Carolina.
Good links page for canoing, kayaking and tubing in our area.
Canoe Camping Canoe or kayak overnight and setup on tent platforms along great rivers.
Places to Paddle Use this site to search for reports by state.
River Flow Data for SW North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee area rivers. Nice color-codedguide, subjective data by fellow paddlers. Easy to sort and personalize.
Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke. List of public boat landings. State Park has trails, beach, boat dock, boat rentals, picnic tables, cabins and camping. Staff Recommended.
Swimming Holes in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee. Tom Hillegass and Dave Hajdasz have gone to a lot of trouble to map, chart, rate and describe these joyful places. Some are rated family friendly adventures. Please also check out their safety first! page. Someone hug these guys.
USGS stream flow tables for Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina.
Wild Side Adventures Kayaking and raft trips for women.
Please check out our bookstore for more specific river information.
North Carolina
Cheoah River, made active sporadically by 18 recreational dam releases, most in May. Class IV.
French Broad Rafting Expeditions, north of Asheville.
Green River Adventures, Brevard. Inflatable kayak trips, kayaking instruction, and fly fishing.
Kayaking Lessons, tours, and flyfishing.
Mountain Adventure Guides, rafting trips.
Nantahala Outdoor Center Rafting trips and paddling school in Bryson City.
River run details and stream reports. View recent streamkeeper reports, click on the name and get suggested run details, put in and take out information, even photos and some videos. For example, Wilson Creek, Class IV section.
Rock 'n' Water Outdoor Adventures, rafting, fly fishing, tubing, mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking.
Sliding Rock A natural water slide near Brevard.
Schoolhouse Falls swimming hole in Panthertown Valley.
Waterfalls in NC.
Tubing: The following outfitters advertise tubing trips: Headwaters Outfitters on the French Broad; Riverside Canoe and Tube Rentals on the New; JJ's Tube Rentals, Bryson City;
Virginia
Aquatrek Adventures Diving training, gear and trips, Salem, VA Staff recommended
Backcountry Ski and Sports Boats, gear and information (Salem and Blacksburg, VA, Fayetteville, WV) Very friendly staff. Staff recommended
Canoe the New Outfitters, rentals and guide service for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, rafting the New River. Also cabins. Located in Pearisburg, Virginia.
Explore Park, VA A no fee launch site for the Roanoke River. Guided canoe trips also available.
Float Fisherman of the Roanoke, Va. Valley Organized trips.
Canoevirginia.com Not just organized trips and boat rentals, but also valuable information for those organizing their own float trips.
Kayaking Instruction in Virginia.
Maury River, Buena Vista to Glasgow, intermediate to easy run. Min. suggested gauge 2.9. Staff recommended
River run details and stream reports. View recent streamkeeper reports, click on the name and get suggested run details, put in and take out information, even photos and some videos. For example, check out one of our favorites, Balcony Falls on the James. Staff recommended
Tubing: The following outfitters advertise tube rentals and trips: Shenandoah River Outfitters in Luray; Massanutten River Adventures; James River Runners in Scottsville; Front Royal Canoe Company; Half Moon Bikes in Strasburg; James River Reeling and Rafting in Scottsville; Butts Tubes, near Harpers Ferry; Jellystone Campground in Natural Bridge;
West Virginia
Ace Adventure Center Whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley in West Virginia, kayaking clinics, cabins and camping.
Appalachian Wildwaters raft trips, on the New and Gauley in West Virginia.
Fly Fishing at Elk River in Slatyfork, WV.
Kayaking School West Virginia. Also rafting trips.
Mount Storm (WV) Information for divers.
Tubing: The Big Bend River in West Virginia bends around so you can take out very close to where you put in, about a 1 hour trip. More links are available at this "toobing" officiando's site; scroll down for tubing links by state. Here is another page full of links for our area. Also: Greenbrier River Campground and River Company, Reconverte.
