The final Walk Between the Parks event of 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4. The walk between Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Blackwater Falls State Park is an 8-mile / 4-hour scenic hike and is considered moderately strenuous.
“In the fall, the Walk Between the Parks allows hikers to enjoy exceptional fall foliage up-close-and-personal,” said David Vance, walk leader and guide.
The season finale hike includes a cookout lunch at the halfway point along the trail. The menu consists of hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, fresh fruit, cookies and cold/hot drinks. Supplies for lunch are brought in for the cookout, but hikers should carry their own water and snacks. Hikers will encounter wet and rocky terrain and are encouraged to wear hiking boots or cross-country walking shoes and carry their own water and snacks.
“I’ve been leading these hikes since 2006 and I can honestly say that each hike offers something new,” said Vance. “But it’s the fellowship you experience on these hikes that keep people coming back year after year.”
Shuttle service will leave the Main Lodge of Canaan Valley Resort State Park at 9 a.m. and take hikers to the starting point at Blackwater State Park; or hikers can meet at the Blackwater Falls State Park Farm Discovery Center at 10 a.m. The shuttle will return to Blackwater Falls State Park between 2 and 5 p.m. to return hikers who started from Canaan Valley Resort.
Registration fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-12. The fee includes an event memento, cookout and shuttle service from Canaan Valley Resort State Park. Register online at www.canaanresort.com or in-person Saturday morning from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Because of its popularity, early registration is recommended for this event.
Canaan Valley Resort State Park, located in Tucker County, is a four-season mountain destination and the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains, with a base elevation of 3,100 feet. Nestled among 6,000+ acres on a plateau overlooking the valley, the resort offers sweeping views of the surrounding peaks.
The newly renovated Main Lodge boasts 160 new guestrooms and has recently been awarded a three-star rating by AAA. In addition to the lodge rooms, the resort offers 23 cabins and cottages, 34 campground sites and more than 25,000 square feet of conference space consisting of 10 meeting rooms, an exhibit hall and an outdoor pavilion. Visit the resort website at www.canaanresort.com or call 800-622-4121 for more information.
