An easy drive over to West Virginia, a sledding trip at Blackwater Falls sled run made an awesome birthday celebration!

This year for the littlest Jones’ birthday, she decided that she wanted an experience over a party.  When your birthday is in the middle of the winter, you’ve got to find an indoor activity or something snow related. After blindly searching the internet for something within a reasonable driving distance, we discovered the perfect family activity- Blackwater Falls Sled Run.  This trip is going to be one we remember and repeat!

A little about Blackwater Falls State Park

Blackwater Falls State Park is located in Davis, WV.  From Locust Grove, it is just under a three hour drive that takes you into the mountains.  The drive is mostly on the highway.  You could make this trip in a day.

The park is open year round with hiking and cross country skiing trails near the falls, cabins and a lodge, the Blackwater Falls sled run, seasonal swimming, and scenic overlooks. 

Where We Stayed

To make this trip feel a little extra special, we decided to stay the evening before our sledding adventure at the Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge.  The lodge had been renovated a few years ago, so everything in the rooms felt fresh, but it still retains some of mid-century charm.  

The lodge has a large room filled with chairs, couches, and tables to relax in or play a board game.  There is a swimming pool and hot tub that was the highlight of the littlest Jones’ evening.  There is also a restaurant which we would not recommend, but instead suggest heading into the town of Davis or Thomas for dinner.

The room itself would be considered small by today’s standards (The lodge was built in the 1950s), but for us it was perfect.  The room was clean and had a warm shower.  Best of all, it is just a short five minute drive to Blackwater Falls sled run.

Blackwater Falls Sled Run

After a relaxing evening by the pool, we were up and ready to sled in the morning. The lodge does not offer a continental breakfast, so we brought muffins and oatmeal with us. We used the microwave on the first floor of the lodge to heat water. (The rooms do not have a microwave or refrigerator in them.)

We had booked tickets online for the first session of the day at the sled run.  Each session is two hours long.  The sled run is open from late December through early March and buying tickets ahead of time online lets you lock in your day as only a certain number of tickets are sold for each session. (Bonus: Kids under five are free!)  The Blackwater Falls sled run is open on Thursday-Sunday night for three sessions with an extra night time session on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tickets do sell out.  The date that we attended wasn’t our initial pick, but when we returned to book tickets after finalizing plans, our first pick was already gone, so don’t hesitate to purchase your tickets! 

When we arrived dressed in our winter gear about twenty minutes before the session was to start, it was foggy and misty on the mountain, but relatively pleasant in the upper thirties.  We went into the little store at the base of the Blackwater Falls sled run to show the staff our tickets and get our “lift tags.”  We spent a few minutes by the outdoor fire listening to a staff member go over the safety rules of sledding and then it was time for our adventure to begin!

Blackwater Falls sled run at the start of our session.
Halfway through the mist started to clear and temperatures rose.
Blackwater Falls sled run near the end of our session. It was getting a little slushy but it was still fun!

What to wear for your Blackwater Falls Sled Run Adventure:

  • While you aren’t  skiing down a mountain, you are still outside at a high elevation during winter.  While the Blackwater Falls sled run makes snow to keep everyone sledding even when it hasn’t fallen from the sky, dressing in layers is a must.  Our waterproof ski pants and winter jackets kept us dry from the melted snow that gathered in the sled and waterproof gloves kept our hands dry when we steered down the hill.
  • If the weather had been colder, I would also recommend a ski mask to protect your face, warm hat, and ski googles to help shield your eyes if it is snowing during your trip.  It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the sled run, so if you need to remove a layer or grab something you can.

Blackwater Falls Sled Run is more than a quarter of a mile up a hill, so we are thankful for the magic carpet that takes everyone up to the starting point.  You simply walk your sled up to the conveyor belt, sit down in it, and let the belt carry you to the top of the hill.  It takes around five minutes to reach the end, but you can chat with your sledding buddy, appreciate the surrounding woods, or as the littlest Jones preferred, lay back and look up at the trees.

At the top of the magic carpet, you ride the sled down a short ramp, stand up, and walk the sled a few feet to the top of the hill. 

I rode down the hill with the littlest Jones (kids eight and under must ride with an adult).  If you are like us, then the first run will help you understand how to best steer the sled down the hill.  You can use your hands to move to the right or the left by simply reaching out and touching the snow or for a faster stop, you can use your feet.   

Our trip down was fast, exciting, and fun. With excited demands of “let’s go again!”, it was straight back to the magic carpet for another ride to the top.

We continued to sled for about an hour weaving our way down the hill and occasionally having to move out of the way of another sled.  We stopped for a few minutes to warm our hands by the fire pit.  By this time, the temperature had warmed to about forty degrees so the sled run was starting to get a little slushy in spots.  While it felt like quite a few people had decided to head out, we were ready to keep going.  We spent the last hour racing down the sled run with lots of happy shouts and screams coming from the littlest Jones.  

At the end of our session, we were sad to leave, but ready to return next winter.  Maybe we’ve found a new family tradition!  We headed to the car and peeled off all of our ski bibs and wet boots.  Important and practical note:  plan to bring something (a trash bag, laundry basket) to put the wet gear and boots in so everything in the trunk doesn’t get soaked.

Enjoying other Parts of the Park

After the Blackwater Falls Sled Run, we had a picnic lunch in the car and drove over to the Blackwater Falls trail to get in a little hike before heading home since it was shaping up to be a sunny day. This short trail (there is also a handicap accessible viewing path too) went down the hill via stairs and out to the falls.  It was slushy and icy in spots, but an enjoyable hike.  The falls were full of water due to melting snow and beautiful.

As we headed home, the littlest Jones declared that this was “the best birthday ever” and we couldn’t agree more. Blackwater Falls sled run needs to become a yearly activity for our family.

Blackwater Falls