One of our best winter trips: sledding at Blackwater Falls in West Virginia! The quarter-mile sledding run is the longest on the East Coast! We also explored the state park and saw the beautiful frozen waterfall.
Table of Contents:
- 2024 Dates, Times & Cost
- Sledding Process
- Tips for Sledding
- Where We Stayed
- Other Things to Do at Blackwater Falls State Park
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Blackwater Falls Sledding Dates, Times, and Cost for 2024 - 2025 Season
Dates for the Blackwater Falls Sled Run
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2024 – Sunday, March 2, 2025
(Dates are subject to weather BUT they do make their own snow! Just if there is a storm, or a lot of rain, they will shut down)
Open Thursdays – Sundays except for Holiday Dates are open:
- Dec. 26-31, 2024
- Jan. 1-5, 20, 2025
- Feb. 17, 2025
- Feb. 22 – Cardboard Duct-tape Race (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
(L) Lining up for the Magic Carpet ride. There was only a line at the beginning (and very quick!) and then we all spaced out. (R) View from the top of the hill.
Session Times:
You sign up for a specific session time and you can ride the Magic Carpet up and Sled Down as much as you want during that 2 hour period. Below are the sessions you can sign up for:
Thursday through Sunday
- 10 AM – 12 PM
- 1 - 3 PM
- 4 - 6 PM
Fri & Saturday Night and Holiday Sunday Nights (MLK Jr. Day and Presidents Day)
- 7 - 9 PM
Cost of Sledding at Blackwater Falls State Park
Cost:
- Weekdays – $28
- Weekends & Holidays – $33
- Children under 5 ride free with an adult. (and yes we saw children as young as toddlers!)
Ages: Kids 8 years old and younger must ride with an adult. From their website: "Age requirements may be raised depending on hill conditions at the time of the sled session." It can get pretty fast so I like that 8-year-olds and under are riding with adults who can steer more of the sled. I did see lots of toddlers riding with their grown-ups!
Blackwater Falls Sled Run Process:
- Reserve Your Tickets: We made sure to book our tickets in advance through the West Virginia State Parks website, and it’s definitely a good idea because popular time slots sell out fast! If you’re planning to go, I recommend securing your spot early, especially during peak season.
- Arrive Early: We arrived about 20 minutes before our scheduled sledding time. This allowed us to check in and attend the required safety briefing led by a Park Ranger. It’s great because they explain everything you need to know before you hit the sledding run.
- Ticket Pick-Up: When we arrived, we simply went to the Gift Shop window outside to pick up our tickets. All we had to do was give our last name—it was quick and easy!
- Grab Your Sled: The park provides these awesome, heavy-duty 6-foot sleds. You can’t bring your own, but that’s okay because the sleds they give you are perfect for the run. Our family had no trouble handling them, even though they’re sturdy they are not too heavy.
- Ride the Magic Carpet: One of the coolest parts was hopping on the Magic Carpet conveyor, which took us through the woods on a 5-7 minute ride up to the top of the hill. It felt like an adventure on its own, and the views were beautiful!
- Top of the Hill: At the top, we slid down a small slope and dismounted the Magic Carpet with the help of a staff member. They were really friendly and made sure everyone got off safely.
- Ready, Set, Sled!: After a short walk of about 15 feet, we were at the top of the run, ready to go. You can start whenever you’re ready, and it’s such a thrill to speed down that huge hill! Our family couldn’t get enough of it.
- Enjoy Your Time: You have two full hours to sled as many times as you want, and trust me, you’ll want to go again and again! Afterward, we spent some time by the fire pits, warming up and enjoying the rest of the park. It’s the perfect way to spend a winter day together.
Blackwater Falls Sledding Tips
#1 Bring snow goggles!
We did not bring snow goggles and after the first run, we had to run back to the car for baseball hats and sunglasses! Their website says you can go up to 30 mph and the snow and wind blowing in your eyes is pretty hard. They do sell snow goggles in the gift shop but they are $44 per piece. I should have brought something like these very affordable goggles for my kids for 1/4 the price! (2 pack for $14!)
#2 Bring lunch for Blackwater Falls!
There is a small snack area in the gift shop selling pizza, water, hot chocolate, and s'more kits (loved it for $4.75!) but not a lot for lunch. I was glad we packed a picnic lunch to eat in the car once we arrived for our 1 PM time slot.
#3 Wear layers!
This is obvious for any snow activity but since we haven't skied with the kids, this is our "big winter activity." We all definitely needed our long underwear and many layers with the wind and lower temps on the mountain. I wrote about my favorite winter weather gear for kids here and am very happy with my son's new gloves, which are best at keeping snow off his wrists! We also brought hand warmers which I keep in the car for emergencies.
#4 Check the Weather at Blackwater Falls State Park
Check the weather beforehand for Davis, West Virginia. It is the highest town in the state and we found that the temperature was about 8-10 degrees colder at the park than in other parts of the state. (They also have snowmakers to create snow if they don't have any early in the season!)
Staying Overnight Near Blackwater Falls Sledding Area
There are a couple of options depending on your group size and the distance you want to travel.
Closest Option: Stay at the State Park!
The closest option is to stay at the state park itself! They have cabins and a large Lodge built in the 1950s with 54 rooms. The State Park's website is here. Booking.com link for the Lodge is here.
Where We Stayed: Cabin 1 hour away
We stayed an hour away in Romney, West Virginia in a delightful cabin via Airbnb. The cozy cabin was perfect for our family of 4 but with 1 room and 1 pull-out couch, it would not fit more than 4. It was very clean and our host Laura had so many thoughtful additions including fresh bread, farm-raised pork sausage, eggs, milk, and even homemade blackberry jam ready for us! The cabin is on a 15-acre farm with pigs, chickens, and beautiful views. However, it was 3 degrees wind chill so we stayed warm inside!
Also, I think it is an incredible value for the price!
Other Things to Do in Blackwater Falls State Park besides Sledding
Highly recommend checking out the park's map for a ton of great info!
Blackwater Falls Waterfall
Highly recommend checking out the 57-foot Waterfall before you leave the park! There are 2 ways to view the falls.
- Gentle Trail: The easy way was suggested to us by a Park Ranger because of the falling snow. It was only a mile down the road from the Sled Run and just an easy 0.25-mile walk to a lookout. The walk through the trees was beautiful!
- Blackwater Falls Boardwalk Trail: Also just a 0.25-mile trail but you take 200 steps down to an observation deck. The park's map says this is somewhat difficult to difficult but you get to be closer to the falls.
Snowshoe or Cross-Country Ski
You can rent snowshoes or cross-country skis at the Sledding Run Gift Shop and enjoy 10 miles of cross-country skiing trails!
Canaan Valley Snow Tubing is close by! Check out details on this and 7 other Snow Tubing Spots here and 5 Ski Resorts for Families near DC.
