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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
Timberline Four Seasons Resort, located at Canaan Valley, opened in January 1987. Now known as Timberline Mountain, the resort offers 37 trails on more than 100 skiable acres in 91 skiable areas.
Private development of the Timberline area began in the late 1960s, corresponding with the progression of plans to create Canaan Valley State Park, which is just a few miles away. In 1985, a Philadelphia surgeon, Frederick A. Reichle, and members of his family purchased property at Timberline from the original developer to develop a ski area on Cabin Mountain. The resort opened two years later. The entire Timberline development now has about 400 houses, and rentals are available throughout the year.
Timberline offers 1,000 vertical feet of skiing, with trails for all levels of skill. Two-mile Salamander Run is the longest ski slope in the Mid-Atlantic. The high altitude, with a 4,268-foot peak, is known for its long winters and abundant natural snowfall, which averages more than 150 inches a season. Eight trails are lighted for night skiing.
The ski area closed in February 2019 following problems with lifts, snowmaking equipment, and financing. In April Timberline filed for bankruptcy protection. Throughout the summer, Timberline unsuccessfully sought a buyer for the ski area, trails, lodge and hotel. In November 2019 Timberline Four Seasons Resort was purchased by Indiana-based Perfect North Slopes, Inc., which invested $10 million in the resort, including two new lifts, a remodeling of the lodge, and snowmaking upgrades. It now operates as Timberline Mountain.