7 WV adventures you’ll have to face solo… and be glad you did
Adventures are tucked into every nook and cranny of the Mountain State. Some you can enjoy together, but for others, you may have to be brave enough to venture alone.
Imagine the adrenaline of battling Cheat River’s rapids one-on-one, or zipping through the treeline.
Check out these 9 experiences you’ll have to face solo… and be glad you did.
1. Hitch a ride in a restored WWII-Era training plane
Wild Blue Adventure Co. in Fayetteville offers flights in fully restored, museum-quality WWII-era training planes. Board a Stearman Biplane or 1941 Piper Cub for a classic sightseeing tour or a heart pounding aerobatic thrill ride— the choice is yours. The real kicker? These planes are equipped for only one passenger (don’t worry, there’s room for a pilot, too).
2. Zip above the trees at Adventures on the Gorge
Fly high above the dense Fayetteville forests on either of Adventure on the Gorge’s world-class ziplines. TreeTops Canopy Tour is recognized as one of the best in the nation. You can go with friends, but you’ll have to muster the courage to step off each platform and swoop down each line on your own! Travel from tree to tree on 7 separate zips and 4 cable bridges.
If you want to kick things up a notch, clip into the lines on Gravity, an open-air zip that reaches 200 feet off the ground. Gravity’s zips send you flying over a lush treeline at speeds upwards of 50 miles per hour. Top it off with the longest zipline on the East Coast, the aptly named AdrenaLine. You’ll be soaring at a smooth 60 miles per hour for a length of more than 3,000 feet.
3. Traverse obstacles, ziplines and sky bridges at Harper’s Ferry Adventure Park
Harper’s Ferry Adventure Park is truly a playground in the trees. Visitors work at their own pace to climb, balance and hop their way through 5 different courses featuring 60 unique obstacles, including ziplines and sky bridges. The highest obstacle is a shaky 75 feet up in the trees! Luckily, the Adventure Park doesn’t care about the size of your biceps: there are challenges for every skill level. The course is self-guided, but there are park monitors on scene to encourage and help you along your way.
4. Get a bird’s eye view of the mountains below with West Virginia Skydivers
Thrust yourself out of a plane at 11,000 feet and hurtle towards the rolling Appalachian Mountains and winding Ohio River below. West Virginia Skydivers is a fun-driven, family friendly, laid back drop zone dedicated to making your first jump a breeze— no pun intended.
West Virginia Skydivers requires your first jump to be tandem (that means you’re attached to the underside of a professional who does all the hard work). After only 1 tandem jump— if you’re not hugging the ground after— you can start jumping on your own with the guidance and supervision of their experienced instructors and coaches.
5. Cruise down Snowshoe’s slopes on a mountain bike
When the snow melts and green grass begins poking through the ski slopes, Snowshoe Mountain Resort makes sure that steep terrain doesn’t go to waste. The Snowshoe Bike Park is nationally recognized as one of the best in the U.S., and its 40 trails create one of the largest trail systems in the East.
Take charge of your bike to weave through the forest terrain. Machine-groomed trails are tailored for every type of rider, from beginner to experienced. Group and private lessons are available, and the resort rents all the bikes and gear you need to ride safely.
6. Traverse Cheat River’s rapids in your own personal duckie
It’s you versus the Cheat River’s whitewater when you take a duckie tour by Blackwater Outdoor Adventures in Parsons. Duckies are inflatable kayaks for single riders. No experience is necessary to man your own duckie, and professional guides will still be there to guide you through each and every rapid.
7. See the slopes at Silver Creek from a fresh point of view
Rev up a snowmobile and get a different perspective of the slopes at Silver Creek atop Snowshoe Mountain. Allow a professional to guide you around unique areas of the mountain you might not be able to see on skis or snowboards. Because you’ll be exploring very adventurous terrain, adults are not permitted to ride as passengers. (You can bring some companions to steer their own adventure alongside you, though!)
What adventures have you taken on all by yourself? How did it feel to complete the challenge solo?
This post was last updated on March 15, 2022