e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online

Timberline Four Seasons Resort, located at Canaan Valley, opened in January 1987. The resort offers 36 trails on more than 91 skiable acres.

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. Three lifts accommodate 4,000 skiers an hour. 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. Snowmaking is available for about 94 percent of the terrain. Nine trails are lighted for night skiing. Additionally, 17 kilometers of cross-country skiing and backcountry trails are accessible from Timberline.

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. The slopes are expected to reopen for the 2020-21 ski season.

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"Timberline." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 08 February 2024. Web. Accessed: 21 November 2024.

08 Feb 2024