Day trips worth leaving the mountain for.

Green Bank Observatory

Green Bank Observatory is about 30 minutes from Snowshoe, and 10 minutes from Cass. It is home to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, at 100 meters.

For a family, the visit is the educational part of the week. The Science Center holds the Catching the Wave Exhibit Hall, interactive exhibits inside a huge Faraday cage. Site tours explain what a Faraday cage is. A guided bus tour goes out on the campus to the telescope itself. Starlight Café is in the Science Center atrium if you want lunch on site.

The grounds are free and open from sunrise to sunset. Turn wireless signals off on arrival, and on a tour or a hike past the gates, power electronics off or leave them in the car. Medical devices such as pacemakers, hearing aids, and insulin pumps stay on. There is no cell service at the facility.

As of October 2026, school-year hours (August 15, 2026 through May 27, 2027) are Thursday through Monday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Summer hours (June 1 through August 14) are seven days a week, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Guided site tours run on open days at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 when there is space, about an hour. Those times change, and holidays close the center, so check the hours and admission page for the week you go.

Science Center and Exhibit Hall admission is free. A guided bus tour, with a presentation, is $10 a person for ages 6 and up. A presentation without the bus is $5. Children 5 and under are free, and so are veterans and active duty service members. Call 304-456-2150 if the day is tight. Tours sell out.

Cass Scenic Railroad

Cass is a company town the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company founded in 1901 for the loggers working the mountains around it. Railroad construction started that same year, to haul lumber to the mill, and the track was later extended to Bald Knob, the third highest peak in West Virginia. The mill and railroad shut down in 1960. Cass entered the state parks system in 1961, and the company town followed in 1977. The railroad is still running, managed by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The full history is at West Virginia State Parks.

Train rides are on the Mountain Rail calendar. The Bald Knob trip is 11 miles up and about four and a half hours round trip, and there is also a Greenbrier Express ride from Cass toward Durbin. What is running changes with the season, so check their calendar before you promise the day. Cass is about 10 minutes from the observatory, which means the two can share a day when the trains are out.

Pomona Salt Cave and Spa

Pomona Salt Cave and Spa is at 6705 Pocahontas Trail in White Sulphur Springs, about 90 minutes south of Snowshoe by car. The centerpiece is a Himalayan salt cave built with more than 18,000 pounds of salt. The spa also offers massages, facials, body and foot treatments, and halotherapy, and there is a Spa Garden Café with fresh meals, juices, and smoothies, plus gift shops. For a longer stay, it has lodging with salt walls.

The house calls it a really exceptional experience, and a good rest day after a few days on skis. Hours vary by day and season; check current details before the drive.

Book the Salt Cave and Spa

Via Ferrata at NROCKS

The Via Ferrata at NROCKS, on Nelson Gap Road near Circleville, is about an hour’s drive from the resort. It offers 7 ziplines, half-day rope climbing tours, and a one-of-a-kind adventure experience, the Via Ferrata. Italian for “by way of iron,” the Via Ferrata offers a mile of fixed-anchor, professionally guided rock climbing using steel rungs and cables up and over two towering rock fins. The climb takes 3.5 to 5 hours, gains 1,085 feet, crosses a suspension bridge more than 200 feet long and 150 feet high, and reaches exposed heights of 280 feet. The double-fin rocks provide a unique combination of physical challenge and overwhelming beauty. Open March through November.

Guides teach the double-carabiner lanyard system first, so climbers stay clipped to the safety cable the whole way. No climbing background is needed, but climbers must be 13 or older and weigh between 88 and 265 pounds, and it is not recommended for anyone trying to get past an intense fear of heights. The house calls it professional and breathtaking. Plan to arrive 20 minutes early; check current details.

Book the Via Ferrata

Blackwater Outdoor Adventures

About 2 to 2.5 hours · Parsons

Blackwater Outdoor Adventures offers tubing on calmer sections of the Cheat River, paddling trips, and guided whitewater rafting on the Cheat Narrows. It is a good option for guests who want either a relaxing float or a more adventurous river experience.

Rafting depends on water levels and runs mainly in summer, so check current details before you plan the day.

Plan a Cheat River trip

New River Gorge whitewater rafting

About 2 to 3 hours · Fayetteville and Lansing area

For real rapids, outfitters such as New & Gauley River Adventures and West Virginia Adventures offer guided New River and Gauley River trips, as well as ziplines and other adventure options. There are gentler floats for families too, so match the trip to the youngest paddler.

Look at New River trips

More day trips at a glance

Drive times are approximate from Snowshoe in good weather.