Canaan Valley (West Virginia)
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Canaan Valley, is an oval shaped, bowl-like valley in northeastern Tucker County, West Virginia containing extensive wetlands and the headwaters of the Blackwater River, which spills out of the valley at Blackwater Falls. It is a partially undeveloped and well-known scenic attraction and tourist draw, associated with the Canaan Valley Resort State Park, the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Blackwater Falls State Park.
The local pronunciation of "Canaan" is Kuh-NANE', rather than the conventional KAY'-Nin for the Biblical region.
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[edit] Geography
The Valley, nestled among the higher ranges of the Allegheny Mountains, is about 13 miles long and 3 - 5 miles wide. It is defined by Canaan Mountain to the west and Cabin Mountain to the east. The Falls represent part of a water gap through which the Blackwater River exits the valley between Brown and Canaan Mountains before cascading through Blackwater Canyon. The average valley elevation is 3200 ft above sea level, while the surrounding mountains extend upward an additional 1000+ feet. Summers are cool and pleasant, while winters are cold and snowy. Summertime temperatures usually top out in the 60s or 70s F. Annual snowfall averages 150 inches, most of which falls from October to April. The area has a unique, almost tundra like, appearance. 1600 acres of the valley is part of the 500th Wildlife Refuge[1].
[edit] History
Before the intervention of humans, the Canaan Valley area was covered by an exceptionally robust climax red spruce forest, intermixed with balsam fir and hardwoods. Impenetrable understories of rhododendron made passage through the area almost impossible until the advent of logging, which began after 1916. The productivity of the timber stands in the Valley was twice that of similar stands within the state.
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[edit] Recreation
The Valley's unique climatic and natural features attract a steady flow of outdoor recreationalists. In addition to two state parks and one wildlife refuge, the valley is home to two Alpine ski resorts, Canaan Valley Ski Resort and Timberline Four Seasons Resort and one Nordic ski area, White Grass Touring Center. Camping, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, cross-country and downhill skiing, leaf-peeping, and wildlife viewing are popular outdoor activities.
[edit] References
- Kennedy, Philip Pendleton, The Blackwater Chronicle, A Narrative of an Expedition into the Land of Canaan in Randolph County, Virginia, Redfield, New York, 1853.
- Strother, David Hunter, The Virginia Canaan, Harper's Magazine, 8:18-36, 1855.
- Fortney, Ronald H., “Canaan Valley – An Area of Special Interest within the Upland Forest Region”, Chapter 4 in: Upland Forests of West Virginia, Stephen L. Stephenson, editor; Parsons, West Virginia: McClain Printing Company, 1993.
- Preble, Jack, Land of Canaan, Plain Tales from the Mountains of West Virginia, Parsons, West Virginia: McClain Printing Company, 1st ed., 1960; 2nd ed., 1965, 3rd ed., 1971.
