First of all, Rocky Gap State Park is a true gem. The unspoiled mountain vistas are good for the soul and the park offers lots of hiking trials for both novice and expert hikers. There is even a specially designed trail for the disabled.
Staying at the lodge is not cheap. Room rates this time of year range from $219 to $240 per night. For that you get a room comparable to a mid priced hotel with a very small bathroom. On the plus side, the windows in the rooms open so you can turn off the a/c and enjoy the cool mountain air in the evenings.
Forget about newspapers. On the weekends, none are delivered to the hotel, not even to the small gift shop. On weekdays you can get a copy of USA Today. Oddly, you can’t even get a copy of the Cumberland Times News which is published just seven miles down the road. Internet access is provided at $6 a day.
There are plenty of things to do, golf, tennis, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, and fishing are all available in the park. Nearby Cumberland even offers some nightlife, on Friday nights in particular. Before we left this morning Mama Wordbones and I biked around the town an even took in a portion of the C&O Canal towpath. That was where I spotted this nice memorial to the Irish laborers who perished during the building of the canal.
Staying at the lodge is not cheap. Room rates this time of year range from $219 to $240 per night. For that you get a room comparable to a mid priced hotel with a very small bathroom. On the plus side, the windows in the rooms open so you can turn off the a/c and enjoy the cool mountain air in the evenings.
Forget about newspapers. On the weekends, none are delivered to the hotel, not even to the small gift shop. On weekdays you can get a copy of USA Today. Oddly, you can’t even get a copy of the Cumberland Times News which is published just seven miles down the road. Internet access is provided at $6 a day.
There are plenty of things to do, golf, tennis, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, and fishing are all available in the park. Nearby Cumberland even offers some nightlife, on Friday nights in particular. Before we left this morning Mama Wordbones and I biked around the town an even took in a portion of the C&O Canal towpath. That was where I spotted this nice memorial to the Irish laborers who perished during the building of the canal.
Will we go back?
Absolutely. It is a nice getaway about two hours and less than three quarters of a tank of gas (in an SUV) from here.
Absolutely. It is a nice getaway about two hours and less than three quarters of a tank of gas (in an SUV) from here.
Glad to hear you went to Rocky Gap. We have a cabin not far from Paw Paw and frequently travel around the area -- including Cumberland/Rocky Gap. Here are some other neat things to do on your next visit.
ReplyDelete1. Go to Cumberland and take the train to Frostburg. You can take bikes on the train and peddle from their on some great stretches of the Great Alleghany Passage Heritage Bike Trail. Frostburg _12 takes you through the Savage Tunnel. (you can also bike from Cumberland to Frostburg: 16 miles that you'll feel b/c it's a 3% grade up -- takes us 2.5 hrs to get to F, but only 1.15 to get back because it's all down hill!
2. Be sure to go to the Queen Street Creamery -- they make their own ice cream, and the sandwiches etc are great.
3. At Rocky Gap hike the trail up Evitts Mountain -- really nice.
4. Cumberland has a some nice Museums -- we really like the F. Brook Whiting Museum, and the history museum.
Enjoy!