A new ski area base lodge will greet visitors this winter at West Virginia’s Canaan Valley Resort, according to officials from Guest Services, Inc. (GSI), the concessionaire which operates the Tucker County state park.

“We’re anticipating being able to accommodate a significantly greater number of skiers in a more convenient, modern base facility,” said Gerard Gabrys, president of GSI. Canaan Valley is visited by thousands of skiers each winter, and was awarded a “Three Diamond” designation by the American Autombile Association..

The $2 million lodge will span two stories and contain nearly 21,000 square feet of space. The main floor of the building will be used for retail and rental space, as well as for ticket concession and general administrative offices. The upper floor will have a large dining and social gathering area with a full service kitchen.

“We’ll be able to serve 500 skiers in our dining area alone, and we’ll have a lot more space for lockers and for overnight storage of skis and equipment,” explained Gabrys.

At an elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level, Canaan Valley Resort offers winter activities ranging from downhill skiing and snowboarding to cross country skiing, ice skating, and snow tubing. Canaan has 34 downhill slopes with a vertical drop of 850 feet. 30 kilometers of marked, ungroomed trails and many acres of wide open meadows are available to cross country skiers, and Canaan’s location - at the northern edge of the Monongahela National Forest - brings plenty of natural snow each winter.