Outdoors At CU
Concord University is home to some of the best natural attractions in West Virginia. Whether you’re climbing mountains or racing off snow covered slopes, fishing streams or conquering raging rapids, southern West Virginia calls to locals and tourists alike. For outdoor enthusiasts looking for a high quality education, Concord University is your opportunity to have it all.
You could hike every weekend while you’re at CU and still not experience all the scenic paths the area has to offer. There are three West Virginia State Parks (Pipestem, Bluestone, and Camp Creek) a short drive from campus, National Parks, and just across the state border, access to the Appalachian Trail.
Concord University is ideally located near the region’s best hunting and fishing opportunities, both in West Virginia and southwest Virginia. The Bluestone Wildlife Management Area is a short drive from campus, and so are three state parks that all offer seasonally stocked streams.
Winterplace Ski Resort in Flat Top is less than 30 minutes from CU. Winterplace is the number one place to learn to ski in the Southeast, but it’s also a perfect place for more advanced skiers and snowboarders to improve their technique or just have fun. If skiing isn’t your sport, they also have the state’s largest snow tubing park. Many of Concord’s students also find seasonal employment at Winterplace since it is a short distance from campus.
Any season is the perfect time for riding the Hatfield-McCoy trails. From campus, you’re about 30 minutes from the Pocahontas trailhead in Bramwell, WV. This is just one of the eight trailheads that give access to the more than 700 miles of off-road adventure, making this trail system one of the nation’s largest.
If you want to conquer the raging rapids of the New River, there are several white water rafting companies less than an hour from campus. If a lazy river is more your speed, you can float the upper section of the New with Cantrell Ultimate Rafting in Hinton, just 25 minutes away.
At Pipestem State Park, Concord students can zip through the tree line at a discounted rate.
