Get Out and Play
The South Branch River Valley is home to endless outdoor recreation adventures. Our mountain valley is the perfect place to explore a scenic trail, paddle a rippling river or challenge a mountain golf course with your friends or family.
Explore Our Trails
The South Branch River Valley of West Virginia is a wonderful destination for hikers and mountain bikers, offering everything from scenic riverside paths to challenging mountain trails and breathtaking overlooks.
For a memorable mountain adventure, head to Dolly Sods Wilderness and North Fork Mountain Trail, near Petersburg. Dolly Sods features unique high-elevation landscapes, rocky outcrops, open heath barrens and sweeping mountain views, with trails for a range of hiking abilities.
For mountain biking, the area around Petersburg offers scenic road and gravel routes, including rides along Smoke Hole Road and challenging routes through the surrounding mountain ridges. The Lost River Trails Coalition also provides suggested cycling routes connecting Moorefield, Petersburg and Romney.
Near Romney, Lost River State Park offers wooded trails and peaceful mountain scenery, with routes such as East Ridge Trail and Covey Cove Trail welcoming mountain bikers. For a more relaxed outdoor experience closer to town, explore Brighton Park in Moorefield, where visitors can enjoy riverside walks, wildlife watching and time along the South Branch Potomac River.
Adventure on the Water
The South Branch Potomac River is the heart of paddling and fishing adventures in the South Branch River Valley.. Kayakers and canoeists can enjoy a scenic float through The Trough, a spectacular six-mile gorge between Moorefield and Romney known for its steep, forested cliffs and bald eagle sightings. Near Petersburg, the river offers several accessible paddling routes, including a popular stretch from Welton Park toward Old Fields Bridge, with gentle rapids, quiet pools and beautiful valley scenery. For a more rugged experience, Smoke Hole Canyon offers dramatic rock formations and a memorable float through remote mountain country.
Anglers will find excellent opportunities along the South Branch, particularly for smallmouth bass, along with rock bass, sunfish and other species. Popular fishing areas include the river near Brighton Park in Moorefield and public access points near Petersburg. The Smoke Hole stretch is especially appealing for scenic float-fishing trips, while the river's slower pools near Romney offer opportunities for a relaxed day on the water. Visitors can also explore nearby lakes, including South Mill Creek Lake, for a quieter fishing or paddling experience.
Aerial Adventures
The mountains surrounding Moorefield, Romney and Petersburg offer some of West Virginia’s most exhilarating climbing and aerial adventures. Just a short drive from Petersburg, Seneca Rocks is a legendary destination for rock climbers, with towering quartzite cliffs, challenging multi-pitch routes and incredible views of the North Fork Valley. Beginners and experienced climbers alike can arrange guided climbing and rappelling trips with Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides, which offers instruction and group adventures. Nearby, NROCKS Outdoor Adventures near Circleville takes the excitement to new heights with its guided Via Ferrata, where participants climb fixed steel rungs and cables across dramatic rock fins, cross a suspension bridge and experience spectacular mountain panoramas.
For even more high-flying excitement, NROCKS also offers a canopy zipline tour through the forest, providing an exhilarating way to experience the rugged beauty of the North Fork Valley from above the treetops.
Hit the Links
Golf in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia means scenic courses, comfortable weather and unforgettable rounds. The South Branch River Valley is surrounded by a variety of fun and affordable courses in close proximity to our lodging properties. Gather your group and schedule your next golf getaway with us.
Local Courses
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Just 5 minutes from our South Branch Inn Moorefield location.
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Just 28 miles from our South Branch Inn Moorefield location.
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Nine-hole course just 25 miles from our South Branch Inn Moorefield location.
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Just 28 miles from our South Branch Inn Romney location.
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Championship course located just 28 miles from our Hermitage Inn location.
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Championship course that is located just 42 miles from our Hermitage Inn location and just 50 miles from our South Branch Inn Moorefield location.
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Nine-hole course located just 47 miles from our Hermitage Inn location.
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Championship course that is located just 83 miles from our Hermitage Inn location.