The Capon Springs and Farms Resort is a family friendly, traditional resort nestled in the mountains along the Capon River, adjacent the George Washington National Forest. With a history dating back to pre-Civil War days, almost all the buildings on the property are historic, so it’s a bit like stepping back in time!
Because the buildings are historic, the resort is pretty and charming and embraces that old-timey feel. There’s a band stand and a camp fire ring.
Hammocks dot the grounds, offering inviting places to curl up with a book or just relax and watch the clouds.
Meals are taken family style in the main dining room — you’re assigned your table at your first meal. It’s likely that throughout your stay, you’ll have the same waiter or waitress serve your meals; as they get to know your preferences, you’ll find these anticipated. We enjoyed fried chicken, roast turkey with all the fixings, pancakes, freshly baked rolls, hamburgers and more. It’s all you can eat, of course.
There’s a fabulous (cold) swimming pool — really a “bathing beach” because water from the springs are pumped through it (a swimming pool is filled with filtered and treated, often heated water).
It’s a cool 65 degrees though, because the water comes straight from the famous Capon Springs. If you’re there on the right day, you might be able to snag a tour through the spring house, to see the springs which produce more than a 100 gallons a minute and learn why the spring water is so danged good!
Glider chairs and rocking chairs on all the porches, as well as a variety of sweet places to sit, invite you to kick back and bide a while.
If you’re tired from the 17 miles of hiking along 6 trails, all attached to the resort. One morning before breakfast, I ventured up the White Cliff trail, a charming walk through the woods until a short but fairly steep climb up to the cliffs.
I tried out the Roman baths at the spa — one of my first stops after arriving at the resort. I pondered signing up for another the following day, but there were no appointments available. No wonder! It was 30 minutes of steaming hot luxury, in chamomile-scented spring waters (you can choose your scented bath salts, or have no bath salts at all).
One of eight known “warm springs” in West Virginia, the constant 65-degree water streaming forth from Capon Springs have a long history of healing qualities being attributed to them, and who’s to say that there isn’t something about these waters that just make you feel better?
Scientifically, the alkaline waters from Capon Springs has a high concentration of dissolved oxygen, healthful doses of magnesium and calcium, and trace amounts of lithium. It’s a good tasting water, and you find yourself wanting to drink more of it.
When you aren’t taking the waters (in one form or another) or reading in a hammock, there are board games, golf, tennis, disc golf, fishing, badminton, shuffle board, volley ball or ping pong, among other activities. There are movie nights, campfires and ping pong tournaments. This is seriously retro and equally wonderful.
Capon Springs would be a great place for a girls weekend, a couples retreat, or a family vacation.
The couple in the room next to ours was celebrating their 15th anniversary — her parents had met at the resort decades ago, when her dad’s family switched their usual weeks, and arrived on the same week as her mom’s family. The rest, as they say, is history. She grew up with happy memories of summer weeks spent at the Capon Springs, and now she was bringing her young family. “Mom, Capon traditions are really important,” her daughter told her over the weekend; she said it made her day.
I mean, with testimonials like that — unsolicited, mind you — how can you NOT fall in love with this all-inclusive resort?
Getting there: 3818 Capon Springs Rd, High View, WV
Website: https://www.caponsprings.net/
