Quote: Nearly every year for the past 20 or so, my husband and I have driven past West Virginia's Cacapon Resort State Park on the way to someplace else, usually the North Carolina Outer Banks. Each time, we'd gaze longingly at the beautiful scenery and mutter, "One of these trips, we've got to stop and look around this park."

Late last fall, we were on our way to a wedding in Virginia and left our northeastern Ohio home early enough to make a pit stop at Cacapon, which by the way is located within a few stone's throws of Berkeley Springs State Park. Although it was November, the foliage remained in near full bloom. As we wound our way down the park's entrance road, we were surrounded by gorgeous colors—and one heck of a mountain.

The mountain, we learned, carries the appropriate Cacapon name, but it's actually one of several peaks that surround the Cacapon watershed basin. Still, rising some 2,300 feet in the air, Cacapon Mountain dominated its surroundings, including a 48-room lodge and golf course.

The lodge, in fact, was our first stop. Overlooking a championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and known for a double green that's more than 100 yards wide, the open veranda at the back gave us a wonderful place to stretch our legs, rest a while, and watch late fall golfers do their thing. There's also a tennis court, nature center, and swimming area here—something for everyone to enjoy.

Inside, the look is rustic, with lots of wood and windows to let the sunshine in. The restaurant looked particularly appealing.

Also available for overnight stays is the Old Inn (rates here are well under $100 even in peak season) and 12 stand alone cabins in wooded settings. The lodge also serves as a conference center, with five meeting rooms available complete with professional equipment. Those who prefer cabin living will find those for rent as well, also at quite reasonable prices.

Needless to say, the 6,115-acre park has plenty of hiking and horse trails, ranging from an easy one-third mile trek to a 5-miler that's fairly rugged and steep and winds all the way to the top of Cacapon Mountain. We opted for a somewhat easier way up—a 4.5-mile drive up a winding road that leads to Panorama Overlook.

I use the word "somewhat" because the road is open May through October only, and the last mile or so is perhaps best traversed in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. But it's worth every growl of the engine and crackle of the tire; the views from the wood platform of the Potomac River and three states—West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland—are nothing short of spectacular.
From journals Cacapon Resort State Park