Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2018 - 16

COURTESY OF CAPON SPRINGS & FARMS

T H E G O O D WA L K

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CAPON SPRINGS,
WEST VIRGINIA

This other-era resort offers a getaway like few others, along with 10 miles of trails.
by LEONARD M. ADKINS

apon Springs and Farms encompasses
4,700 acres in eastern West Virginia. It is
unlike any other place I have been-and
I'm not alone in feeling this way.
"At the risk of sounding rather amorphous, there is a quality about Capon
that, while very difficult to describe, is
almost magical." That's what Allen Sharrett of Emporia, Virginia, had to say when I asked what kept
his family coming back twice a year for the past 35
years. "We simply love the setting, and the culture
that the family owners have created. The decisions
to remain, if you will, 'rustic,' have resulted in an
atmosphere that is serene, relaxing, unpretentious,
and friendly."
Kelly Criste-Cook, of Ashland, Virginia,
summed up her feelings: "It is about being in the
one and only place we have found where we are
truly responsibility-free and can disconnect from
everything else and 'just be.' There is a purity in
the way you get to live while you are at Capon, free
from outside intrusions."
The resort retains much of the feel of yesteryear.
The buildings are, for the most part, from the early
20th century. No televisions, phones or internet
in the rooms, although all are available in other
buildings. While this is the source of much of its
charm, it is the way it's operated that sets it apart.

BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

LEONARD M. AND LAURIE M. ADKINS

ABOVE: The Orange
Trail makes its way
through tall pines.
TOP: The Music
Pavilion is near the
center of the resort.

Third-generation co-owner Jonathon Bellingham welcomes guests, helping them adjust to the
relaxed mood. Other than spa services, everything
except golf is included in the daily rate. Meals are
served family style with ingredients raised on the
farm. Guests may sit at their own table or mingle
with others. The springs' water flows from drinking fountains and through the swimming pool
(negating any need for chlorine).
Every morning there is a flag raising ceremony
and every Saturday night there is a campfire singalong followed by a hotdog roast. In other words,
this is more like your fond memories of summer
camp than of a posh resort.
Laurie and I did not know any of this when we
made our reservation. We, of course, were initially
attracted to the more than 10 miles of trails. They,
too, did not fail to charm.
The Eagle Rock Trail, recently incorporated into
the 1,600-mile Great Eastern and 250-mile Tuscarora trails, rises gradually along a woods road. The
engraved bench at the terminus of its 1.25 miles
overlooks a view rare in the eastern United States.
The valleys and ridgelines receding to the east
show almost no signs of civilization other than
two houses perched atop a nearby knob.
The short, 20-minute White Cliff Trail ends
with a wide view of the resort's golf course and a

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Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2018

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