The Shenandoah Valley is a gorgeous stretch through parts of Virginia and West Virginia, and Capon Springs is a gem in the West Virginia portion. This resort is magical for so many reasons!
This post is in partnership with Visit Shenandoah Valley and Capon Springs who hosted our visit. All opinions are my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.
Last year, we took a family vacation to the Shenandoah Valley and absolutely fell in love with this area of the country in Virginia and West Virginia that lies between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west. (See more of my Shenandoah Valley posts here.)
We’ve been excited to get back and explore more of what this area has to offer, and this year we spent Memorial Day weekend at Capon Springs and Farms in West Virginia. This all-inclusive family resort is a rare gem, and there is a reason that their hashtag is #TheMagicOfCapon.
It really IS magic, and my family and I were able to unplug and connect with each other and with nature, and we all know that in today’s age of screens and running to and from soccer practice every night, that is a special treat.
Below I’m sharing all you need to know about why Capon Springs is so unique, and tips for making the most of your visit.
Capon Springs All-Inclusive Resort
I have a thing for all-inclusive resorts, and while they’re plentiful in the Caribbean, they are pretty hard to find in the United States. A stay at Capon Springs includes all of your meals and activities. Golf and spa treatments are the only extras and as a mom planning family vacations I love knowing exactly what the bottom line will be before we book our trip.
This photo is of the Main House where all meals are served. The lobby and front desk are located here, as well as the library and game room.
Each morning before the breakfast bell rings, a flag raising ceremony takes place in front of the Main House. Because we were there over Memorial Day weekend, we were treated to a special flag raising with the children included.
If I’m painting a picture of a throwback to when life was simpler, more community and family-oriented, and lacking in all of the screens and electronics we’re so immersed in today, then you’re starting to get a feel for Capon Springs.
If something old-fashioned can be refreshing at the same time, this family-owned resort is.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the dining room. Each family has the same table for every meal with their name on it.
As our server got to know us, she had the items we asked for on our table each day. There was tea for my husband at breakfast, brown sugar for my daughter’s oatmeal, and extra cream every morning for my coffee.
The food was delicious at every meal. It really felt like the kind of food you’d be served if you visited someone’s house. For breakfast we had things like french toast, pancakes, farm fresh eggs cooked to order, and bacon.
Lunch included salad (get some of the Piquant dressing – we bought 2 bottles to bring home!), spaghetti, sandwiches, and hamburgers. And our dinners included turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, and oh boy, don’t forget the desserts!
The food is plentiful, and we did pack a bag of snacks to keep in our room but honestly didn’t need it.
My kids are pretty good eaters, but if you’re traveling with younger kids that might be pickier about what they eat, Capon Springs understands how that is and has you covered. They’ll be ready with PB&J or whatever accommodations you need to keep your kids happy at mealtime.
What are Capon Springs?
One of the activities we participated in during out stay was a Spring House Tour which was about a 20-30 minute talk about the history of Capon Springs resort.
And Capon Springs isn’t just a pretty name – they are actual natural springs that this property is build on, and this spring water is everywhere!
There is one primary spring at Capon that’s protected by the Spring House, a small enclosure on the property. It produces 100 gallons of water per minute!
This water comes up through the ground passing through 300 feet of sandstone, so it’s alkaline water and not only does it taste amazing, but it’s thought to have healing properties. Fountains are sprinkled around the property so be sure to bring water bottles with you.
After 3 days of drinking lots of Capon water, we were believers! I think the combination of unplugging, connecting with each other, spending so much time being active outside, and drinking more water than we normally do because it was so readily available made us all feel energized and healthier.
In the late 1800s/early 1900s, people would travel by train to get as close as they could to Capon Springs, and then take a horse and carriage like the one pictured above to get to the property where they would meet with a physician who would learn of their ailments, and then prescribe the proper amount of Capon water to treat them.
What a treat it was to be at Capon Springs during the first weekend that this restored carriage was at the resort to give visitors a ride!
Things to Do at Capon Springs
The cool thing about Capon Springs is that you can do as much or as little as you want. If you want to lounge in a hammock with a book all day, go for it. If you want to hike, swim, play basketball, and be really active, there are tons of opportunities for that, too.
There’s a beautiful swimming pool that’s filled with….you guessed it! Capon spring water! On a regular basis over the summer, the pool is drained and then refilled to keep it clean.
That jet of water you see above is filling the pool with refreshing 65 degree spring water. Sound brisk? It is! Do your hiking first and you’ll be ready to jump right in.
No matter what your game, you can play it here. We played tennis, badminton, croquet, soccer, volleyball, and fling golf (definitely check that out – we loved it!).
There are hammocks and chairs spread throughout the property to relax on, and each lodging building has a porch with chairs as well.
When we needed a little break from the sun, we hit the indoor game room where we played a bunch of board games. Battleship was my kids’ favorite while my husband and I put together a bunch of puzzles together.
Fishing rods are provided at the front desk and you could bring your own if you’d like to. We brought one from home that my son got for Christmas, and used the provided bamboo sticks for the rest of us. The lake is well-stocked with fish but we only reeled one fish in.
You can grab a bag of bread from the front desk to use as bait, but if you really want to hook some fish, I’d consider bringing your own bait. If you catch one that’s large enough, they’ll cook it up for you in the kitchen!
Capon Springs is located on 4700 beautiful acres, and even if you’re not super nature-y (raising my hand), you’ll want to get out and explore.
There are 6 hiking trails on the property and you can grab a map at the front desk to see which ones are the right length and difficulty level for your group.
Two of the hikes lead to a scenic lookout and those are the ones we did. The shorter one, White Cliff, is pretty steep but it’s only about 20 minutes to get to this lookout over the golf course.
The longer hike to a lookout is Eagle Rock Trail and leads you to the top of Great North Mountain. This hike takes a couple of hours, allowing time for photos at the top, so don’t forget your phone. The view is stunning!
This lookout is the border between West Virginia and Virginia. The kids are sitting in West Virginia, and everything behind them is in Virginia. There’s a pretty cool geography lesson for them!
The schedule at Capon Springs is pretty wide open so you can spend your time doing the things you enjoy most. There are always a couple of activities on the agenda to check out, though, and we really enjoyed these. One evening we played bingo, and another evening we participated in the campfire singalong.
Visitors gathered around a big fire and sang songs just like I did in Girl Scout Camp so many years ago. The little kids all wore glow sticks and got a big thrill out of dancing and singing in the dark. We had such fun with this!
Hygeia Bath House and Spa at Capon Springs
My husband and I both have desk jobs, so all of the physical activity (especially the hiking) wore us out. We hit the on-property Hygeia Bath House and Spa for a soaking bath.
When it was first recommended to me that we get a ‘family bath’ I was a little confused, but not only did we try it once, we loved it so much that we did it TWICE. And now I’m here to tell you, get a family bath!
The soaking baths are basically like a private hot tub, and they’re filled with alkaline Capon water heated to 102 degrees and oohhh myyy are they amazing. We opted to have some scented bath salts added to ours and absolutely loved relaxing in here after a busy day of play.
The spa also offers massage, facials, and reflexology. If we’re fortunate enough to get back to Capon Springs, I definitely want to try those services too. The spa is beautiful and before we left on the day we checked out, we stopped back to do some shopping.
Learn More About Capon Springs
There is so much more I could share about our weekend at Capon Springs. This place is truly magical, and it’s a rare experience to find a resort that makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time and be able to say that in a GOOD way.
Extended families come back to Capon year after year and I can see why. There’s no temptation to hang out in your room and watch TV, or kill time on a laptop or phone. There are no TVs in the rooms, and there’s only one spot to pick up WiFi on the whole property. Cell phone reception is very limited and I had no signal at all the whole weekend.
At Capon Springs, you will spend quality time with your loved ones, guaranteed. If you’re like me and have tweens or teens, you know that’s a pretty special guarantee.
I can’t say enough about how meaningful it is to unplug with your family and reconnect in this environment. The Capon Springs website includes additional information to help you plan a trip, and be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram, too.
Plan a Trip to the Shenandoah Valley
We LOVE this area of the country and strongly recommend it for a family vacation! Visit the Visit Shenandoah Valley website to plan a trip your family will love. Their pictures on Instagram are gorgeous and will make you want to hop in your car and go NOW! Here are some of the things we’ve done in the area that we enjoyed.
- Natural Bridge, Virginia: A Photo Tour
- Massanutten Resort Review: Family Adventure in the Shenandoah Valley
- Grand Caverns In Virginia: A Photo Tour
- Amazing Animal Interactions at Virginia Safari Park
- Skyline Drive Through Shenandoah National Park
Debra says
Wow! Love your blog and running commentary. I’ve just moved to the Shenandoah mountain area and love it, but don’t know exactly what’s available here. Thanks for the info. I’m eager to visit Capon Springs when the rest of the family comes up from Texas. Thanks again and happy writing!
Cheers, Debra
Lindsay Frank says
Thank you for your comment, Debra! We have visited the Shenandoah Valley twice, and hope to get back there again this summer. It’s beautiful! Check out those links at the end of this post for a few more of my posts on things we did in the Virginia area. And the Visit Shenandoah Valley website is a great resource. https://www.visitshenandoah.org/ Wishing you lots of happiness and new adventure!