ESCAPE KEYS

Petersburg, W.Va.

GETTING THERE: Petersburg, W.Va., a good base for exploring the upper Potomac, is a three-hour drive west of Washington. Take Interstate 66 west to I-81 south to Exit 296 and Route 55 west to Petersburg. Go left at Moorefield onto U.S. Route 220 and take it 12 1/2 miles to Petersburg.

WHERE TO STAY: The Wildernest Inn (off Route 220, between Petersburg and Franklin, 888-621-2948, http://www.wildernestinn.com/ ) offers spacious rooms and lovely views of South Mill Creek Lake. Summer rates start at $115 a night and include breakfast. For a less extravagant but still good hotel, try the Homestead Inn Motel (on Route 55, a mile past Petersburg, 304-257-1049). It's clean, a cut above basic and well-located. Doubles, including a continental breakfast, go for $55 a night. For campers, there are various options. We chose Eagle's Nest Outfitters (see below) for our canoe and campsite. The site on the private campground had a fire pit and prime riverside location, but busy Route 55 was within earshot. Cost is $6 per person per night.

BEING THERE: Eagle's Nest Outfitters (304-257-2393, http://www.eaglesnestoutfitters.com/ ) features a wide range of canoe, kayak, tubing and raft trips. The rate for renting canoes, including transport, life jackets and paddles, ranges from $30 to $70 a day depending on the length and type of trip. The season runs from April to October. In the busy early summer, reserve in advance. For fishing, a license, which costs $18 a day (plus a surcharge for trout), is required. Check out the activities in the Monongahela National Forest (304-636-1800, http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf ), which spans more than 900,000 acres. There are also several state parks in the area (800-225-5982, http://www.wvstateparks.com/ ).

INFO: West Virginia Mountain Highlands , 877-982-6877, http://www.mountainhighlands.com/ .