Snowshoe is site of the second highest point in the state and the peak elevation for Cheat Mountain, at Thorny Flat, which reaches 4,848 feet (1,478 m) above sea level.

Ski slopes make up 244 acres (0.99 km2) of the resort, which include the Snowshoe Basin, Western Territory, and Silver Creek areas.

Thomas "Doc" Brigham discovered the mountain and believed it would be a good location to build a new ski resort.

With a mean temperature of 22.1 °F (−5.5 °C) (as seen in the climate box below) in January and 62.6 °F (17.0 °C) in July, Snowshoe can be considerably cooler than nearby areas at lower elevations.

The resort's altitude at almost a mile high provides for weather conditions that more closely resemble the rigorous winters of Northern New England than the milder climate of the Upland South.