Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania
Distance from Washington: 3 hours.
Nemacolin Woodlands’s Mystic Mountain has seven slopes, three lifts, and a variety of other snow activities such as night skiing, dog sledding, and tubing. There are six on-site lodging options from Falling Rock—a boutique hotel—to the Lodge, which has English Tudor-style rooms. Meals include fine dining, pub fare, and the largest wine cellar in Pennsylvania.
Lift tickets are $38 for an adult day pass, and it’s $29 to rent skis, boots, and poles.
Wisp, Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Distance from Washington: 3 hours.
There are 32 slopes here as well as snow tubing, night skiing, an ice-skating rink, and best of all, the East Coast’s only Mountain Coaster—a roller coaster that goes through the forest on the side of Wisp Mountain. Lodging options include the Wisp Resort Hotel and Conference Center, and there’s an Martin Luther King weekend package for $181 per night. For dining, there are theme nights with such options as sushi, prime rib, and Yuengling and wings.
An adult daytime weekend lift ticket is $59, and equipment-rental packages start at $36.
Wintergreen, Wintergreen, Virginia
Distance from Washington: 3 hours.
Escape to the Blue Ridge Mountains to ride six lifts and race down 26 slopes and trails. There’s a snow-sports school for beginners, a 900-foot zipline, and a tubing park. Other features include a full-service spa and year-round indoor tennis. Midweek packages start at $79 per person, and weekend getaways start at $116.
Adult full-session lift tickets start at $47, and ski-equipment rentals are $36.
Snowshoe, Snowshoe, West Virginia
Distance from Washington: 4½ hours.
Snowshoe has an average annual snowfall of 180 inches (that’s 15 feet!), 60 slopes and trails, and 14 lifts—and its' longest run is 1½ miles. There’s also a shopping village and numerous restaurants and bars. Deals for MLK weekend start at $74 (lodging only) and can be found on the Web site.
A single-day adult lift ticket is $79 (buy when you book lodging and save 10 percent), and equipment rentals are $39.
Ski Liberty, Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania
Distance from Washington: 1 hour.
Liberty boasts three freestyle terrain parks, snow tubing, 16 slopes and trails, and a great deal for first-time skiers and snowboarders: the First Class Package ($58), which includes an hourlong lesson, equipment rental, and lift ticket, plus the option of purchasing the Mountain Passport ($48) for 40 percent off lift tickets and rental equipment, a coupon for the Liberty Mountain Sports store, and your next visit will be free.
An eight-hour lift ticket starts at $49, and all-day ski rentals are $40.
Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville, Virginia
Distance from Washington: 2 hours.
In addition to traditional winter fun, there’s a year-round, 84-degree indoor waterpark with body and tube slides, a lazy river, a Flow Rider, and hot springs. Features include more than 1,1000 feet of vertical runs and slopes as well as terrain parks. On-site hotel rates start at $150 per night.
Lift tickets start at $46 for eight hours, and equipment rentals start at $35.
Caanan Valley, Davis, West Virginia
Distance from Washington: 3 hours.
Tucked away in the Allegheny Mountains, this resort has more than 18 miles of cross-country trails as well as 39 downhill trails, ice skating, and snowshoeing. It’s also the only Mid-Atlantic resort to offer airboarding, or gliding down a mountain on an inflatable sled. Lodging options include hotel rooms, cabins, and campgrounds. The MLK weekend package includes three nights of lodging, breakfast, a three-day lift ticket, and Beech Club privileges for $299 per person.
Adult daily lift tickets start at $32, and daily ski rentals start at $28.
Whitetail, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Distance from Washington: 1½ hours.
There are 23 trails and nine lifts, plus a half-pipe and a top elevation of 1,800 feet. There are also college nights, classes for beginners, snow tubing, and several dining options. Guests looking for more thrills can try a run with moguls or the Jib Junction advanced terrain park.
An adult eight-hour lift ticket is $51, and daily ski rentals are $42.
Blue Knob, Claysburg, Pennsylvania
Distance from Washington: 3 hours.
With 34 trails and slopes of all difficulties, snow tubing, and nordic, cross-country, and racing runs, this lesser-known resort has something for everyone, including the Extrovert, considered to be one of the toughest trails in the Mid-Atlantic. Non-holiday lodging rates start at $130 per night for a studio condo, holiday rates are $235 per night, and any additional nights are $55.
A daily lift ticket starts at $38, and a daily ski rental is $30.
Elk Mountain, Union Dale, Pennsylvania
Distance from Washington: 5 hours.
The 27 trails and slopes don’t draw huge crowds, making it ideal for more solitary skiers. There is no on-site lodging, but there are numerous B&Bs, motels, hotels, and rental properties nearby.
A daily adult lift ticket starts at $58, and ski rentals start at $28.
