This post has been updated from an earlier version.
Snow is likely hitting the mountains this weekend, and so will the skiers. Here’s our guide to finding your perfect slope.
Most Romantic
Wintergreen Resort
How’s this for romantic: mountaintop condos with fireplaces, balconies, and spectacular views of the Virginia Piedmont. Slope-side restaurants offer fine dining, and the resort’s location outside Charlottesville puts you in the vicinity of some of Virginia’s best wineries. Don’t miss: The Spa at Wintergreen, with its outdoor hot tubs and indoor pool.
Most Family-Friendly
Wisp Resort
Let the kids run free. This Maryland resort has a children’s program for ages five through 12 that includes lift tickets, rentals, and lessons, keeping little ones busy from 8:30 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. Mom and Dad can then run free, too. The whole family can get together for off-slope fun, such as taking a short hike at nearby Swallow Falls State Park to see the spectacular frozen waterfalls. Don’t miss: The 4,800-foot-long, serpentine mountain coaster.
Most Luxurious
Snowshoe Mountain Resort
Snowshoe in West Virginia has it all—a mountaintop village with shops and restaurants, outdoor fire pits, a variety of accommodations, a swim center, a spa, and the most skiable terrain in the Mid-Atlantic. Most lodgings are an easy walk to the top of the slopes. Off-piste activities include snowmobile tours, snow-tubing, cross-country skiing, and of course, snowshoeing. Don’t miss: Guided horseback rides in the snow.
Most Old-School
Liberty Mountain
This Pennsylvania resort has made a lot of improvements in the last decade—including expanding its lodge and adding state-of-the-art snow-making. Yet it still has the nostalgic feel of a ski mountain from the 1970s, with slow lifts and short trails. But who cares? Liberty is fun. You don’t go to hang at the lodge—you go to crank out runs. Significant other doesn’t love to ski? Nearby Gettysburg has battlefield tours. Don’t miss: Hearty pub fare and a pint at McKee’s Tavern.
Most Remote Feel
Canaan Valley Resort and Timberline Mountain
Even though Snowshoe is farther away, Canaan Valley, which opens December 21, and Timberline Mountain in Davis, West Virginia, feel in the middle of nowhere, next to Dolly Sods Wilderness. The area is also the best place in the region for cross-country skiing, with 22 miles of trails at Canaan and 31 miles at nearby White Grass Touring Center. Don’t miss: Blackwater Falls State Park, with the longest sledding hill on the East Coast and a magic-carpet lift to the top.
Most Fun With Friends
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Life’s a party at Seven Springs, with live music, DJs, and dancing at the bars and lounges, plus plenty of other ways to have fun indoors such as an arcade and bowling. To amp up the party on the slopes, the Pennsylvania resort has six terrain parks and a super half-pipe. The music is pumping on some of the rails and jumps. Don’t miss: Axe throwing and the Bear Trap Fun Zone arcade.
Most Fun for the Average Skier
Whitetail Resort
Skiers love to brag about tackling expert runs—because most skiers are intermediates and happy to have survived the advanced trails. Pennsylvania’s Whitetail, about 90 minutes from DC, has the most intermediate terrain in the region. Non-skiers can hit the tubing hill or enjoy the shops in the quaint town of Mercersburg. Don’t miss: Night skiing under the winter stars.
This article appears in the January 2022 issue of Washingtonian and was updated Nov. 21, 2024.
