Families and couples enjoy skiing at nearby retreat Whitetail Resort. Photo courtesy Whitetail Resort
Forget New England and the Rockies. Winter sports enthusiasts in this region have plenty of resorts to visit for skiing, tubing, snowboarding, and other activities. Were that not enough, when visitors leave the slopes, the resorts offer nightlife, fine dining, full-service spas, fitness centers, movie theaters, and more. No surprise, then, that many have intensely loyal guests who return year after year.
Anyone seeking a day destination for skiing should consider Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. It’s the closest ski resort to Washington, DC, and apparently it is not unusual for people to leave work and head for the slopes, which stay open until 10 p.m. Many then return to their own homes before heading out for work the next day.
“Not everyone realizes that you don’t have to go to Colorado or Vermont to have great ski racing,” says Andi Broom, a long-term Whitetail ski instructor and mother of a 17-year-old champion ski racer. “It is 1,000 feet to the top, and it takes about three minutes to get there. Whitetail has great ski racing right here in the mid-Atlantic, and we host an annual ski race,” she says.
Other resorts in the running for one-day getaways include, Roundtop Mountain Resort and Liberty Mountain Resort, also in Pennsylvania, and, for those living in Western Maryland, there is Garrett County’s Wisp and Seven Springs Mountain Resort near Pittsburgh.
Seven Springs Mountain Resort is the Keystone State’s largest ski resort. Seven Springs has downhill, but not cross-country, skiing on 32 slopes and trails serviced by 11 lifts, as well as snowboarding and tubing. Lessons are available for snowboarders and skiers, and when the weather permits, there is nighttime skiing until about 10 p.m.
Seven Springs’ hotel has 418 rooms and suites as well as private chalets. The hotel includes the renowned Trillium Spa, outdoor hot tubs, an indoor and an outdoor pool, and a number of options for dining and entertainment. Those in the mood for formal dining will enjoy Helen’s Restaurant. Menu items include filet of beef with lavender and rose peppercorns or an herb-baked chicken with a sourdough and cranberry stuffing.
A fresh coat of snow blankets the trails at Seven Springs. Photo courtesy Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
Wisp Resort offers great skiing, whether Mother Nature is cooperating or not. Its energy-efficient snowmaking system promises plenty of opportunities to take advantage of its 132 acres of terrain to enjoy– whether tubing, ice skating, snow shoeing, or skiing and snowboarding.
The ski-in/ski-out, newly renovated Wisp Resort Hotel and Conference Center offers both single rooms and two-room suites. For those traveling with children, there are plenty of kid-friendly activities and childcare is available.
The 483-room Homestead, in Hot Springs, Virginia, is pretty much a destination unto itself, with a spa, movie theater, bowling alley, indoor pool, spa, equestrian center, and golf course. “My family has been going to The Homestead for over 35 years,” says Catherine Mulvihill. “We have formed friendships with families who we have been seeing there through the years. The wonderful staff always welcomes us every year.” Mulvihill adds that her ski instructor, Sepp Kober, has become a dear friend of the entire family.
Those visiting The Homestead during the winter will find downhill and cross-country skiing on 45 acres, along with tubing, a new outdoor ice skating rink, snowmobiling, and the opportunity to enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride. Dating back to 1766, The Homestead enjoys a reputation for being family-friendly, even featuring a designed-with-safety-in-mind Kidz Snowmobile Track.
The sophisticated, upscale resort offers eight restaurants ranging in style from casual to formal. Winter visitors can relax on a deck with a stone fireplace before heading to dinner at The Homestead Dining Room, the resort’s traditional main dining room; the 1766 Grille, where the chef will prepare the entire meal at your table (be prepared to spend two or three hours); the casual Casino Restaurant or Sam Snead’s Tavern. (Snead, a legendary golfer, hails from Hot Springs.)
Set among the Allegheny Mountains with a base elevation of 3,100 feet in an area considered to be the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains, West Virginia’s Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center offers rooms at its 250-room lodge, the option of staying in one of its 23 cabins, or, whether permitting, an opportunity to pitch a tent at one of 34 campsites.
A heavy snow transforms Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort into a winter wonderland. Photo courtesy Snowshoe Mountain Resort.
Along with snowboarding and cross-country and downhill skiing, guests can enjoy an indoor or outdoor pool, sauna, whirlpool, fitness center and, for those who need help unwinding, massage therapists are available. The resort also has a number of activities for children and several options when it comes to cuisine: The Hickory Dining Room in the main lodge features ribs, steaks and crab cakes, the Quencher’s Pub & Grill offers sandwiches and snacks and the Bear Paw Food Court is a cafeteria-style dining room with pizzas, subs, and burgers.
West Virginia is also home to Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, where visitors may choose from a basic hotel to large single-family homes and condos. And when it comes to downhill skiing, Snowshoe is the largest in the southeast with 244 skiable acres and 60 trails. Cross-country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts will enjoy 11,000 acres, and there are guided snowmobile tours at night for families. The resort has a focus on families, especially those parents and children who might be first-time skiers.
Kevin Marteny has been visiting Snowshoe for several years, missing only one season due to an injury. “The things that separate Snowshoe from other resorts are the beautifully kept trails, amazing accommodations and the very polite and helpful staff,” he says. “Another reason I come back year after year is the terrain park … it is one of the best in the area—hands down.”
A final resort not to be overlooked is Maryland’s Savage River Lodge. Located in Frostburg, Maryland within the 700-acre Savage River State Forest, the pet-friendly resort has 18 luxury cabins. The lodge building itself is home to a great restaurant and bar, sitting areas, a library, offices, conference rooms, and an outfitter/gift shop but no accommodations.
The cabins are simply appointed with a sitting area, bathroom, woodburning stoves, and sleeping loft. Stripped of TVs, radio, WiFi, and other technological trappings, cabin life forces guests to get back to basics—a good book by the fire, a game of Scrabble, or a moonlit jaunt on some of the 13 miles of cross-country ski trails. Up for a bit more adventure? Downhill skiing is close by at nearby Seven Springs and Wisp.
With plenty of winter getaways in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and West Virginia, couples and families can escape for just a day or spend the entire week and don’t have to travel far. This season, consider the options close to home—these regional resorts have more to offer than ever before.
Mary Medland is a frequent contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Canaan Valley Resort & Conference Center: canaanresort.com or 800-622-4121
The Homestead: thehomestead.com or 540-839-1766
Liberty Mountain Resort: skiliberty.com or 717-642-8282
Roundtop Mountain Resort: skiroundtop.com or 717-432-9631
Savage River Lodge: savageriverlodge.com or 301-689-3200
Seven Springs Mountain Resort: 7springs.com or 800-452-2223
Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort: snowshoemtn.com or 877-441-4386
Whitetail Resort: skiwhitetail.com or 717-328-9400
Wisp Resort: wispresort.com or 301-387-4911
