Where to Ski within 3 Hours of DC

The ground may be dry here in the DC area, but there is snow within just a few hours’ drive. And where there’s snow, there’s skiing.

Check out the basics on these ski resorts, all within a three-hour drive of our area.

Roundtop, Whitetail and Liberty

The sister slopes of Roundtop, Whitetail and Liberty are all in south-central Pennsylvania. All three have 100 percent snow-making capabilities to compensate if Mother Nature skimps on the white stuff this winter.

Roundtop Resort

925 Roundtop Road, Lewisberry, PA

(717) 432-9631

In addition to all levels of trails (from bunny slopes to double-black-diamond drops), non-skiers can go snow tubing, play paintball or climb the ropes course. The resort offers “seasonal leases” on equipment.  For more information, including lift ticket specials, hours and more, go to www.skiroundtop.com.

Whitetail

14175 Northern Lights Drive, Mercersburg, PA

(717) 328-2109

In addition to miles of ski trails, Whitetail offers golf and fly-fishing if the weather is nice enough. Like many other resorts, snow tubing is also an option. Also see their Park and Pipe section for complete information on snowboarding events, competitions and more. For more information on all activities, hours, rates and more, go to www.skiwhitetail.com.

Liberty Mountain Resort

78 Country Club Trail, Carroll Valley, PA

(717) 642-6534

Like Roundtop and Whitetail, Liberty has all levels of trails and offers snowtubing in addition to skiing. The longest trail is nearly a mile long, at 5,200 feet, and the park has a newly-redesigned snowboard park. If it’s nice enough out, you may look into the resort’s 18-hole golf course.

For more information on the resort, room packages, prices and more, go to www.libertymountainresort.com. 

Wintergreen Resort

39 Mountain Inn Loop, Roseland, VA

(855) 699-1858

Located southwest of Charlottesville, this Blue Ridge Mountains resort includes a black-diamond run 1.4 miles long. The resort also has special ski programs for women and college students, a winter zip line and ice skating. Complete information is available at www.wintergreenresort.com.

Wisp Resort

296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, MD

(301) 387-4000

The resort is located in far western Maryland near the West Virginia border. Wisp also has ice skating, snow tubing, snow shoe-ing and snow mobile riding options. For complete information, visit www.wispresort.com.

Timberline Resort

254 Four Seasons Drive, Davis, WV

(304) 866-4828

Named one of the “10 coolest mountain towns” by Mens Journal, Timberline is more than skiing. But, it does have the longest trail run of the ski resorts we’re highlighting—almost 2 miles long, an “easy” trail called Salamander.

For information on the resort and surrounding community, go to www.timberlineresort.com.

Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort

10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, WV

(304) 572-1000

Snowshoe and its sister ski area Silver Creek had natural snow on the trails earlier than any other ski resort in our roundup. The resort also includes tubing, snowmobiles tours, a zip line, shopping and a “big top” recreation area for children.

Go to www.snowshoemtn.com for more information.

Massanutten Resort

1822 Resort Drive, McGaheysville, VA

(540) 289-9441

Massanutten Resort is a four-season resort in northwestern Virginia with much more to do than just skiing. The resort also offers snow tubing and ice skating. There are also two golf courses, a zip line, an indoor waterpark, a teddy bear factory and a spa.

More information is at www.massresort.com.

Blue Knob

1424 Overland Pass, Claysburg, PA

(814) 239-5111

Blue Knob, located east of Johnstown, PA, offers both downhill and cross-country skiing. Other outdoor options include mountain biking, hiking, snow tubing, hunting and fishing. More information is at www.blueknob.com. 

Have you gone to any of these resort? Which would you recommend? Tell us in the comments below!