| Distance from DC: 220 miles Photograph courtesy of Snowshoe Mountain Resort. The resort has the largest and longest half-pipe in the region-the 440-foot-long Spot Superpipe-which allows Seven Springs to host major snowboarding competitions, such as the US Revolution Tour. Each has one-of-a-kind features for boarders of different levels, and freestyle skiers can also frolic on the rails, boxes, and jumps. While most resorts have one or two terrain parks for snowboarders, Seven Springs has six. Skiers will find more than 35 kilometers of cross-country and snowshoeing trails at Canaan Resort as well as an additional 60 kilometers of maintained trails at adjacent White Grass Ski Touring Center. The valley, with an elevation of 3,200-plus feet, is in an area that regularly receives lake-effect snow to cover the open fields and wooded trails. This West Virginia spot is for people who’d rather provide their own locomotion than ride a lift and use gravity for speed. | Distance from DC: 179 miles Photograph courtesy of Canaan Valley Resort. Best for Cross-Country and Snowshoeing: Canaan Valleyĭavis, W. Blue Knob has a vertical drop of more than 1,000 feet, and half of its 34 runs are rated advanced to expert. Compared with other resorts in the region, the mountain is steeper, the trails are narrower, and there are lots of moguls as well as ungroomed terrain and trails cutting through the trees. This no-frills mountain is renowned for having the most difficult single slope in the Mid-Atlantic, dubbed the Upper and Lower Extrovert. Best for Experts: Blue KnobĬlaysburg, Pa. A high-speed, four-person lift means a skier can crank out run after run after run. The trails are all wide open and easily negotiated by skiers and snowboarders who love the joy of carving turns but don’t want terrain that’s too steep. Of the 23 trails at this Pennsylvania resort, 11 are rated blue, or intermediate. Many of the 33 trails are rated for beginners, and no one ever seems to be in a rush-making it easy if you’re just getting into snow sports. The slopes are right outside the lodge-as is the ski-and-snowboarding learning center, which includes five conveyor-belt lifts and a separate section for children. This laid-back, family-friendly mountain is next to Deep Creek Lake. McHenry, Md | Distance from DC: 179 miles A 4-to-10-pm adult lift ticket is only $49. It’s also fun for an evening excursion, when all of the slopes are lit and running until 10. Because it’s so close, it’s great for a day trip. This Pennsylvania spot, with its trails and vertical drop of 620 feet, is about a 90-minute drive from DC-even less from the Maryland suburbs along I-270. | Distance from DC: 78 miles Photograph courtesy of Liberty Mountain. Most Convenient: Liberty MountainĬarroll Valley, Pa. The facility features a “lazy river” where you can float on a tube in the warm water, plus tube and body slides, a family swimming section, and a Flowrider surfing zone that pumps 50,000 gallons of water a minute to form artificial waves. Or escape the cold entirely at Massanutten’s 42,000-square-foot indoor water park. You can ski or snowboard all day on 14 trails. Oh, yes, there’s skiing, too-24 trails and a vertical drop of more than 1,000 feet.īest Bit of Summer in Winter: Massanutten Hit the spa for a couples massage or to sink into an outdoor hot tub as the sun sets. | Distance from DC: 156 milesĪt this destination in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, you can rent a beautiful cabin with a fireplace or enjoy a sunrise view from one of the many mountaintop condos that face east. Here are our favorites for taking advantage of winter. The machines themselves also automatically turn on when the temperature and humidity reach ideal levels, meaning there’s no need to wait for a human to flick a switch, something that could cost valuable snowmaking time.Īll of which means that even if you see green grass in your yard, ski resorts most likely have snow. Unlike previous models, the newest snow guns produce a consistent flake that lasts longer. Which is why skiers from our area and other not-quite-Switzerland locales might take heart from a trend that has quietly revolutionized nearby resorts: vastly improved snowmaking technology.Ībout 90 percent of resorts now use machines to augment whatever Mother Nature delivers-and most skiers can’t tell the difference. In the Mid-Atlantic, snow can be elusive. A decent number of the latter are within an easy drive of Washington. Skiing requires two things: snow and slopes.
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