Whitetail Resort

Those living near the beltways have secret winter venues that skiers and snowboarders out west are unaware of, including the Whitetail Resort ski area. It opened its doors in 1991, and the layout purposely separates skiers and riders by ability levels.

Located south of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, the ski resort is close to several states. Motorists can use Interstates 68, 70, 76, or 81 before switching to Pennsylvania State Highway 75. The nearest airport is in Hagerstown, but several International fly-in facilities are within 100 miles. These include Washington Dulles, Reagan Washington, Baltimore, and Harrisburg. Securing ground transportation, including rentals, is stress-free at these locations.

Two Top Mountain's Resort Destination

As a four-season facility, the Whitetail Resort has the facilities to provide fun for guests throughout the year. That said, its well-thought-out design caters to skiers and riders. It starts at the base area with several buildings housing administration and guest services. Those include three food centers, sports shop, rental center, child care, and learning center.

Lodging at Whitetail Mountainside Village is adjacent to the ski area. Off-site accommodations are available in the surrounding areas like motel chains, inns, and even a converted mansion. With an average annual snowfall amount near 40 inches, the Whitetail Resort depends on snowmaking equipment to supplement any powder that falls from the sky. Even though the resort has over 100 skiable acres that it maintains, the snowmaking system covers 100-percent of the ski area.

Lifties operate up to nine systems to keep skiers and riders moving across the Whitetail Resort ski area. The lift system has an uphill capacity of 15,000 guests per hour. Park rats do not wait long for a ride, though, as the crowds will not overwhelm the winter venue except near the holidays.

Follow the Layout

Unlike ski venues that follow natural terrain lines with various ratings mixed, lifts take skiers and snowboarders to areas with beginner, intermediate, or advanced trails. Under 30-percent of the mountain is rated as green for learning and skill development, while 44-percent of the runs are in blue areas that guests with some experience will enjoy. That leaves around 16-percent of the terrain as a black diamond rating for advanced ripping or shredding.

The top elevation at the Whitetail Resort ski area rests at 1,800 feet, providing a vertical drop of 935 feet for visitors to work across. Those looking to bomb down the slopes will want to ride the expert chair to Bold Decision, Drop-In, Exhibition, or Farside. The Whitetail Resort ski area grooms trails to offer everyone the best possible surfaces to ski on, making it a good choice for casual winter fun on one or two planks.

The terrain parks at the Whitetail Resort grow and evolve over the ski season, with up to three areas offering various terrain features. There is the Half Pipe, Jib Junction, and Park Place 101. The Whitetail Resort ski area also puts on skiing or riding lessons, including the Nitetrailers program offered on Friday nights.