Embrace the Season: Ski Roundtop, Whitetail & Liberty

Pennsylvania’s stunning mountain ranges provide more than incredible views: they supply some of the best slopes for skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing in the country. Don’t be snowbound this season—embrace the snow and defy seasonal limitations by planning a weekend getaway to some of the greatest ski resorts in the state, all within short driving distance of Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

Roundtop Mountain Resort, the first of three resorts to be purchased and developed by Snow Time, Inc beginning in the 1960s, has a track record with winter sports fanatics as long as its list of services and amenities. In addition to an array of resort attractions available perennially on its vast 600 acres, Roundtop delivers a snowboarding park, six black diamond courses for the most elite (or ambitious) skiers, and year-round paintball for another kind of challenge. Adjacent to the cozy fireplaces in the Mountain View Lodge—featuring a variety of delectable menu options and the best view on the mountain—the resort offers 10 snow tubing lanes with a vertical drop of 80 feet for all patrons 5 and older.

Whitetail Resort, on Two Top Mountain, offers some of the best beginners’ programs in the country according to the National Ski Areas Association. But with 23 trails, a vertical drop of 935 feet, and an uphill capacity of 15,000 skiers per hour, Whitetail has enough variation and horsepower to accommodate all winter sport enthusiasts, from the most advanced to the novice. Open until 10 p.m. most evenings during the regular season, guests have four separate dining options to choose from to fuel up between ski runs. For those looking to ski all season long, Whitetail offers a flat promotional rate to “Drifters,” granting unlimited access to all Peak Pass resorts to those in the 18-29 age range. (This grants access to Liberty Mountain and Roundtop resorts as well.)

Just across the intervening Carroll Valley, Liberty Mountain Resort provides 100 acres for skiing and snowboarding as well as 15 snow tubing lanes. In addition to Playcare, Liberty’s affordable, on-site babysitting for children between the ages of 6 months and 10 years, the resort also offers a kiddie tubing area for the youngest to join in on the winter fun. With 22 trails, three terrain parks for all levels, an outdoor skating rink, three dining venues, and an indoor sauna and salt-water pool, there is plenty to choose from to satisfy your need for winter thrills and luxurious frills.