By Cameron Wall
With the Appalachians on the horizon, Northern Virginia is only a short trip away from a bountiful amount of ski resorts. Here is a list of the options within 2.5 hours of Northern Virginia, listed from the nearest to the farthest.
Bryce Resort
Mount Jackson, Virginia
Drive time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Bryce Resort has been focused on improving its snowmaking after a rough season last year and has made some renovations to the interiors of their existing lodges and restaurants.
Liberty Mountain
Fairfield, Pennsylvania
Drive time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Liberty Mountain debuted its new Highland Lodge last December, and it also has two new restaurants, Eagle & The Owl Public House and Ike’s Chophouse, as well as the new Laventide Salon & Spa and Alpine Courtyard Ice Skating Rink. The ski rental equipment inventory is all-new and includes expanded performance rental options. Renovations to the Fairway Hotel were also completed, with more additions to the resort coming soon.
Whitetail Mountain Resort
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Drive time: 2 hours
Whitetail Resort expanded its lodge with more dining space on the first and second floors, including Hearth Pizzeria, a new brick-oven pizzeria; Day Break Café, serving Starbucks coffee and pastry options; and the Solstice Restaurant, a full-service restaurant with a variety of items.
Massanutten Resort
Massanutten, Virginia
Drive time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Massanutten introduced its new base camp outside the Ski Lodge, which includes a bar, fire pit and giant umbrella to cover the area, where patrons can enjoy both warm and cold beverages with a meal. There are also pathway programs for new skiers, nightly entertainment at the ski lodge, loads of new rental equipment and a renovated market and general store.
Roundtop Mountain Resort
Lewisberry, Pennsylvania
Drive time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Roundtop now has a Prinoth Winch Groomer to help keep its slopes in great shape all winter long; a relocated guest services office, which has been replaced with a new coffee shop on the lower level of the lodge; new snowmaking stations; and daily lockers.