One of the best activities during the winter is skiing, but it’s hard to find good resorts, especially nearby. Here are some of the best resorts around here.
When you can say you are in the highest ski mountain in Pennsylvania you don’t have to say much more. With a total vertical drop of 1,072 feet, Blue Knob All Seasons Ski resort is one of the best.The resort is two and a half hours away, which is far, but it is the price you have to pay for a good resort.
Blue Knob’s 34 trails and small tubing park make it a great destination for a quick family getaway. The resort gets the best reviews on its glade run, which is an off route skiing trail through an ungroomed, wooded area. On weekdays the resort opens at 10 a.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. It closes at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 9 p.m. on all other days. A five hours flex pass can cost as little as $30 Sunday-Friday, or $52 weekends or holidays.
Freshman ski club member Jake Konigsberg said, “Blue Knobs is one of my favorite local places. I love the atmosphere and the glade run is insane.”
Liberty Mountain resorts or Ski Liberty, as it’s known around these parts, is where many skiers conquer their first runs. The mountain has 16 trails, serviced by nine lifts, with a vertical drop of 600 feet. The resort includes an ice-skating rink, hot tubs, child care centers, restaurants and bars. If you stay in the hotel it includes a fitness center, wireless internet, and a hot breakfast buffet.
Liberty resort is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday- Friday and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Lift tickets are $56 for a four-hour time limit, $66 on weekends and holidays. Beginners skiers and snowboarders can get a lift ticket, lessons, equipment rentals for $90 midweek, $103 on weekends or holidays. The resort is located an hour and 15 minutes away in Pennsylvania.
Massanutten Resort is a 6,000 acre ski resort located in Shenandoah Valley. It often hosts live entertainment, offering a good environment for skiers of all ages, making it a great place for a quick family getaway. But the main attraction is the resort’s 2,925-foot summit with a vertical drop of 1,110 feet, plus 14 trails, two terrain parks, and seven lifts.
The resort includes an indoor water park, ski and snowboard lessons, equipment rental, tubing, outdoor ice skating, zip line, gift shops, restaurants and a nightclub. The resort is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday of the week. It costs $60 for extended day tickets Monday-Friday, $80 on weekends and holidays. The resort is located about two and a half hours away in Virginia.
Senior Tony Krieger said, “I love Massanutten resort. My favorite part is the water part though because it’s very relaxing after a long day of skiing.”