Hi Everyone!

My family are beginners with young kids.  We started at Liberty and got a bit bored after we got more comfortable.  We just returned from Seven Springs and had a great time on the green slopes.  We want to go on another trip in February.  We are trying to decide on going back to Seven Springs or try something new.  Any recommendations?  I have seen a lot of great feedback on Snow Shoe but that’s too far for us this year.

Welcome to DCSki!  Another ski area you might consider for your February trip is Wisp Resort in western Maryland.  It's similar in some ways to Seven Springs (and, if you're coming from the D.C. area, about the same distance).  Of course, if you had a great time at Seven Springs, returning there in February isn't the worst idea either.

A lot of DCSkiers like Massanutten Resort in Virginia.  Bryce Resort in Virginia is also great for beginner skiers and families, although if you started getting bored with the terrain at Liberty, you might not be challenged by the terrain at Bryce.

If Snowshoe is too far away, I'm guessing that Canaan Valley Resort and Timberline Resort would also be a bit further than you want to go.  Canaan Valley Resort is great for families and has a lot of beginner terrain.

Be sure to check the DCSki Resort Profiles page to explore all of the ski areas in the Mid-Atlantic.  There's an interactive map that shows you where they're located, too.

CMMMom wrote:

 Any recommendations?  I have seen a lot of great feedback on Snow Shoe but that’s too far for us this year.

 Add Hidden Valley to what Scott wrote.

CMMMom wrote:

Hi Everyone!

My family are beginners with young kids.  We started at Liberty and got a bit bored after we got more comfortable.  We just returned from Seven Springs and had a great time on the green slopes.  We want to go on another trip in February.  We are trying to decide on going back to Seven Springs or try something new.  Any recommendations?  I have seen a lot of great feedback on Snow Shoe but that’s too far for us this year.

 How young?  Is this your family's first season on skis?

I got my daughter started on ski at age 4 at Massanutten over 15 years ago.  My friend's kids started a few years later when they were 4 and 6.  Mnut has very good terrain progression from the teaching area to the two greens to the easiest blue.  One green is long with a very easy pitch, and the other is shorter but slightly steeper.  The shorter lift that serves Geronimo can also be used to ski over to the bottom of Southern Comfort.  Both base lifts have conveyor loading, which makes it much easier for beginners to load.

My friend also learned to ski when her kids started.  She likes Lift 5 for Lower Showtime.  The nice part about Lift 5 is that she can get off at the mid-station, while I and her son can continue to ride up to the top to ski Upper Showtime.  I did the same when my daughter was still learning and we usually brought a friend along for the holiday weekends.

I could go on for pages about why Mnut is a great place in VA to learn to ski for beginners and intermediates of all ages.  Feel free ask questions.  We spent last week at Mnut and will be back for MLK week.  So I know what's running a bit differently.

For weekends, it's important to plan ahead.  Saturday lift tickets are selling out.  Guests who stay on resort can buy tickets 20 days in advance, while the general public only gets access 10 days in advance.

dukegrad96 wrote:

Whitetail is a day trio from dc vs the overnight trips of 7Springs and Wisp. Whitetail has more vertical than either of them but doesn’t have the number of runs those two have and doesn’t nearly get the same amount of natural snow. 

 Assuming PA continues travel restrictions, Wisp being in MD could be a factor to consider.

I like to travel, I particularly like ski safari type trips.  

For M'nut - you can consider visiting M'nut one day and Bryce another day, since the 2 places are ~1 hour apart.  

For 7 Springs - you consider do 7 Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel mtn in one trip.  I stayed at Somerset PA, but I heard Hidden Valley has plenty affordable lodging from folks posted on this website.  You can even venture out further to 4th place: Blue Knob, it is about 2 hours from Somerset if I remembered. 

For Wisp - I don't know if there is any other resorts close by (Whitetail?) since I have never been there myself.  However, I heard many good things about Wisp and it is on my bucket list to visit.   If you are happy just to stay on 2 trails, I don't think Wisp is a bad option.  

To answer your question: "is it worth going all the way to somewhere like Mnut, Seven Springs or Wisp?" My opinion: 

If you like to kill 2 birds in 1 stone, then I'd say its worth to venture out to M'nut and 7 springs since you can visit 2 or 3 places in one trip. 

If you like to stay in a resort type place and happy w/ lapping on the same trails, then Wisp is worth considering.  

If you do decide to go to 7s, you can get a 'Highland Pass' which allows you to ski at all three resorts - Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. It would not be worth going there unless you stay multiple days. Whitetail has some nice terrain and is a very nice resort. If the weather is cold, and they have most of the terrain open, skiing at Whitetail can be very good.  

One nice thing at Massanutten is the large indoor water park, also a tubing park. Massanutten Mountain is unique in that it is at the southernmost peaque of a range that is smack dab in the center of the Shenandoah Valley. Unbelievable views!

Almost forgot, get the kids lessons, private is best!

Whitetail's blues are longer and it has two lengthy greens off the EZ Rider Quad (one has a pretty good pitch)  

We do day trips to WT and RT (sometimes Liberty) because we don't have to worry about lodging and we have Epic Pass, but driving both days of the weekend can wear me out sometimes  

There is definitely more snow further out west (Wisp, 7S, Timberline and Snowshoe  

CMMMom wrote:

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have a follow up question. Is it worth going all the way to somewhere like Mnut, Seven Springs or Wisp?  Or is Whitetail close to equivalent? We can go to Whitetail in a day and save on lodging but I’m curious if the slopes are close to the same.   When we went to Seven Springs we essentially stayed on two trails the whole time because we like them we didn’t venture off.