Whitetail Mountain is a full service ski resort in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The resort is a four seasons style resort with activities for families and individuals year around. Just a few of the activities they offer are an 18 hole golf course in the non winter months, a year around conference center and many trails for skiing and snowboarding.
Read on to find out everything you need to know before you go to Whitetail Mountain.
Where is Whitetail?
Whitetail Mountain Resort is located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, just outside of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. It is about an hour and forty five minutes dive to D.C. and an hour and a half to Baltimore. Being just a short drive from major cities, it makes a great East Coast getaway to see some snow up in the mountains.
Does Whitetail Mountain Resort Have Lodging?
For people that are looking to make a weekend or week out of the resort, there is lodging on site. Whitetail Mountainside Village is the only lodging next to the ski slopes. There are options for apartments and townhome style cottages, as well condos. Ski in/out units are also available to book.
Also with the numerous cabins in the mountain just by, Vacation Rental By Owner has some close options next to the resort.
Is Whitetail Mountain Resort Better than Ski Liberty?
A common question that is asked is if Whitetail Mountain Resort is better than Ski Liberty. Whitetail is a 60 minute drive from Ski Liberty Resort and has 23 trails compared to Whitetail Mountain Resort’s 24 trails. Whitetail has a little edge with a vertical drop of 935 feet compared to Ski Liberty’s 620ft. Both are great choices but Ski Liberty is a little less of a drive if coming up from the South.
Want to check out more ski resorts near Whitetail? Check out Ski Liberty
Does Whitetail Mountain Resort Have Night Skiing?
Whitetail Mountain Resort has night skiing and snowboarding which extends the life of any visit. It is generally less crowded at nights but can get a bit icy. Not all trails are open for night time skiing and snowboarding but a large amount are.
When Is the Best Time to Go to The Resort?
The best times to go to Whitetail are in the mornings, evenings and weekdays. The weekend can lead to the front side main lift being crowded at peak times. Heading over to the expert’s choice quad lift can reduce some of this traffic.
Christmas and New Years tend to get packed on the mountain so expect large crowds. Generally, the resort will shoot off fireworks for New Years so that is one time to bear the crowds.
Key Takeaways: Taking a day off work or school and heading up on a week day is the best way to have lesser crowded trails.
Highlights of the Resort
For a small East coast resort, the resort is the perfect weekend get away. Some of the highlights of the resort include
- 24 Trails and 8 Lifts
- A large mountain face to ski and snowboard on.
- Family friendly winter time tubing
- Food on site
- 2 Terrain Parks
- Golf when seasons permit
Terrain Parks: What to Know
Whitetail doesn’t just have one terrain park but they have two! Another great feature they have is a half pipe when coming down jib junction run. Whitetail has some of the best terrain park features for ski resorts in the surrounding area.
Does Whitetail Blow Their Own Snow?
When snow isn’t in the forecast, Whitetail Mountain Resort has snow making coverage on 100% of it’s trails. This lets the resort open to mid or end of November if the weather is getting cold and hopefully let them stay open until late March or early April
While all trails don’t open at the same time, the resort focuses on blowing snow to some of the more main trails and then more to expert trails once they have blown their base.
You can check out their trail cams here.
How Many Trails Does Whitetail Mountain Have?
Whitetail Mountain Resort has 24 trails split between beginner, intermediate and expert levels. One nice thing is that almost all the expert level trails are on one lift, the expert’s choice quad. This is spread over a total skiable area of 109 acres.
The trails have a little something for everyone from the easy to learn on green trail, to the double black diamond mogul runs. Once all that is ridden, there are still the 2 terrain parks and the half pipe.
When Does Whitetail Mountain Resort Tubing Open?
One of the fun family activities and group activities is tubing at Whitetail Mountain Resort. The tubes are taken up to the top of the hill via a conveyor belt and so are the people. Generally, Whitetail Mountain Resort looks to open tubing around the same time as the resort which is late November or early December.
Is There Summer Mountain Biking at Whitetail?
While there is no summer mountain biking at Whitetail Mountain Resort, the resort stays alive with the conference center, golf, weddings and the spa. Even if for a spring or summer weekend mountain getaway, Whitetail makes for a great destination.
Conclusion
Whitetail Mountain Resort is nice place to escape to the Pennsylvania mountains. It is a great ski resort for all levels and loved by park riders too. If you haven’t been and live close by than Whitetail Mountain is a must to check out. Put Whitetail on the to-do list this season!
