You may be getting your kids ready for school and relishing in the start of fall weather, but winter will creep up faster than you realize. While we don’t live in the Rockies or the Alps, the time-honored tradition of strapping one or two planks to your feet and gliding down a snow-covered mountain is as good a way to spend a day with the family as it is anywhere else. Check out these five resorts — some close, some close-ish — for all your kid-friendly and beginner ski and snowboard needs!
Liberty Mountain Resort
78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, PA 17320
For generations of Mid-Atlantic families, the words “Liberty Mountain Resort” conjure up memories of learning how to ski or snowboard with their loved ones. And that’s with good reason. The mountain has expansive beginner trails complete with magic carpets and slow chairlifts, as well as an easy rental system and large cafeteria for hot cocoa breaks. The mountain is easily accessible, as you don’t have to carve through any treacherous mountain roads to reach it. The on-site lodging is affordable, too.
Wisp Resort
296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, MD 21541
Wisp is nestled far into the Maryland panhandle, surrounded by windy roads and plenty of snow (most years). What it offers compared to other Mid-Atlantic resorts is a variety of beginner terrain. Check out bunny slopes on the front side or back, as well as plenty of other green runs for those who get bored doing the same thing over and over. There is ample lodging around, with everything from cheap hotels to exquisite slopeside home rentals. The highlight might not even be the skiing and snowboarding, though: Wisp has top-tier snow tubing, and a unique mountain coaster that zooms through the trees at the rider’s preferred speed thanks to a nifty handbrake.
Seven Springs Ski Resort
777 Water Wheel Drive, Champion, PA 15622
Seven Springs is known as the East Coast’s terrain park haven, but that doesn’t mean it comes up short on beginner offerings. There are a ton of green slopes and easily accessible viewing areas for parents who want to watch their kids learn. There is a hotel on site, as well as plenty of lodging in the surrounding area. The resort in Western Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh’s home for skiing and snowboarding, but it is easily accessible from much of the Mid-Atlantic. What separates Seven Springs for beginners is the fun apres-ski scene. What better way is there to celebrate an injury-free day on the slopes than with a drink and snack at the legendary Foggy Goggle?
Bear Creek Mountain Resort
101 Doe Mountain Lane, Macungie, PA 18062
Bear Creek has easy lodging and a fun variety of bunny slopes and greens for entry-level skiers. It’s a bit farther north than some of these other resorts, which is a trade-off. You may be driving farther, but winter is usually more winter-y. Plus, there is great snow tubing. As the Lehigh Valley’s only ski resort, Bear Creek is more accessible than the Pocono Mountains. Importantly, Bear Creek is on the wallet-friendly Indy Pass as opposed to the bigger ski conglomerate passes. That means less crowds, cheaper prices and, perhaps most notably, preservation of the small-resort feel that seems to be harder and harder to find each winter.
Whitetail Resort
13805 Blairs Valley Road, Mercersburg, PA 17236
Whitetail is truly a gem in South Central Pennsylvania. The greens are almost entirely segmented to their own part of the mountain, making it extra safe to learn to ski or snowboard without concerns of an expert flying past you as they connect from one expert run to the next. There is lots of parking, and the mountain is easy to get to from most Mid-Atlantic population hubs. The only knock on Whitetail is a lack of nearby lodging, with limited options on site and large chain hotels located about 20 miles away. But whether you’re going for a day trip or staying for a weekend, Whitetail and its skiing and tubing offers fun for the whole family.
