Maryland is located on the eastern seaboard of the United States and is bordered by Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. There are a great many enthusiastic snowboard and ski enthusiasts in the state and in Washington D.C., but the state has just the one resort, in the western portion. However, several others can be found just over the border in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Snowboard Resorts
The one resort located within the borders of Maryland is the Wisp Resort in the very far west of the state. Wisp is an all-season resort offering snowboarding, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing in the winter months. Just across the state border in Pennsylvania are the Whitetail Resort and Ski Liberty, which are at least an hour's drive closer to Washington and Baltimore. South of Wisp and just over the border in West Virginia are the Timberline and Canaan Valley resorts.
Maryland
At the Wisp Resort, you'll find seven chairlifts, three tow bars and two carpets to get you up the slopes with 32 runs of different degrees of difficulty on the slopes. Snowboarders will find three terrain parks -- Beginner, Intermediate and Pro -- but be warned that inverted aerials are not permitted. The slopes are open Tuesday and Thursday nights with limited lifts operating, and Friday and Saturday nights with full operation. The resort has plenty of its own lodging and several bars and restaurants to keep you occupied after-hours.
Pennsylvania
The closest snowboard resort to Baltimore in Liberty Mountain just south of Gettysburg. Five chairlifts, two carpets and a tow bar serve the 21 trails of varying degrees of difficulty. The terrain park has four freestyle areas for snowboarders and a tubing area. Liberty offers several lodging and dining choices. Whitetail, just a little farther from Baltimore, spent $4 million in 2010 in improving the resort. You'll find six chairlifts, a carpet and tow bar serving a total of 23 runs and two terrain parks and a half-pipe for snowboarders. Whitetail has several dining options at the resort and lodging partners.
West Virginia
The Timberline Four Seasons Resort and Canaan Valley are in proximity to one another near Davis, West Virginia. Timberline has a total of 37 runs served by three chairlifts and a surface tow bar with an uphill capacity of 5,000 skiers an hour. You'll find both lodging and dining facilities offered. Canaan Valley Resort is a state park that offers 34 downhill ski slopes, 25 kilometers of cross-country ski trails, a snow tubing park, snowboarding terrain and ice skating areas. You'll find restaurants, lounges, and lodging facilities with 23 cabins and 250 guest rooms.
How to Get There
From Washington, D.C., take Interstate 270 until it meets up with I-70 from Baltimore. To get to Ski Liberty, branch north on I-15 and exit short of Gettysburg. For Whitetail Resort, continue west on I-70, exiting for Whitetail at Clear Spring. To get to the Wisp Resort, continue west on I-70 and then west on I-68, branching south on I-219 to Wisp. Continuing south from Wisp on I-219 will bring you to the West Virginia ski areas.
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