For a weekend away, we had a great time skiing at Wisp and staying in McHenry, MD. There were plenty of food options outside of the resort and several affordable lodging options to choose from.
We had a group of 11 with 2 families. Mostly intermediate skiers and boarders, but one beginner. We were there 4 days. The weather was extremely cold our first three days but milder our fourth day. Most of the trails were open, and the conditions were very good. We didn't have many icy spots at all. Lift lines were short, too, which was great! The one beginner had a very positive experience and worked her way up to intermediate trails. All of the employees seemed friendly and helpful. It was a fun family vacation!
We came early in the season, over Christmas. Not much snow had fallen, but they had managed to accumulate an impressive amount of machine snow of good quality. Only a handful of trails and a couple of the lifts were open, and I was a bit disappointed that we had to pay full price anyway. It would have been fair with some kind of discount. The lifts are quite dated, old fashioned, slow fixed-grip chair lifts. Updating to modern high-speed chairlifts would be a drastic improvement. The majority of the slopes are rather un-interesting "trail through the woods" typ thing. I prefer more variety.On the positive side, their rental equipment is top notch, an the rental process quick and painless with friendly staff. Parking is good, very close to the slope.
We made it out to this resort the day a big snow storm hit the DC area. Driving through the weather was an adventure well worth the powdery outcome. As an advanced skier I am usually bored at any mountain driving distance from DC but wisp had something for everyone including glades full of powder. The ski school was great for my kindergartener as well. The resort is 4 seasons with a great big lake. We'll be back!!
Conditions were excellent. We were disappointed that two lifts were not operating. The snack bar food was awful and very overpriced. The staff was pleasant and helpful but it was difficult trying to get a locker - sent to several locations to obtain a locker key and get a refund. The lift ticket prices are reasonable.
I like Wisp because it is sort of laid-back. I dislike the slow lifts, but at least they have two main lifts side-by-side. Night skiing was a bit exciting since Wisp trail had several lights out.
This was only my second season as a skier, so this is from a newbie point of view. I really liked that there is a pretty even distribution of green, blue and black trails. As I progressed from the bunny slopes, through the greens and onto the blues, I never felt like it was a huge jump in skill required from one level to the next. As we went throughout the season, most of the snow was granular and could be icy after dark. One day we went it was nice and cold and had fresh snow from several events earlier in the week. Compared to the other close by options in the DC area, this was really way better. We stayed over night in Cumberland at the Ramada - excellent place to stay, still about an hour from the resort, but not bad. Ski rental was easy and quick. We always skiied midweek so prices were about $30 for rental and would have been $30 for lift (we had season pass from Suabaru special offer). The food at the lodge was nothing to write home about. Not great, not horrible. A bit over priced but decent enough for refueling.
This was our first time at Wisp and it was pretty great! The lift lines were short and the trails had tons of snow on them! We had a blast exploring all the different trails. And for $30 bucks for a night ticket during the week, that's a good deal! I will definitely be back!
Most people probably know what they are getting into skiing-wise at wisp. Its not huge, but its fun. It had been a long time since I had been, and did the tubing area for the first time. It was a blast. They had a few issues with the lift carpet, but it was a great time. I highly recommend for kids and adults. Another first for me there was the mountain coaster. It was great--and a little less tame than I initially thought it would be. For $49 we could get 2 hours on the tubing hill, the moutain coaster (one ride) and ice skating. I felt that was a good deal. One thing new to note on the negative side is that they now charge for a lift ticket for the bunny slope. We thought that was sort of crazy, but maybe that's normal now.
The lift lines during the day are absolutely insane, so we didn't even try to go until after 5:00pm. However, from 5:00 to 9:00 the lines diminished to little to no wait at all, and the trails were not crowded. We had plenty of room and did not feel crowded. The trails were nice and long, and they were clearly marked with signs. The little Yurts at the bottom of the hill are a great place to warm up or grab a snack. The snow was icy, but it wasn't Wisp's fault.