Who says ski resorts shut down in the summer? While local resorts wait for that first flake of snow (real or artificial), they’re inviting summertime visitors with a myriad of activities and cooler mountain temperatures. From mountain biking to golf to fly fishing or paintball, you’re sure to find an activity you like. This DCSki Summer Guide to Local Resorts profiles some of the many activities offered at nearby ski resorts this summer.
Mountain biking is offered at the resort throughout the summer. A lift ride up the mountain is available on weekends and holidays, and is included with the biking fee. Costs are $10 for half day, or $15 for full day. On weekends, the cost is $25.
Blue Knob features a mountaintop golf course, located on a plateau 2,800 feet above sea level. The course is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to dusk. Tuesday is Men’s Day, with $5 off green fees for men. Ladies Day is Wednesday, with $5 off green fees. On weekdays, 9 holes are $12, while 18 holes are $15. On weekends, the price for 18 holes rises to $18. Cart rentals are $10 for 9 holes or $16 for 18 holes, weekdays or weekends. A 1999 Season Golf Pass is $365 per person. For tee times, call (814) 239-5111, extension 3.
In addition to mountain biking and golf, Blue Knob features 2 tennis courts, 2 indoor pools and 1 outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, and 40 kilometers of hiking trails.
For more information on summer activities, call Blue Knob at (814) 239-5111 or visit Blue Knob on the web.
Virginia’s Bryce Resort features an 18-hole par 71 championship golf course. The course offers lush mountain views and is complemented with a driving range and putting green. A fully stocked golf pro shop is on-site, and professional instruction is offered. On weekdays, the green fee (including cart rental) is $32 before 1 p.m. and $24 after 1 p.m. On weekends, the price is $45 before 1 p.m. and $34 after 1 p.m.
The resort also features public tennis courts; a swimming pool; a 45-acre lake with beach area, paddle boat and canoe rentals, windsurfing, and fishing; sightseeing lift rides and grass skiing; and mountain bike and in-line skate rentals. Miniature golf and horseback riding are also offered near the resort.
For more information on summer activities, contact the resort at (800) 821-1444 or visit Bryce Resort on the web.
Canaan Valley Resort is located in West Virginia’s Canaan Valley State Park, so you might guess, correctly, that summertime activities abound. Located 3,200 feet above sea level, Canaan Valley Resort is surrounded by over 6,000 acres of woodlands, meadows, hills, and streams.
The Canaan Valley championship golf course, designed by Godfrey Cornish, is framed by the Allegheny Mountains and offers groomed fairways and lush greens with 65 sand bunkers and eight water hazards. A driving range and putting green are also available. Clubhouse facilities include a pro shop, locker rooms, and snack bar.
A lift runs in the summer to shuttle sightseers up (and down) the mountain. There is also plenty of mountain biking and hiking in the area.
For more information on summer activities, contact the resort at (800) 622-4121 or visit Canaan Valley on the web.
During the summer, Doe Mountain offers both mountain biking and paintball. 15 miles of mountain biking trails opened on April 17, 1999, ranging from wide track to single track. A terrain garden helps riders practice their skills, and “bike in” campsites are available. A trail pass is $7, while a lift pass is $24. A hiking pass at Doe Mountain is $3.
For an adrenaline rush and a chance to relieve stress, Doe Mountain features paintball. Anyone 12 and older can participate in paintball games, which are supervised by trained referees. Doe Mountain has ten different fields on 80 wooded acres. “Walk-on” games are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 4:00. Field fee is $10; if you need to rent equipment, the rental fee is an additional $12. The first 100 paintballs are included in the field fee; 200 are available for $7, while 900 are available for $45. A carbon dioxide refill is 15 cents an ounce.
For more information on summer activities, contact Doe at (610) 682-7100 or visit Doe Mountain on the web.
Pennsylvania’s Hidden Valley Resort features plenty of golf and biking during the summer.
The Golf Club at Hidden Valley is located atop a 3,000 foot summit in the Laurel Highlands, and was designed to capture the natural beauty of the mountain setting. The 18-hole, par 72 course was designed by Russell Roberts. Water, sand, and natural rock outcroppings play a part in the course.
A Club Pro Shop is available on-site, as well as a driving range and putting green. Professional instruction is available.
Mountain biking has been offered at Hidden Valley for 10 years. A wide variety of trails for all ability levels are offered with elevations ranging between 2,300 and 2,900 feet. Over 50 miles of mapped trails are available, with even more unmapped terrain.
The Hidden Valley Mountain Bike Center offers new mountain bike rentals. Guests staying overnight at the resort receive mountain bike rentals for free; day guests can rent a bike for $40 for a full day or $25 for a half day. Famous Fat tire races will be held at Hidden Valley from June 26-27 and September 4-5.
Hidden Valley also features tennis courts, a swimming pool, and boating on a fresh water lake. Numerous camp programs (golf, tennis, and kid’s kamps) are offered throughout the summer.
For more information on Hidden Valley, contact (814) 443-8252 or visit Hidden Valley on the web.
Golf is available across the street from Ski Liberty, and an on-site conference center is available for hosting meetings or events.
For more information on summer events at Ski Liberty, call the resort at (717) 642-8282 or visit Ski Liberty on the web.
Two golf courses at Massanutten, the 18-hole Mountain Greens course and the 9-hole Woodstone Meadows course, don’t wait for the snow to melt - they’re open year-round. Both offer great views. There are two pro shops on-site, and a lighted driving range is also available. Private lessons and daily clinics are offered.
For more information, contact Massanutten at (540) 289-4941 or visit Massanutten on the web.
Ski Roundtop now offers paintball year-round. The paintball facilities, called “Revolution Paintball,” include five fields with varying features including a semi-wooded speedball court, two wooded fields with natural and man-made obstacles, a barrel maze, and an open tournament field. Three fields are lit for night play. Players must be over the age of 10.
An all day package, including semi-automatic paintball gun rental, is $27. With pump-action gun, the rate is $20. Nighttime rates are also available. Revolution Paintball is offered Friday evenings, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
For more information, contact Ski Roundtop at (717) 432-9631 or visit Roundtop on the web.
Seven Springs bustles with activity during the summer. Numerous activities are offered, with convention services attracting business meetings and other events.
Seven Springs features an 18-hole golf course situated atop the Laurel Mountains. Rates for 18 holes, including cart rental, are $65.90 weekdays or $69.90 weekends. 9-hole rates are available weekdays for $40.60.
The Alpine Slide, open daily through Labor Day, is $3 per ride.
Other activities include bowling, swimming, tennis courts, volleyball, badminton, hiking, miniature golf, and mountaintop hay rides. Mountain bike rentals are also available.
For more information on activities at Seven Springs, contact the resort at (814) 352-7777 or visit Seven Springs on the web.
West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort has activities that will plase just about anyone during the summer. Located on top of Snowshoe Mountain, the resort’s summertime temperature rarely creeps into the 80’s, offering cool air for all kinds of recreational pursuits.
The Hawthorne Valley 18-hole championship course was designed by the Gary Player Design Group. The course is built into the mountainside, offering terrific views and challenging holes. New this year, golf carts feature the Pro Shot system, utilizing GPS technology.
Snowshoe has earned a strong reputation for its mountain biking. Over 100 miles of maintained trails are available, with terrain suited for beginners and experts alike. Even more trails are available nearby, such as the popular and easy-going Rails-to-Trails Greenbrier River Trail. Two full-service mountain bike shops are on-site, and the Mountain Express shuttle ferries bikers to the top of the mountain on an hourly basis.
New this year, the Snowshoe Outdoor Adventure Program offers even more activities, including BMX racing, climbing, ropes courses, watersports, hiking, and a skatepark.
Numerous summer camps and events (including the “Fire on the Mountain” chili cookoff and the Snowshoe Symphony Festival) are scheduled throughout the summer.
For more information, contact Snowshoe at (304) 572-1000 or visit Snowshoe on the web.
Located two miles from the Canaan Valley ski area, Timberline also benefits from the numerous recreational opportunities available in West Virginia’s Canaan Valley State Park.
Mountain bikers will find 20 miles of trails at Timberline, ranging from easy cruising to technical single track. As a bonus, there is no trail fee, but riders must wear a helmet and sign a waiver of liability at the Outdoors Edge Sports Shop, where they will also get a free trail map. Bike rentals are available. More riding is available at the nearby Monongahela National Forest.
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, lift service to the mountain’s peak is offered for riders, hikers, and scenic viewers. All day lift passes are $20 (or $15 if you have rented a bike); a one-ride pass is $5.
Hiking and fishing opportunities abound. Also available are horseback riding, a driving range, and a petting zoo.
For more information on summer activities, contact Timberline at (304) 866-4312 or visit Timberline on the web.
Whitetail Resort (Mercersburg, PA)
Pennsyvlania’s Whitetail Resort is busy building a golf course, scheduled to open next year, but has plenty of activities to offer in the meantime. Whitetail has become a popular destination for mountain bikers, and the Whitetail Fly Fishing School has helped introduce new anglers to the sport of fly fishing.
Dozens of miles of maintained trails are available to mountain bikers. Complimentary hot showers and bike washes are available for bikers, and an on deck barbecue welcomes riders after a long day of biking on weekends and holidays. Bike in/out campsites are available for $15 per tent, per night.
The trails are open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Trails are open Tuesday through Thursday to groups by reservation only. The Whitetail Express chairlift shuttles bikers to the top of the mountain on weekends and holidays. Trail passes are $6, while a lift/trail pass is $23. An afternoon lift/trail pass is $15 (1:30 - 5:30 p.m.) Mountain bike rentals are also available.
The Fly Fishing School features numerous clinics throughout the summer; the student to instructor ratio never exceeds 3:1. A fly shop is also available on-site.
New this summer, Whitetail will be offering courses in backpacking, land navigation/orienteering, outdoor and wildlife photography, and rock climbing.
For more information, contact Whitetail at (717) 328-9400 or visit Whitetail on the web.
Wisp Four Seasons Resort (Deep Creek Lake, MD)
Wisp serves as a cool summertime retreat, with a summit elevation over 3,000 feet. The 18-hole Golf Club at Wisp attracts many golfers; the green fee for 18 holes, including cart rental, is $58 per person. A driving range is also located at Wisp.
Visitors to Wisp during the summer will find volleyball, racquetball, and tennis courts, as well as an indoor swimming pool.
Deep Creek Lake offers lots of aquatic fun, including Waverunner rentals and fishing. Horseback riding and white water rafting are available nearby. Mountain biking is also popular in the area.
For more information on summer activities at Wisp, contact the resort at (301) 387-4911 or visit Wisp on the web.
M. Scott Smith is the founder and Editor of DCSki. Scott loves outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and mountain biking. He is an avid photographer and writer.
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