| Vertical drop: | 935 feet |
| Base elevation: | 865 feet |
| Peak elevation: | 1,800 feet |
| Skiable acres: | 117 |
| Longest run: | 1 mile |
| Trails: | 23 |
Located in south-central Pennsylvania, Whitetail is a comfortable 90-minute jog down I-70 from D.C. and Baltimore. Skiers and boarders will find 23 trails, a 935-foot vertical, and a high-speed quad. Whitetail’s convenient location to D.C. also means skiers and boarders will often find crowds — on weekends and holidays, Whitetail’s slopes can become as crowded as the Washington Beltway during rush hour. On non-holiday weekdays, the crowds completely disappear and you’re likely to have the slopes to yourself.
Whitetail has a strong track record of continuous capital improvements. Over the past couple decades, it has added new trails, expanded its base lodge, added a snow tubing park, expanded lighting across the slopes, and made significant snowmaking improvements. Whitetail’s state-of-the-art snowmaking system can quickly take slopes from bare to skiable with just a few nights of snowmaking.
Whitetail is now part of the Vail Resorts family after a 2019 purchase. Previously, it was owned by Peak Resorts, and before that, Snow Time. Its new ownership means you can purchase a single Epic pass and ski at Whitetail, Liberty, Roundtop, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, and dozens of resorts across North America.
Skiers at Whitetail are pampered by a modern base lodge and amenities such as free ski check. Food is reasonable, with cafeteria-style food available in the Market Place. Other dining options include sit-down service at the Solstice, and brick oven pizzas at Mountain Hearth Pizzeria.
Whitetail developed a residential village that lines the Northern Lights beginner ski slope, but despite this lodging, Whitetail does not offer many year-round activities except for golf and is primarily a day resort in the winter. In 2019, Whitetail was granted its first liquor license.
Photo by M. Scott Smith.
| Resort Name: | Whitetail Resort |
| Vertical Drop: | 935 feet |
| Base Altitude: | 865 feet |
| Peak Altitude: | 1,800 feet |
| Trails: | 23 Trails:
|
| Skiable Acres: | 117 |
| Longest Run: | 1 mile |
| Lifts: | 9 (1 high-speed quad, 3 quads, 2 doubles, 3 magic carpets) |
| Night Skiing: | Night skiing on all trails |
| Terrain Park: | Two terrain parks. |
| Tubing Park: | Serviced by an enclosed magic carpet and its own lodge. |
| Address: | 13805 Blairs Valley Road Mercersburg, PA 17236 |
| Phone: | (717) 328-9400 |
| Social Media: |    |
| Webcams: | View resort webcams |
| Web Site: | http://www.skiwhitetail.com/ |
| Directions: | Via Google Maps |
| Humidity: | 92% | Visibility: | 1.50 |
| Wind Speed: | 3 mph
 |
Sunrise: | 7:17 a.m. |
| Barometer: | 30.16 in | Sunset: | 4:47 p.m. |
| Dewpoint: | 40 °F |
Weather supplied by the National Weather Service. Errors or reporting delays may be possible.
Snow conditions supplied by SnoCountry, and may be inaccurate or delayed at times. Please check directly with Whitetail for the most up-to-date snow and operating conditions.
November 27, 2022 - Below average temperatures in November have enabled a variety of ski areas across the entire Mid-Atlantic region to open for the season, giving skiers one extra thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
April 25, 2022 - It is once again Spring, which means it’s time to consider purchasing a season pass for the 2022-2023 winter season before prices begin to inch up. DCSki breaks down the choices and factors Mid-Atlantic skiers should consider as they explore available pass options.
March 6, 2022 - Known as “Crush” on the DCSki Forums, Eric has been posting to DCSki for over 20 years — even as he’s changed locations from D.C. to Park City to North Lake Tahoe. Learn more about Eric in this interview.
February 2, 2022 - It had been a minute since DCSki’s Editor last skied. Over a million minutes, in fact. He corrected that error on February 2, 2022 with a midweek trip to Pennsylvania’s Whitetail Resort. He provides this Firsthand Report.
January 7, 2022 - The second half of December wasn’t ideal for Mid-Atlantic ski areas: cold temperatures from early in the season yielded to unseasonably (and, to skiers, unreasonably) mild days. As the calendar advanced from December to January, that’s all changed. DCSki provides a roundup of the latest conditions at local ski resorts.
December 8, 2021 - In news that is likely to reshape Mid-Atlantic snowsports for years to come, Vail Resorts announced on December 8, 2021 that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Hidden Valley Resort, and the operations of Laurel Mountain Ski Area.
December 1, 2021 - The Mid-Atlantic ski season is already underway, and additional ski areas are scheduled to come on-line the weekend of December 4-5. DCSki presents a complete roundup of open — and soon-to-open — ski areas in this December 1, 2021 update. Above, Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Resort has been laying down snow in preparation for a December 4 opening.
November 28, 2021 - Leveraging data science, the company aims to reduce crowding and lift line wait times.
November 7, 2021 - Vail Resorts moves closer to its goal of becoming carbon-neutral, as companies across the ski industry join efforts to improve sustainability and raise awareness of climate change.
September 25, 2021 - Vail Resorts adjusts its reservation, masking, and vaccination policies.
