If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination for your next winter getaway, Winterplace Ski Resort in West Virginia is a great option.
This ski resort is an easy road trip from many Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern States.
Winterplace Ski Resort is a popular destination for skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.
Thanks again to Winterplace Ski Resort for hosting our visit. All opinions are my own, and this article contains affiliate links.
How Big is Winterplace Ski Resort?
The mountain at Winterplace Ski Resort offers 90+ skiable acres with a base elevation of 2,997 feet and an elevation of 3,600 feet.
The vertical drop is 603 feet, and Panorama, an intermediate trail, is the longest run is 1.25 miles long.
There are 28 slopes and two Terrain Parks. The slope difficulty breakdown is 40% Easiest, 35% Intermediate, and 25% Advanced.
There is a Retail Shop on the upper level of the Resort Center and at the Mountain House.
The resort has 9 lifts (2 Quads, 2 Doubles, 3 Triples, and 2 Carpet Lifts.
Night skiing is available on 26 slopes and the Terrain Park except on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
*Turkey Chute is the slope closed at night.
Indy Pass Partner
Winterplace Ski Resort is a proud partner of the Indy Pass, which includes 270+ resorts on 4 continents with 2 days at each resort.
Learn to Ski/Snowboard at the #1 Place in the Southeast
Winterplace Ski Resort was voted the #1 place to learn to ski/snowboard in the Southeast by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine.
It had been a few years since the three of us had been skiing, and we also brought a friend who was skiing for the first time.
If it’s your first time skiing or snowboarding …or it’s been a few years since your last time, I highly recommend taking one.
I enjoy skiing, but I don’t ski consistently enough, which is why I’m not too prideful to take a lesson as a refresher if it’s been a few years since my last time on the slopes.
I always learn tips that can help my technique, and it’s also nice to become more familiar with the mountain with an instructor.
Group Lessons and Private Lessons
Group lessons are available for first-timers, beginner-level skiers, and snowboarders, divided by age and ability.
It’s a great refresher on the basics, and for a first timer it’s so much easier and less frustrating to learn from an instructor instead of from a friend…trust me, I speak from experience.
Types of Lessons Offered at Winterplace Ski Resort
- Group Lessons
- Private Lessons/ Semi-private lessons
- 2- hour private lessons
- 3- hour private lessons
- Private Family Lessons
- SkiWee (ages 5-12)
- Snowboards Lessons (ages 8-12)
- Snow Explore Children’s Program (ages 5-12)
Our Private Ski Lesson
Our instructor, Ethan, did a great job of covering the basics so that all of us felt comfortable and confident on the slopes.
He started by going over the equipment, foot movements, and techniques before stepping onto the skies.
We started with basic skills on one ski first, followed by rotating to the other ski, before using both skis.
Next came turns down the hill and the moving carpet.
I think the most stressful part for newbies is always the moving carpet and chair lift.
Once you have a successful disembarking, you’ll quickly build confidence for your next time.
And if you do fall, you get that over with, so it isn’t as intimidating either.
Our newbie skier advanced quickly, and our instructor took us on smaller slopes and continued to more green runs, the easiest level of trail on the mountain.
Our lesson provided a great foundation for the basics for our first timer.
It was also my first time skiing post-knee surgery, and I’m grateful for such a positive experience back on the slopes. I’m looking forward to skiing more in my future.
When is the Winterplace Ski Resort Open?
The ski season is typically from early December to mid-March at Winterplace Ski Resort.
Enjoy West Virginia’s Largest Snow Tubing Park
Winterplace is home to West Virginia’s largest snow tubing park with up to 14 lanes.
This is a great option if you want a break from skiing/ snowboarding or if you’re visiting with a non-skier/snowboarder.
There’s a separate parking lot for the Tubing Park, you can drive to or take the resort shuttle. The access road from the parking lot to the snow tubing park is for foot traffic only.
All snow tubes are provided by the snow park.
There’s one person per snow tube, and one tube per lane. Participants aren’t allowed to link up or ride double down the hill.
You’ll want to wear water-resistant pants, boots, and a jacket to help keep you warm and dry. (Ski boots aren’t permitted at the Tubing Park)
There are two moving carpets for the snow tubing park, which help you maximize your time at the park. Kids must be at least 44 inches tall to snow tube at the park.
Rental Equipment at Winterplace Ski Resort
If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent the following items at the resort:
- Helmets
- Snow Bibs
- Rossignol Skis
- Rossignol Snowboards with step-in or strap-in bindings
- Children’s skis, boots, and helmets
The Rental shop features a tuning and repair center.
You’ll select and change into your ski or snowboard boots first and then bring your waiver to an attendant to pick up your choice of rental gear.
Locker Rentals and Cubbies
Winterplace offers locker rentals that take coins and cards.
We used a cubby for all of our shoes both days without any issues. The resort isn’t responsible for lost or stolen items if you choose to take the risk.
I recommend renting a locker if you have phones or items you want in a more secure location.
Dining at Winterplace Ski Resort
Winterplace Ski Resort doesn’t allow outside food or beverages inside the resort, but there are several dining options on-site.
Mountain Mama’s Food Court – cafeteria style with burgers, Nathan’s hot dogs, salads, pizza, and chicken sandwiches.
There’s plenty of seating inside, in addition to outdoor seating with picnic tables.
The MountainHouse – cafeteria style with burgers, Nathan’s hot dogs, etc., near the Tubing Park.
*Open during tubing hours
The MountainHouse has a nice view of the ski slopes and the Tubing Park from the lodge and outdoor picnic tables.
The Snowdrift Lounge – This lounge is for guests aged 21 and above, where they can enjoy their preferred alcoholic beverage of choice.
Food Trucks – During the weekends, area Food Trucks are on-site during the season.
You’re at the Mercy of Mother Nature
You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you dress and respond to it.
The weather in the mountains can change quickly, regardless of whatever your weather app says. What a difference a day makes!
The first day we went skiing, it rained A LOT, but we made the most of it and still had a great time.
The following day, we skied on fresh snow from the sky and fresh snow made at the resort. It was a great way to end the weekend.
You can’t control the weather, so you might as well make the most of it and dress appropriately.
What to Pack to Wear at Winterplace Ski Resort
You want to dress in layers and not overdress.
Wear athletic clothing with some stretch for your bottom half under your snow pants, not jeans (no cotton, remember?!!) under your ski pants.
You typically need a Merino wool base layer, a middle layer, and an outer layer.
I noticed that many ski instructors wore waterproof ski mittens over ski gloves.
It’s recommended that you wear one pair of smart wool socks.
You don’t want to double up on socks because they can bunch up inside your boots, making your feet very uncomfortable and sweaty, and eventually colder.
Ski goggles will help keep the sun from blinding you on a sunny day and keep snow and water from your eyes on a snowy/rainy one.
The ski helmet serves several purposes: to protect your head in the event of a crash, and to keep your head warm and dry.
Ski goggles protect your eyes from sunlight, snow, and ice. They are secured to your face better than sunglasses and help contrast the surroundings while skiing.
Helmets are available for rent with the rest of your equipment rentals.
An action camera can be attached to many ski helmets, allowing you to capture footage of your ski run.
I brought dry bags for all of our wet gear.
Next time, I would have loved to have had a portable boot and glove dryer, as well as a portable clothes dryer, to use on our wet jackets and snowpants back in our hotel room.
You’ll also want to bring a change of clothes if you aren’t staying closeby.
Where is Winterplace Ski Resort Located?
Winterplace Ski Resort is located at 100 Old Flat Top Mt. Rd., Ghent, WV, only 5 minutes off I-77 interstate.
Driving Distance to Winterplace Ski Resort
- Roanoke, VA – 110 miles – 1.5+ hours
- Huntington, WV – 135 miles – 2.5+ hours
- Greensboro, NC – 171 miles – 2.4+ hours
- Charlotte, NC – 194 miles – 3.5 hours
- Knoxville, TN – 240 miles – 3.5+ hours
- Richmond, VA – 261 miles – 4+hours
- Columbus, OH – 243 miles – 4.25 hours
- Lexington, KY – 263 miles – 4.5+ hours
- Cincinnati, OH – 286 miles – 5+ hours
- Washington, DC – 318 miles – 5+ hours
Is There Lodging at Winterplace Ski Resort?
All slopeside cabins are available to rent through third-party sites.
“Cabins at Winterplace” are basic bunk cabins for up to 15 people and include breakfast at Mountain Mama’s Cafe for the following morning. Call to book (304) 787-3221.
Where We Stayed
During our visit, we stayed at The Resort at Glade Springs, located 11.7 miles from Winterplace Ski Resort, around 21+ minutes away.
This resort offers guests a variety of family-friendly activities on-site.
You can save on your stay here.
More Information
You can find more information on the Winterplace Ski Resort website.
