Snowshoe Mountain, W.Va.
The biggest ski resort in the mid-Atlantic can hold its own.
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Many wouldn’t expect a modern ski resort with top-notch lodging, gourmet dining, and 1,500 acres of fantastic skiing awaiting in West Virginia. But alas, there’s Snowshoe. Offering a combination of the East Coast’s down-to-earth ski scene and the West Coast’s luxurious ski resort infrastructure, Snowshoe has it all going on, which is why it placed Top 10 in Grooming, Lodging, On-Mountain Dining, Scenery, Nightlife, Charm and, last but not least, Accessibility.
For skiers from the greater D.C., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Richmond areas, Snowshoe is about four to five hours away—a breeze considering when you arrive, you’re transported to a whole new world. Just look at Snowshoe on a map. You’ll see it’s surrounded entirely by National Forest land, not to mention the resort itself owns 11,000 acres for year-round recreation, a fact readers absolutely love. “I really enjoy how isolated it is,” one recalls. “I feel like a local when I visit as the staff, locals, and visitors all enjoy the same experience. The ski patrol is first-rate and carefully got me off the mountain this winter after an unfortunate entanglement with my kid.” And another happy skier’s take: “Great terrain, excellent snow and temperatures, and a wonderful village. It’s very much like a Western ski resort tucked into the Appalachian Mountains, and the elevation and climate gives it more snow and less ice than many Eastern resorts.” — Connor W. Davis
2021 Resort Guide Reader Ranking of Snowshoe, W.Va.: No. 15 in the East
| Average Snowfall | Acres | Lifts | Trails |
| 180″ | 270 | 12 | 57 |
- MANDATORY RUN: It’s all about Cupp Run. Designed in the ’70s by ski racing legend Jean-Claude Killy himself, this 1,500-foot vertical trail is full of twists and turns, ending with a steep headwall.
- FAMILY EXPERIENCE: Dinner in a remote backcountry cabin sound good? Hop in a Polaris RZR and be whisked away for gourmet eats among the trees.
Check out No. 16 in the East: Seven Springs, Pa.
Want to know who beat Snowshoe for No. 14 in the East? Read about Stratton Mountain, Vt.