Massanutten Resort
Ski Lessons
Massanutten aims to be open for skiing from mid-December through
March, and recent upgrades to its snowmaking infrastructure will
enhance the winter season. Fourteen trails meander through 70
skiable acres, which also host two terrain parks and a downhill tubing
park. Daily adult lift tickets range from $74 on holidays and weekends
to $44 for night skiing. But discounts for seniors, military and children
are available, as are package deals that bundle lodging and ski access.
Six hotels are located near the slopes, and nearby rental condo
duplexes can accommodate up to 12 guests.
If skiing and boarding aren’t your thing, you can still get a bird’s-eye
view of the slope-side action via the 800-foot Mega Zip Dual Racer
zipline. And when it’s time to come in from the cold, settle down
with a hot toddy, glass of wine or a craft beer at Base Camp — a
5,000-square-foot patio enclosed under a massive umbrella roof.
Outside, the après-ski crowd can cozy up on comfy couches arranged
around fire pits.
Massanutten’s massive indoor WaterPark is its own attraction that has
garnered a spot on more than a few “10 Best” lists. The air is a steady
Indoor Waterpark
84 degrees and the water is an ahhh-inducing 86 degrees. Its soaring,
transparent Texlon roof admits UV rays, enabling sunbathers to work
on their tans even in the dead of winter.
Other WaterPark features include a Lazy River, FlowRider Endless
Wave for boogie-boarding, tube slides and the spacious Shenandoah
Hot Springs soaking pool.
A recent addition to Massanutten’s menu of activities is the Lucky Duck
Speakeasy, a live-adventure game in which participants sift through
clues that will topple a Prohibition-era liquor kingpin. If they fail to
solve the mystery in an hour, a “bomb” goes off. If that sounds a tad
stressful, you can always opt for the trivia and karaoke nights in the
Hideaway Lounge.
And should you run out of amusements at the resort itself, the
pleasant city of Charlottesville, home to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
and the University of Virginia, is just 45 miles away. Also nearby: Skyline
Drive in Shenandoah National Park, and historic Harrisonburg, VA.
WINTER 2018/19 61 FLYWASHINGTON.COM