Wisp Resort

What Wisp Resort does

Wisp Resort is Maryland's only four-season mountain resort, operating 132 acres of skiable terrain across 33 trails and 11 lifts at McHenry, Maryland on the shores of Deep Creek Lake, roughly 2-3 hours from Washington DC, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. Founded in Winter 1955-56 by Helmuth "Ace" Heise and acquired by Pacific Group Resorts in December 2012, Wisp monetizes a vertically integrated destination stack: winter lift tickets and tiered season passes (Adult through Platinum at $299-$1,699), ski school and Rossignol rental/retail, two 18-hole championship golf courses (Lodestone and Fantasy Valley, 36 holes total), the Lodge at Wisp (169 ski-in/ski-out guest rooms), a year-round Mountain Coaster, three aerial/canopy tour courses (Flying Squirrel, Spider Monkey, Chipmunk Challenge), Deep Creek Lake pontoon tours and watercraft rentals, F&B outlets including Last Chair Bar + Bistro and Mountain Park Café, and a wedding and corporate events business supported by dedicated sales staff.

The resort's underlying technology stack is conventional hospitality-and-tourism infrastructure rather than a technology platform: RFID-based ticketing and lift access gates (Axess), Techno Alpin automated snowmaking with new fan and stick guns that produce 30% more snow at the same energy draw, and a mobile app providing GPS-based run tracking (My Tracks), live webcams, snow reports, and an events calendar. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across on-site ticket windows, the website (wispresort.com), a mobile app, a central reservations phone line, and a wedding/group RFP channel, with a reciprocal pass benefit through the Pacific Group Resorts portfolio of eight sister resorts spanning the U.S. and Canada.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across subscription-like season passes, per-use lift tickets, unit-priced activities, lodging packages (Platinum Escape from $239 pp, Lake Lovers from $99 pp), daily-rate golf, F&B, and events. Operational signals are those of a mature, reinvesting regional operator: 70th anniversary season (2025-26), NSAA 2025-26 Best Overall Marketing Campaign for sub-500k-skier resorts, four consecutive years of GolfWeek #2 Public Course in Maryland (Lodestone, 2012-2015), NSAA Sustainable Slopes and Climate Challenge badges, and an incoming General Manager (Erik Barnes, June 2026) succeeding Ron Hawkes after the 2026-27 winter season.

Name

Wisp Resort

Legal name

Wisp Resort

Website

https://wispresort.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wisp Resort is Maryland's only four-season mountain resort, operating 132 acres of ski terrain, 36 holes of golf, 169 lodging rooms, and year-round mountain and lake activities at Deep Creek Lake for Mid-Atlantic leisure and event guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Resort / Four-Season Mountain Resort

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Ski & Mountain Resorts (Lift-Served Skiing/Riding) (THAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resort Convention Hotels (THAGALAC), Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Mountain resort hospitality
• Golf course management
• Outdoor recreation activities
• Ski season passes

Headquarters

HQ city

Mchenry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lift Tickets and Season Passes: Primary winter revenue stream from lift ticket sales and season passes across multiple tiers (Adult, Junior, Senior, Platinum, College, Military)
2. Lodging: The Lodge at Wisp with 169 guest rooms offering various room types from King Luxury Suites to Double Suites
3. Golf Operations: Two 18-hole championship golf courses (Lodestone and Fantasy Valley) with greens fees, cart rentals, and memberships
4. Food and Beverage: Multiple dining outlets including Last Chair Bar + Bistro, Mountain Park Cafe, and other restaurants
5. Mountain Activities: Year-round adventure activities including Mountain Coaster, Aerial Adventures, Lake Adventures, and Mountain Adventures
6. Events and Weddings: Wedding packages, corporate events, and special event hosting with catering services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wisp Resort is Maryland's only four-season mountain destination resort operating skiing and snowboarding across 132 acres with 33 trails, two championship 18-hole golf courses (Lodestone and Fantasy Valley), ski-in/ski-out lodging at The Lodge at Wisp (169 rooms), and year-round adventure activities including a Mountain Coaster, aerial canopy tours, pontoon boat tours on Deep Creek Lake, and event/wedding venues. Revenue is generated through lift tickets, season passes, golf greens fees, lodging, activity ticketing, food and beverage, and event hosting.

Product overview

Wisp Resort is Maryland's only four-season mountain resort offering a diverse portfolio of recreational products. The resort features a unified ski and snowboard experience (33 trails across 132 acres with lift infrastructure), complemented by two championship golf courses (Lodestone and Fantasy Valley), and extensive summer adventure activities including the Mountain Coaster, Aerial Adventures (Flying Squirrel Canopy Tour, Spider Monkey Adventure, Chipmunk Challenge Course), Lake Adventures (Pontoon Tours, watercraft rentals), and Mountain Adventures (scenic chairlifts, mini-golf, archery, disc golf, gem mining). The resort operates The Lodge at Wisp with 169 guest rooms and multiple dining outlets. Products are sold through Mission Affordable Season Passes, individual activity tickets, lodging packages, and group/event services including weddings and conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mission Affordable Season Passes

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million kWh annual energy savings from LED lighting upgrades since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Pacific Group ResortsflagshipOthersPacific Group Resorts (PGRI), based in Park City, Utah, owns and operates Wisp Resort along with 7 other ski/golf resorts across North America: Jay Peak (VT), Wintergreen Resort (VA), Mount Washington Alpine Resort (BC), SilverStar Resort (BC), Powderhorn Mountain Resort (CO), and Wisp Resort (MD). Combined portfolio includes over 7,000 acres of ski terrain and 99 holes of golf.
• RossignolcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerRossignol provides ski and snowboard equipment for rentals and retail; includes Rossignol Concept Shop and Demo center at Wisp Resort
• Helly HansencoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHelly Hansen is the proud uniform provider and retail brand for Wisp Resort staff and merchandise
• Coca-ColaminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCoca-Cola is the preferred beverage provider at Wisp Resort
• Insta360minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerInsta360 is listed as a corporate partner providing 360-degree camera technology for resort experiences
• National Ski Areas AssociationcoreOthersWisp participates in NSAA's Sustainable Slopes and Climate Challenge programs, having earned Sustainable Slopes Endorser, Climate Action, and Climate Advocacy Badges
• Sunrise SanitationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal waste management partner working with Wisp on efficient waste diversion systems and monitoring
• Clean CompostminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal Frostburg, MD compost facility partner accepting food waste from Wisp since February 2025 to create usable compost

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Camelback Resort: Pennsylvania family-oriented ski and indoor waterpark resort; competes for the same Mid-Atlantic family-skier segment with overlapping year-round amenities.
• Jay Peak Resort: Sister resort under Pacific Group Resorts with integrated four-season ski, lodging, and golf offerings in Vermont; closest direct comparable on business model and parent ownership.
• Snowshoe Mountain Resort: West Virginia four-season resort and largest ski operation in the Mid-Atlantic; principal alternative destination for regional skiers, lodging guests, and mountain bikers.
• Seven Springs Mountain Resort: Largest integrated four-season mountain resort in Pennsylvania; directly competes with Wisp for DC/Pittsburgh visitors on ski, golf, lodging, and summer activities.
• SilverStar Mountain Resort: PGRI sister resort in British Columbia with integrated ski, golf, and village lodging; directly comparable on vertical-integration business model.
• Mount Washington Alpine Resort: PGRI sister resort on Vancouver Island offering lift-served skiing, lodging, and summer activities; same PGRI operating playbook and reciprocal pass mechanics.
• Wintergreen Resort: PGRI sister resort in Virginia offering Mid-Atlantic ski, golf, and lodging; comparable destination-resort structure within the same draw zone.
• Powderhorn Mountain Resort: PGRI sister resort in Colorado providing lift-served skiing and on-mountain lodging under the same parent portfolio.

Regional players

• Liberty Mountain Resort: Pennsylvania Vail Resorts property competing for DC/Baltimore family skiers with similar ski school, tubing, and beginner-friendly positioning.
• Whitetail Resort: Pennsylvania day-use ski resort about 90 minutes from DC; closest direct competitor for Wisp's drive-to day skier segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WispresortMD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WispResortMD
• Facebookfacebook.com/WispResort
• Instagraminstagram.com/wispresort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisp Resort