The first image that comes to mind when you hear about a resort in Mountain Maryland might be snowy peaks, icy trees and ski equipment. And while Wisp Resort in McHenry certainly does offer plenty of snowy slopes, visitors can also expect recreation and outdoor adventures for every season.
“We’re about connecting with the outdoors,” says Ron Hawkes, General Manager of Wisp Resort. Wisp takes advantage of all the natural resources Garrett County, Maryland has to offer, from the pristine beauty of Deep Creek Lake to the county’s stunning mountain views. Guests with a taste for golfing can enjoy two eighteen-hole courses, including Lodestone Golf Course, a stunning mountaintop course designed by golf legend Hale Irwin. Visitors can also explore the mountains by way of Segway tours, mountain bike rentals, scenic chair lift rides and zip line challenge courses.
The resort is also home to one of the only man-made white-water rafting courses in the country. This “unique” and “fun as can be” feature is complemented by kayaking, pontoon boat tours and paddleboarding at nearby Deep Creek Lake.
Wisp Resort not only takes advantage of every feature the local landscape has to offer, it also offers indoor fun in the form of escape rooms, dining and shopping options. The variety of attractions and leisure opportunities allows Hawke to employ one hundred year-round workers and hundreds more during the peak seasons of winter and summer. In addition to drawing from the local workforce, Wisp Resort also partners with international universities, bringing interested students from all over the world to the resort for seasonal employment.
The resort also contributes to the development of the local communities through sponsoring programs like the Deep Creek Winter Sports Team, a parent-run non-profit focused on organizing skiing and snowboarding events and races for seven through eighteen-year-olds. According to Hawke, programs like this team not only “promote the development of young skiers,” they also are the type of “grassroots programs where the best in the world are developed.” By taking advantage of its own roots in the landscape and community of Garret County, Wisp Resort is able to provide one-of-a-kind opportunities—for jobs, recreation and personal development—to both out-of-towners and locals.
The I-68 region not only provides opportunities for manufacturing and contracting industries. Tourism and recreation-based businesses like Wisp Resort also thrive. Learn more about the area’s strategic location on the I-68 Regional Alliance website.