Pennsylvania

Ski Areas in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a staggering number of ski areas. While most are smaller hills more suited to day trips, there are a few larger resorts across the state popular with skiers for long weekend trips

Elk Mountain Ski Resort in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains

Featured Pennsylvania Ski Resorts

Blue Mountain

Home to the state’s largest vertical drop (1,082′), Blue Mountain is a popular day trip choice for skiers from both the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. Two high speed lifts (a six-pack and quad) whisk skiers to the top in just minutes.

Elk Mountain

Elk’s location on the highest peak in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains is enviable because the high elevation ensures fantastic snowfall and an annual snowfall that is greater than many of its competitors. Long, uncrowded slopes and challenging steeps spread across a 1,000′ vertical drop make Elk one of the best ski resorts in the state.

Montage Mountain

Formerly known as “Sno Mountain” for much of the 2000’s, Montage recently reverted to its original name. Located on the outskirts of the Scranton city limits, Montage offers a 1,000′ vertical drop and and is most well known for its pod of expert terrain on the lower mountain. Montage alleges that its “White Lightning” trail is the steepest in the East.

Shawnee Mountain

Located just across the Delaware River from New Jersey, Shawnee has a 700′ vertical drop and 23 slopes and trails. It is the closest Pocono ski area to New York City. Families enjoy Shawnee’s low key vibe and the nearby four-star Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is the best ski hotel in the Poconos.

Whitetail

Whitetail is the state’s newest ski area. At just around one hour from Washington, DC, Whitetail is the best ski area within a short drive of the capital. Several distinct pods of terrain make the resort ski bigger than some of its competitors, while modern lifts ensure lots of laps.

Other Pennsylvania Ski Resorts

Blue Knob

Not to be confused with Blue Mountain (above), Blue Knob offers the best skiing in the central-southern portion of Pennsylvania. Coming in just 10′ shorter than Blue Mountain, Blue Knob’s 1,072′ vertical drop is second in the state, but it’s terrain may just rate first. Long runs, tree skiing and even an alpine bowl set Blue Knob apart from its Pennsylvania peers.

Camelback

800′ of vertical drop and a modern lift system make Camelback amongst the most popular ski resorts in the Poconos. Hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders have picked up the sport at Camelback and the resort recently won the NSAA Conversion Cup in recognition of the number of new snowsports participants the resort forged.

Jack Frost/Big Boulder

Two ski resorts under common ownership and skiable on one ticket, Jack Frost/Big Boulder (“JFBB”) are located in the central part of the state.

Seven Springs

One hour east of Pittsburgh, Seven Springs is a large, full service resort that is the most popular in Western Pennsylvania. A 750′ vertical drop spread across 285 acres makes for great skiing, particularly when the legendary lake effect snowfall bands off nearby Lake Erie set up across the region.