The Poconos brings winter enthusiasts to six ski resorts in northeastern Pennsylvania, and one boasts the highest vertical in the state. That's Blue Mountain Resort, with more than 1,087 feet of vertical. Blue Mountain also takes the size prize with 171 skiable acres.
The Poconos offer skiing experiences from easy to extreme.
The Pocono Mountains, which get their name from a Native American word for “a creek between two hills,” occupy 2,500 square miles and attract visitors from nearby major population areas. The ski areas range from 26 acres to 171 acres, and opening dates vary.
In order of size (by skiable acres), they include:
Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton: 171 acres, 40 trails, and 16 lifts. New this year is a six-passenger lift that replaces two double lifts (Mainstreet and Burma), a wider shuttle trail, and LED lights on the Paradise Trail. The nearest hotel is two-and-a-half miles away.
Race your friends down a snow tubing hill in the Pocono Mountains!
Camelback Resort in Tannersville: 166 acres, 39 trails (from green to double black), and six lifts, including a new six-pack. Snowboarding and tubing are available. Camelback Resort offers lodging on the mountain with 453 rooms. Night skiing is offered.
Shawnee Mountain Ski Area in East Stroudsburg: 125 acres, 23 slopes and trails, and two terrain parks. Night skiing and snow tubing are available, and additional snow guns have been added. The Tomahawk Express serves 20 of the 23 trails, cutting travel time. (
Enjoy the company and the scenery on a chairlift up to the top of the mountain.
Jack Frost Mountain Resort in White Haven: 100 acres, 20 trails (with eight designed for advanced skiers), and six chairlifts, including three new fixed-grip quads, Pocono, Paradise, and Tobyhanna. The summit elevation is 2,000 feet. Vail Resorts, the mega-resort operator, owns both Jack Frost and Big Boulder (see below).
Big Boulder in Lake Harmony: 55 acres, 13 trails, two terrain parks, and four chairlifts, including two triples and five doubles. A fixed-grip quad replaces the Edelweiss triple. The longest run is 2,900 feet. The nearest lodging is 2.7 miles away.
The Pocono Mountains possess the perfect family-friendly slopes.
Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain in Lackawanna: 26 acres with a vertical drop of 650 feet, 18 trails, and five lifts, including four doubles. A terrain park, snowboarding, night skiing, and tubing are offered. The longest run is one mile. Available to members of the Masthope Mountain Community, it is open to the public.
Strap on the snowboard and make your mark on the slopes.
For More Information
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau: 570-844-2001, poconomountains.com
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