Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

Pennsylvania

January is "Learn A Snow Sport Month"
in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, nature’s bounty is the backdrop for big time recreation.

Tens of thousands of winter enthusiasts migrate to the Keystone State Mountains every week to ski and snowboard on trails that offer cruising comfort in a majestic setting or the excitement of pulse pounding challenge on a downhill course.

Not knowing how to ski or board is no longer an excuse for sitting at home on the sidelines.

January has been designated, “Learn A Snow Sport Month” in Pennsylvania.

It’s easier and more affordable than ever. For the entire month, the 22 member resorts of the Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association will offer a $5 discount on already low midweek “Learn A Snow Sport” packages. These special tickets include a first ski lesson, rental equipment, either skis or a snowboard and a lift ticket for use on any of the beginner areas. Click for Ski Area Festivities for this event!

Eastern Pennsylvania

Alpine Mountain-The area caters to intermediates, with just over half its terrain devoted to them, and it also specializes in children's programs, including a kids' racing program.

Big Boulder-a wonderful place to learn and improve and features a delightful beginners' area separate from the main slopes but handy to the lodge.· Big Boulder also overlooks a lake, which adds a distinctive feel to the place

·Camelback Ski Area -···the largest area in the Poconos. With 33 trails and slopes, 800 feet of vertical, 156 acres of terrain, and some interesting twists to the trails, it feels more like New England. This being Pennsylvania, though, Camelback makes sure that every square inch of the mountain is covered with snowmaking.

Crystal Lake Ski Center-the mountaintop location, excellent trail design, grooming expertise and equipment will offer you the best possible cross-country skiing in Pennsylvania.· 30km of machine groomed and track set trails for all skill levels. Note: Hiking is only permitted on plowed roads.· New snow shoes make it possible for you to explore their winter wonderland, both on and off the trails, in most any conditions.· Ice skating on Crystal Lake when conditions permit.

Eagle Rock Resort-offers snow sports for all ages and abilities. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, Eagle Rock has a winter sports activity that you are sure to enjoy. Set amongst the beautiful Blue Mountain range, Eagle Rock offers the finest skiing, snow boarding, and snow tubing facilities available.· Enjoy short lift lines and uncrowded skiing in a beautiful mountain setting. All the latest snowmaking equipment and high powered snow guns ensure a powdered mountain for quality skiing. Eagle Rock mountain has 14 lighted slopes ranging from beginner to most difficult, which offer picturesque views of the Blue Mountain terrain.

Elk Mountain-set in the "Endless Mountains" about a half hour north of Scranton. It boasts a 1000-foot vertical drop, 140 acres, 27 trails, and a big terrain park, the Stompin' Grounds. Five doubles and a fixed-grip quad provide uplift; four of these including the quad run
from the base to the summit.

Jack Frost Mountain-boasts 100% snowmaking, features night skiing, 400-foot half pipe, tubing, and plenty of uphill capacity with nine lifts.

Shawnee Mountain-At Shawnee Mountain Ski Area you'll find 125 acres of great skiing and riding! Located in northeast Pennsylvania, Shawnee Mountain is the Pocono's favorite ski resort offering 23 slopes and trails, 2 terrain parks and the Pocono Plunge snow tubing park. It is a family friendly ski area with a wide range of terrain, 100% snowmaking, night skiing and one of the largest rental facilities in the country. Shawnee Mountain prides itself on being Beginner Friendly, offering not only great adult beginner packages, but a nationally ranked children's SKIwee program, Mommy & Me private lessons and an all new SkiBaby Program. Shawnee Mountain is an excellent ski area that is just a short drive from virtually anywhere in the tri-state area. The perfect place for the entire family to have an exciting day on the snow- Come experience the ski area that treats your family like family!

Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain-The new lodge is a perfect compliment to the eighteen trails, five lifts and 100% snowmaking. Ski, snowboard, snow tube or just relax and enjoy the view from the new Mountaintop Village. Located just two hours from New York City, Ski Big Bear is a great family adventure on your very own semi-private mountain.· Ski Big Bear offers terrain for every member of the family.· Ski Big Bear overlooks the Scenic Upper Delaware River. Bald eagles and white-tail deer are local residents. The resort is surrounded by beautiful mountain inns and bed and breakfasts. Located in a private community the crowds and chaos are slow to find this corner of Pennsylvania.

Sno Mountain-formally Montage, pleases with a solid 1000 foot vertical drop and a higher percentage of advanced and expert terrain than most other areas in the state. Fully 20% of the mountain is rated advanced while another 15% is rated expert. But when you first arrive this won't be obvious. What you see above the lodge is the mellower third of Sno Mountain; the blacks and double blacks occupy the lower two-thirds of the mountain.· The "base" area facilities include a day lodge, a cafeteria and lounge, guest services and everything else you would expect. Just don't plan to have lunch at the actual base of the mountain. Sno Mountain is just a few miles away from downtown Scranton, a city of almost 77,000 people, so you will find plenty in the way of dining, lodging, entertainment, and cultural events.

Lehigh Valley

Bear Creek Mountain Resort-with 70% of its terrain geared towards novices and intermediates (in a 30/40 split) urban snow warriors will find user-friendly terrain on which to learn and improve. Eighteen trails are available with the longest measuring exactly a mile in length. Two large areas are perfect for
new skiers and riders.· Most of the trails are lit for night operation. Bear Creek also has a large tubing park and anew 57,000 square foot base lodge.

Blue Mountain-located 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia and is a little over an hour drive. This ski and snowboard area makes the most of the 1600-foot mountain it sits on, squeezing out 1082 feet of vertical terrain making it most in the state by 10 feet. 34 trails and 9 lifts are offered, 100% of which is lighted for night skiing.· Blue Mountain is known for having some of the most varied terrain around from beginner to double diamond making this a great place to visit for skiers and riders of all ability levels.· If you are staying for more than just the day there are a number of hotels, motels and B&B's nearby.

Central Pennsylvania

Ski Denton-has a wide range of trails to accommodate various abilities and ambitions.· If an adrenaline-pumping downhill thrill is your thing, Denton is known for its extreme terrain, and often compared to other steeps in the East by downhill enthusiasts.·· Perhaps your motto is “singletrack is bliss”.· With over 25 miles of singletrack, accessed by the lift or by pedaling, you will end the day blissfully satisfied.·· North Shore you ask – teeter totters, bridges, decks, and beams - a playground for mountain bikers!· Ski Denton is located on scenic Route 6, between Coudersport and Galeton in Potter County, God’s Country, in the heart of the PA Wilds.

Ski Sawmill Family Resort-is continually improving and making your hometown ski area one to be proud of! Ski Sawmill has 12 slopes and 3 lifts. The peak elevation is 2,215 feet and base elevation is 1,770 feet - giving us a vertical drop of 515 feet. There is also a terrain park adjacent to our double chairlift.· The area offers affordable ski days like (Ladies & Men Ski for FREE days, Homeschool appreciation, 50% off Cash thursdays and more…) A few new days include Monday “Ladies Night” ski for 1/2 off all day lift and “Buisness Card Wednesday” where you can ski for 1/2 off all day lift if you bring in a business card. They also do a drawing from the business cards every week and give away a FREE LIFT TICKET.

Tussey Mountain Ski Area-originally operated as a public ski area under the name of Skimont during the 1960's. After sitting idle for a few years, the mountain was re-opened as a private club in the mid 1970's under the name Bald Knob Ski Club. In 1981-82 the mountain was reorganized and opened again publicly as Tussey Mountain Ski Area, a name now synonymous with quality skiing to area residents. Since then the mountain has grown both in size and sophistication of operation.· Today, Tussey Mountain has skiing on 50 acres with 3 ski and snowboard lifts and 2 snowtube lifts. In addition to skiing, we also offer a snowtubing park which has over 100 snowtubes and a specially designed lift to take you to the top.

Whitetail Resort-Winter is just around the corner and we can't wait for another great season on the slopes. This summer Snow Time, Inc. invested over 4 million dollars back into the resort. Whitetail offers skiing and snowboarding on 19 trails. The mountain boasts a 935-foot vertical drop, six lifts, a halfpipe and two terrain parks. The resort has a western feel and is decidedly modern. All 19 trails are open to snowboarders along with two terrain parks and halfpipe for skiers and snowboarders. Complimentary ski check; two restaurants and a Starbucks on-site; basket check; lockers; changing rooms; and a seasonal sports shop.

Liberty Mountain Resort-Liberty's devotion to families begins with programs for all ages and extends to a full range of diversions designed to keep everyone happy. From a baby-sitting service that takes children as young as six months and a special kiddie tubing park for two- to four-year olds, Liberty covers the youngest crowd. Private ski lessons begin at three, the group program accepts four-year-olds. Snowboard lessons are offered privately to kids as young as four; the group program accepts kids starting at six.

Roundtop Mountain Resort-This popular area pleases its guests with 15 trails, three terrain parks, a half pipe and a Superpipe. Eight lifts serve 600 feet of vertical. Two of the eight serves the pipes. Additional lifts are devoted to the tubing operation.· Folks who are brand-new to snow sports will especially like Ski Roundtop's layout. First, there's the Discovery Center on a gentle slope near the main lodge. Second, there's a special zone just for kids complete with Magic Carpet. And third, both areas anchor a lift and trail pod system that's exclusively green.· Ski Roundtop is about 20 miles south of Harrisburg, the state capital, so there are plenty of off-snow activities to enjoy.

Western Pennsylvania

Mystic Mountainat Nemacolin Woodlands-Situated in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Mystic Mountain at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort opened in 1995 and is an ideal learning environment for first-time skiers. Featuring 25 acres for snow sports - including alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow tubing - Mystic Mountain has a wide variety of slope difficulty, short lines, friendly trails, and experienced instructors.· Mystic Mountain is a fun ski area designed for families.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort-a true four-season resort is the state’s largest ski resort and is just an hour or so from Pittsburgh. Its well-developed lodging and amenities, ample terrain and big lift capacity draw visitors from even further away than Pittsburgh. Cleveland and Columbus are just three and four hours away respectively; Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are four.· Thirty-one slopes and trails, a 750 foot maximum vertical drop, which is continuous on three trails in the North Face area, are spread across 285 acres. Five triples, three quads, and a two high-speed six-pack provide most of the uplift; five surface lifts serve the beginner terrain. Nearly all the terrain is lighted at night.

Hidden Valley Resort-Tucked away in the southwest corner of PA, not far from the West Virginia border you will find Hidden Valley. It sits up high in the Laurel Highlands and shares much of the wintry weather that blankets the bigger mountains to the south with abundant snow.· Hidden Valley is really two areas, each with a day lodge and parking. In between are the resort's Inn and Conference Center, along with restaurants and additional services.· This four-season resort has enough going on to keep you on site, but there are many charming small towns in the area complete with cultural attractions.

Blue Knob Ski Area-Nestled among the highest peaks of the Allegheny Mountains you'll find Blue Knob Mountain Resort. It offers the highest lift-served skiing in Pennsylvania on the state's second-highest peak, 3146-foot Blue Knob. Six lifts serve a wide variety of terrain, from long, easy beginner trails to some fairly steep stuff on the lower half of the mountain. Bump runs, glades, and even a small bowl will keep better skiers and riders happy while intermediates have their own pod of trails (and even a couple of glades).· But its location in a state park means you can go snowmobiling on a network of marked trails, or challenge your cross-country skills on the park's hiking trails or service roads.