What is the best ski resort in the Pocono's?

Question

We want to go to the Pocono's skiing in February for the first time and we have no clue on what the difference is in each resort.

Answer 1

OK...I live here and I've skied almost every resort at least three times, except for Blue Mountain. Here are my favorites:

Hands down the best place is Elk Mountain. I moved back to PA from VT last year and it is as close as you will get to big mountain stuff in the Keystone State. If you are coming from NJ/Philly/NYC area it will take you a little longer to get there, but it is worth it. It's one of the few places not tucked into a valley. It faces North and the wind (not usually too bad) keeps the snow in great condition. I think it has the most variety of trails. Lodging in the area is scarce. There are places to stay, but book ahead of time. Crowds are not that bad. It's far enough to keep the majority of "casual" skiers away. I rarely hit long lift-lines even on weekends. I have to admit, I ski mid-week a lot and then you can almost have the place to yourself.

Jack Frost is also usually good. It too has a lot of terrain variety. Weekends will be crowded. It is a very popular resort and has one of the best youth programs in the area. It might be the only place in the area that does not have night skiing. Therefore, except on mogul runs and the really steeps you should not have to contend with 8pm boilerplate ice. It's sister hill is Big Boulder. It is small but nice. Snow quality at BB is always good...and I've skied there enough to know what is bad BB snow and what is good. I've been going to both places on and off since 1987. BB is small and is a great place to learn or to finish off the day if you haven't had enough at JF. Lots of places to stay in this area as well.

Blue Mountain. Only skied it twice. Had a good time both times I was there and don't remember it being super crowded for a weekend. My mid-week trip there was akin to Elk in the fact that I had the place to myself. The runs were pretty long and there was a nice mix of terrain. I need to go back because it's been a while since I was there.

The Also-Rans:

Sno Mountain (formerly Montage). This is the Mountain I grew up on. It took them forever to get their stuff together last year, but once it got going it was great. Much better now since the county doesn't run the place. They still need to learn how to groom better and they don't always have 100% open. The top part of the mountain is the easier terrain. It's nice during the day but freezes quickly at night. The lower part is all expert terrain, but stays fairly skiable throughout the night. Full runs from top to bottom are sweet, but it usually means two lift rides back to the top. Crowds vary depending on weather. It still attracts more locals, so a sunny day will bring out the folks with season passes. A little drizzle and they stay home. There are only a handful of real die-hards here.

Shawnee. Good Snow usually but almost always crowded. It's the closest resort to Jersey and gets a lot of groups. I avoid it unless I have a free ticket.

Camelback. Always Icy or slushy. I've never found good snow quality or grooming here. Crowds also vary. I've been there on sunny weekends with no more than a three minute lift wait and I've been there when it was butt cold and had to wait ten minutes for a chair. It's odd. Terrain would be a lot better if they would learn something about trail grooming and snowmaking. Again...I avoid it unless I have a freebie.

The small places are best left to the locals that ski them. Most are not worth the drive unless you live close by or happen to have time to kill.

Answer 2

Ski Resorts In Poconos

Answer 3

Pocono Ski Resorts

Answer 4

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RE:
What is the best ski resort in the Pocono's?
We want to go to the Pocono's skiing in February for the first time and we have no clue on what the difference is in each resort.