Elk Mountain Ski Resort

Rude employees! I showed up with my kids for our big ski trip. New to PA, I had heard Elk was one of the best. For one kid, I had the shiny new prepaid ski pass I got from PA Ski Resort Association — a special program for 4^th graders that I got rushed to me for $ 60 that was supposed to cover his lift tickets. Rude employee at Elk told me they wouldn’t take it. It was a holiday, so they are blacking it out. When I protested that I specifically mentioned I would be skiing on those dates when I ordered it and no one told me about blackouts, not only no sympathy, but was just told that they have nothing to do with the program. Excuse me! Your resort was listed as participating in the program. I understand that it may have been a rough year financially for ski areas with the warm December and January, but really… take it out on your customers. Fine, so I paid again to get more lift tickets for my son, because what are you going to do when you drive several hours with your kids on a cold weekend for the trip they had been looking forward to. But come on, this is PA — not Colorado. Mediocre facilities, reasonably uncrowded, which is good, but the snow was icy, machine made stuff. Really? Welcome to PA. Welcome to Elk Mountain. Not worth going that far again, if they don’t treat you well.

Rude and ignorant staff. None of their facilities are handicapped accessible. Zero accommodations towards people with disabilities that would like to do adaptive skiing. Shame on you ELK!
I went to ELK mountain this weekend with my 6-​year-​old son who has several disabilities. My son needs help getting around, however he’s a very good adaptive skier.
The resort uses pickup trucks to transport people from the parking lot to the base and the ticketing booth, unfortunately none of those pickup trucks can accommodate wheelchairs — no ramp, no lift gate.
In the morning after giving us «hard time» they allowed us to drive up to the base, so we can drop off my son and the equipment. After few hour of skiing I went back to get the car. Another employee at the gate refused to let drive back to the base to get my son. I was told that «if your son can ski, then he can come down on the pick-​up truck to the parking lot, just like everybody else» — perhaps ELK resorts hasn’t heard of adaptive skiing yet. A program that allows people with even the most severe disabilities to enjoy the slope. FYI ELK: people without arms and legs go skiing every day.
ELK might also want to look into Pennsylvania State Code, Chapter 60 «Universal Accessibility Standards». Not a single facility in that resort is handicapped accessible.
It’s a shame that a such nice ski resort is full ignorant, and arrogant staff. «Get off the high horse» ELK and train your staff appropriately.

This is, in my opinion, the best groomed location in P.A. Only two hours from NYC this mountain rocks. My most recent visit on 1÷30÷16, proved to be a success and I was greatly impressed by the man made snow and how well it was groomed. We had three days of wonderful skiing/​snowboarding. This is no light statement when there has been virtually, no snow in the area. Although I think the ski rates are high, as I can ski in Utah for the same amount daily a full day pass from 8:30 to 10:00 was $ 70.00.
I will say That I find the food at the cafeteria to be way to expensive for what is offered, Food concession, is run primarily by teenagers who are compensated with $ 5.00 dollars an hour salary and a free ski pass for the season. This Cafeteria, seriously needs a chef. That being said I recommend, the restaurant, in the bar the foods is much better however expensive. Better option is jump in the car and shoot over to Chet’s in «Chetsville» less then a mile away. Please see Chet’s Place Review
Amy J Review attached «She is dead on correct»
Skip the cafeteria and eat at the lodge restaurant. You also can park at a special spot in the lot that allows you to ski right down the slopes, and right back to your car!
If you wish bring you lunch and cook it on the open fire at the half way house bring your own wine, beer, and foods and enjoy grilled burgers, dogs, steaks, and shrimp on the open fire. This is a real benefit located at half way mountain lift. Oh P. S. Do not rent ski’s here, Again Nothing but kids running the show and maintenance is very poor… go to Idlewild Ski shop on the corner as you turn to elk. Fanatic service with knowledgeable guys, Great prices

Elk is by far the best mountain out of all the local Pocono area mountains. There slopes are better for advanced skiers. They are more true to difficultly level. So if your an advance skier elk is a good choice. Also, the mountain is fairly large. It definitely has more of an «out west» feel. Of course the runs are not as long or as difficult but it sure is a good mountain. Highly recommended!

Love it. Giving it 4 stars because they do close a lot of the trails at night. We come here every winter for the past 6 years.

Great skiing in Pennsylvania. This was my first time but I’ll definitely go back. Skip the cafeteria and eat at the lodge restaurant. You also can park at a special spot in the lot that allows you to ski right down the slopes, and right back to your car! We stayed overnight in Carbondale, PA which isn’t really close, but there aren’t many places to stay nearby.

My buddy and I really enjoyed this mountain. Some of the best conditions I’ve had in the tri-​state area. Came up from Baltimore and totally worth it. I probably wouldn’t want to ski this anymore than two full days, and do not even bother skiing at night, they close like everything but 4 – 5 runs, but a really nice mountain and good trails for every type of skier.

Gerlard S. You read my mind! Please read his review, it is 100% spot on. Now, this doesn’t stop me from wishing a company would buy the mountain, install high speed lifts and gut that awful thing they call a lodge… but the conditions and acreage are the best you are going to get around the poconos!

Elk is truly a gem of a ski resort. The skiing is fantastic. Different trails for different levels. Great drop. Well organized. Friendly staff. The lifts are fine. Not sure why people complain about them. The winter garden has great food and drinks. Parking is plentiful and close to the shuttle to base. The only recommendation I have is to improve the children’s day program to include snowboarding lessons, games and full day of activities. As a parent of a 4 and 8 year old, it gets tough to break away. Today they only have 3 hour programs (kids 6 and up) and for skiing only. If they get this right, easy 5 stars.

Whether you really like Elk Mountain or not depends on what you want out of your ski experience.
If you desire an upscale pampered après ski, with comfy lodge, good restaurants, and generally well appointed resort-​like dalliance, then this is not for you. Elk Mountain’s facilities are old, slow, and mostly uncomfortable. Parking is far from lifts, and the open bed trucks that transport you up to the mountain require you to stand and balance while carrying your gear and holding the rails for dear life.
On the other hand, if skiing is what you want, and you don’t care too much about the rest, this is the place for you. It has the best snow in Pennsylvania, the highest elevation and the longest runs. When you don’t have the time to drive to Stowe or Killington, nor the dough to fly out to Breckenridge or Aspen, then Elk Mountain can be your Shangri-​La. It’s is a beautiful 3 hour drive from Philly, and a little longer from NYC. The Poconos are beautiful in winter, and the hamlets that dot the landscape offer a glimpse of country life oft forgotten and untasted.
Elk Mountain offers the chance to slow down and speed up at the same time. There aren’t many such places in our hectic lives.

The skiing at Elk is the best in Pennsylvania. Highest elevation, and its location gets is lots of god-​made snow. For that reason I give it 4 stars. The things that make up the rest of the resort need improvement, so know that going in.
First, the skiing is great. True, the snow was coming down most of the time we were there, but it is clear that they deal with the trails well, and it’s like height in basketball – you can’t teach vertical. They have about 1000 feet, and the runs are nice and long, at least for lower east coast skiing.
The parking sucks. The lots are at the bottom of this big hill and they don’t really have a set up to drive up and drop gear off. The result is that you need to ride a flat bed truck to the lodge area, and you STILL have to walk up a set of slippery stairs.
IF you have your ticket, you can ride the lower lift up and ski down to the lodge and other lifts. They don’t give free rides up before you purchase your tickets, or so the sign says – they don’t check passes much.
So, the best bet is for one person in your group to go get the lift tickets by riding the truck up the hill, and come back to the parking lot. Then, everyone can ski from near the parking.
The lift ticket windows are too few. The lodge is too small, at least on holiday weekends. The bathrooms are DOWNSTAIRS – not easy in ski boots. And they desperately need to upgrade to high speed lifts.
The food in the cafeteria is mostly cheap, at least by ski lodge standards. $ 5 for a hamburger, $ 2 for a slice of pizza. It is about 50% less than I am used to paying. For lodge food, it is ok.
Access to the resort is difficult: Winding roads that were not plowed all that well. I could not find any reasonable places to stay with kids right near the resort, which is very different than Camelback.
All that said, we will come back soon.

The skiing was great but that was because of the conditions. The equipment and lifts are old and dated. The lodge was expensive, but I expect that of a ski resort. What I did not expect was to be kept waiting on line for half an hour while tables were available upstairs. The management clearly doesn’t care about its patrons.

My daughter and I chose to visit Elk midweek for a half-​day session this week. We heard it was a fun mountain but didn’t expect to be overly impressed. We left overly impressed!
It certainly helped that the place was empty and most of the runs were open. More often than not, it was just the two of us on any given slope, The only downside is that the lifts are fairly slow. We timed a full run from the top of the lift down the mountain and back to the top of the lift at 15 minutes. That pace was steady as we ended up finishing 15 runs on a 4-​hour ticket with one brief break in the lodge.
As a first time visitor, one thing stood out to us — trail maps and signage were exactly where they should be. We never had a doubt on which way to turn at a trail junction and easily found our way from one side of the mountain to the other. The two un-​groomed runs were clearly marked as well. We consider ourselves advanced intermediate skiers and felt the slope ratings to be very accurate. The blacks were challenging but not too crazy (for us) while the blues provided long runs with plenty of terrain changes. Even the green Tioga trail was fun with its banked turns.
We also appreciated that snowmaking was confined to the closed slopes. That kept the conditions great on the open slopes and the noise level down while we skied and rode the lifts. All of the employees were friendly and helpful. We even got a free Elk sticker from the shop after recounting our positive experience to the clerk.
We’ll be back!

When my grandparents bought a cabin 20 minutes away in 1976, they basically bought me a one-​way ticket to my“home” ski hill. I distinctly remember my parents putting me in lessons at age 4 (even though the requirements stated 5… and I learned parents are capable of lies), and since then, Elk has been the gold standard.
Elk is located about 30 minutes north of Scranton, about 15 minutes off of I-​81. Parking is ample, but you will need to ride the «Elk wagon» shuttle to the lodge, so it is easiest to wear gear and pack light. The lodge itself is great; rental shop is on the lower level, and ticketing/​cafeteria/​Wintergreen Lounge is all on the main floor. Outside, ski school and ski shop (fully stocked, normal-​overpricing) are in adjacent building. The seating areas are plentiful– and large windows give lots of light and wonderful views of the mountain. Food in the café is average ski hill food… same quality as you’d find anywhere, but it always tastes better when skiing! The Wintergreen Lounge has a bar, full menu, large screen TVs, weekend bands, and a fireplace… plenty of non-​skiiers appear to enjoy it also. Only gripe is the lack of adequate bathrooms on the first floor. There is a mens/women’s room near the resturaunt, but the main ones are downstairs… anyone who walks in ski boots knows that a flight of stairs are not appreciated when nature calls!
In terms of skiing, Elk is awesome. 1000′ of vertical means your legs WILL be burning by the time you get to the bottom of a black diamond. Whereas most of PA’s diamonds are brief drops, Elk’s are prolonged, and serious. I doubt there is a better mogul field than Tunkhannock, and Susquehanna has always been «that run» that, as a kid, I couldn’t wait to conquer. Delaware is the family favorite, but the runs off the right shoulder– Lenape and Wissahickon– are often empty, and are great runs. The beginner slope– bunny hill– is wiiidddeeee and long, and a heck of lot less dangerous than most other hills, as less people and more slope lowers the odds of out-​of-​control idiots running down my children. (Shawnee, do you hear me? Lose the snow tube hill and get a real beginner slope that is safe!)
As other Unilocalers have noted, this is where real skiiers go. It is worth the drive, especially when busloads of New Yorkers would rather spend less money and go to the Poconos. This is a family destination. People are friendly, staff is attentive, and ski instructors have been great for our kids. You don’t see a lot of riff-​raff, drunks, or skiers out of control. Today, while we were skiing, Elk was hosting the PA youth skiing championships. ‘Nuff said. There are three double lifts to the top, plus a quad. None are high tech or high speed, but they do keep the lines moving.
Plus, their Columbus Day weekend Elk Fest is a lot of fun. Ride up, hike down. Music, craft tents, and a sniff of the ski season.
If you’ve never been here before, spend the extra bucks to keep driving past the Poconos. I don’t wax (my skiis) romantic or out of pure nostalgia, but out of experience, trying places closer to home. This is the best atmosphere, snow, and yes, skiing PA can offer. If Elk doesn’t work for you, keep driving… to Vermont.

My parents have a cabin about 5 – 10 minutes from Elk. This is where I learned to ski at about 25 years ago and have now started to bring my children there to ski.
They have a good number of slopes for the area. Everything from the bunny hill to the good olé’ Susquehenna (black diamond). The blue’s are always a good run my favorite is the Delware, always new hidden trails off the Delware.
They have a full rental shop as well. Everything for skiers and snowboarders, young and old, new and expert. They also have a little shop selling weather gear, nick knacks, and skiing gear.
The Lodge is always a nice place to sit and recover from the cold (I’m no longer a fan of the cold, hence why I live in Texas and just visit up there :) The food is typical lodge type food. They also have a restaurant, nice place to sit and get a nicer bite to eat while the ski lovers are night skiing.
Plenty of ski/​snowboarding lessons as well.
Drive careful especially if it’s snowing:)

My family has a cabin near elk. I skied here many many times as a young adult (Ive since retired from all cold weather activites… such a baby). It is still by far the best place Ive been too. It is great for skiers, snowboarders of any level. Blue trails are long and often have secret paths for added fun. Blacks are super advanced.
The lodge is way cool. A cafeteria or a sit down restaurant. When you arrive you can take the pick up truck to the lodge for your lift ticket or jump on the lower quad lift and they will let you ski down to it once.
Its out there so maybe make it an over night deal but the people are friendly so its worth it. No yuppies, college kids or any of that nonsense you will see in NY places like hunter or pretty much all NJ nonsense slopes. Mostly families here.
If it is snowing hard don’t roll out in your Camry, this place is in the boonies — dirt roads.

An absolute hidden gem, worth the extra hour drive for a full day of phenomenal skiing fun. This mountain was made for skiers, one of the few where we outnumber snowboarders this day in age.
Great size for Pennsylvania, possibly larger than camelback and as a bonus, far less crowded. On a holiday weekend only took us ~10 minutes to get our rentals and five minutes to get on the lift. The only downside is the age of the lifts, which for this relatively high vertical, the slow speeds make the ride quite long.
Very friendly, homemade country staff, not the NYC crowd found at the more popular Pocono mountains. The best things about Elk are the overall powdery conditions and wonderful scenes as you traverse down different parts of the mountain. The tall green pines and tremendous overlooks add to the already fantastic experience.
For a warm-​up break walk through the cafeteria and into the bar/​lounge/​restaurant lodge for great homemade soups/​chili/​snacks, beers, cocktails, hot drinks hard or soft, and cozy fireplace seating. Afterwards head back out for night skiing on the lit side of the mountain.
The ride may be a bit further, but this unknown PA best is undoubtedly worth the added distance.

Elk was a great mountain! I would have loved to eat and lounge in the restaurant. It looked really nice. Hopefully next time! I love the ski shops in the area. They are great and affordable if you don’t have your gear. The food prices were a bit high and was fair to say the least.
Best part is the ability to pay for morning, half day, beginner, or night lift tickets. That’s a rare find and has great appeal if you’re only able to make it there for a limited time.

We tried Elk since we were staying with my sister over Presidents Day and her house is halfway between Elk and Belleayre. We trucked it by the backroads and I would not recommend it if it were snowing.
Elk is one of the larger ski «hills» in the Poconos with 1000′ vertical and a good amount of varied terrain for all levels of skiers and boarders. One thing I noticed that skiers outnumbered boarders by at least 10 to 1, which is unusual. Their lifts are dated, with a bunch of double chairs and the quad is old-​style non-​detachable. It seemed most of the snow was natural even though it’s been warm in the NE and they didn’t groom very much.
Given a choice between Elk and Blue (further south), I’d rather go to Blue Mountain mainly because of the better lifts and their 2 lodges.

I can’t say enough GREAT THINGS about ELK MOUNTAIN.
It is the BEST mountain to ski for those living in the Philadelphia vicinity. They offer a good variety of Beginner, Intermediate & Expert runs. The quad lift gets people moving up the mountain with lots of choices at the top. No, it’s not quite skiing out West but it sure beats the little mountains in the Poconos even though you have to drive a tad bit further. It can get busy in the Lodge… but if you get there early & skip the lunch «hour» you can beat the crowds in the Lodge.
You can d be outside SKIING when others are inside getting geared up and or eating. We’ll definitely be back like we are every year…