The Pocono Mountains, located in eastern Pennsylvania, draw skiers from all over the world who want to experience the mountains' Alpine conditions. The wide variety of ski slopes, ranging from beginner to expert, make the Poconos a suitable destination for families with skiers of various levels of expertise. While there are no traditional ski "resorts" in the Pocono Mountains, there are plenty of lodging options within a short drive of Poconos ski areas. Health-conscious skiers will be happy to know that Alpine skiing is a great way to lose pounds in the winter. Downhill skiing for just three hours can help a 150-pound person burn up to 1,782 calories.
Ski Areas
Jack Frost Big Boulder Ski Area in Lake Harmony has the widest trails and a great view from the lodge at the top of the mountain. At the Camelback Mountain Resort ski area in Tannersville, skiers have 15 lifts from which to choose. Nine eateries take care of any hunger pangs you might have after working up an appetite on the slopes. Skiers looking for a bit more elbow room may want to look to Alpine Mountain Ski & Snow Tubing Center, located in Analomink. This medium-sized resort offers 21 trails and smaller crowds. Shawnee Mountain Ski Area in East Stroudsburg has 23 slopes, while Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton boasts race training for future Olympians.
Snowboarding and Tubing
Downhill skiers can also snowboard at most ski resorts in the Poconos, which offer plenty of snowboarding trails. At Blue Mountain, you'll find lots of snow slides for tubing with tow lifts and a conveyor belt to make getting to the top easy. Jack Frost offers plenty of snow tubing chutes for kids. All of the resorts have rope tows and conveyor carpets. Tubes are available in single or tandem, so you can slide with the younger children. Camelback provides chains to group multiple tubes together.
Cross Country
Alpine skiers looking for variety can also cross-country ski in several nearby state parks. Gouldsboro State Park has some nice easy trails for beginners. Promised Land State Park on the Plateau of the Poconos has more advanced trails to test your skills, while Bruce Lake Natural Area offers some of the best cross-country trails in the Poconos. Other trails to try are Pantherswamp and Kleinshans or Hickory Run State Park, which has 13 miles of trails.
Lessons
Most of the ski resorts offer lessons for beginners, so have no fear if you have never skied before. Experienced skiers who want to fine tune and improve Alpine skiing skills will also find lessons to suit their needs. Shawnee Mountain Ski Area in East Stroudsburg offers lessons for children and adults either privately or in a group. They even have childcare for the younger tots so you can watch your older kids take lessons. In addition to lessons, Blue Mountain's expert instructors train skiers for racing, if you have a future Olympics star in the family.
Lodging
No large ski areas in the Poconos have lodging right at the slopes. However, lodging accommodations can be found close to all the ski areas. You can purchase package deals for nearby lodging and lift tickets through travel agencies. There are also many fine hotels and bed and breakfast accommodations. Skytop Lodge in Skytop is close to all the ski resorts and is the only lodge that does have ski slopes, with four small slopes for beginners. At the Sterling bed and breakfast in South Sterling, you can warm up next to a Victorian fireplace after a day of skiing. Cranberry Manor in Stroudsburg makes for a historic home base for skiing at Alpine Mountain or Shawnee Mountain, which are only 20 minutes away from this elegant bed and breakfast.
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