Elk is a huge mountain with tons of different options. The bunny hill has a lot of space and a lift that brings you to the top with a green option right next to it. There were tons of blue routes and great blacks were challenging but gave you reprieve through the run. Awesome mountain, decent prices, and well established in terms of parking, shuttles, and staff. read more

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Solid ski resort and nice indoor restaurant. Went mid week in the middle of March and basically had the mountain to ourselves. read more

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Elk's a great mountain and I have been going there for 35 years. It is stunningly beautiful and the slopes are great. For PA it is wonderful. I like the Winter Garden restaurant and the woods look better every year. They have to update the lifts though. They are so slow that you can freeze on cold days on your way up. Also would it kill them to add a waffle house and an outdoor fire pit and bar. Its like the owners decided they wanted a mountain just for bus trippers and locals. I was fine with this when I was in my 20's but now like at least the slightly more fine things in life like what you can get at almost any other mountain. Also the area has gone downhill the last ten years or so. I used to spend a weekend up there including staying overnight and having a great dinner. Now its strictly a daytrip place. which is really disappointing. read more

Restaurant review: A steaming crock of french onion soup is a great way to take a break from the slopes at Elk Mountain! Winter Garden is the lodge's restaurant & the french onion soup is the best thing on their menu. Unfortunately, the rest of the dishes fall pretty flat (not necessarily anything wrong with them, just not great for the price). They do offer a decent beer selection, and service is actually pretty quick if you get there on the early side of when they open to avoid the main lunch rush crowd. The ambiance is your typical ski lodge - but some of the tables are right next to the slopes so you can watch people skiing while you eat. Overall, it's kind of your average ski lodge lunch spot - not the best food but a fine place to warm up & give your legs a break from the slopes. As far as the skiing goes, Elk is my favorite mountain in PA! The trails are a little longer than your typical Poconos trails, and they have a variety of difficulty levels. The crowds are also usually not very big, and lift lines stay pretty short. Food: C Drinks: B Service: B Ambiance: B+ read more

Elk Mountain Ski Resort - French onion soup - Ski Resorts Near Me - Union Dale, Pennsylvania

Best mountain in eastern PA! Every person working at Elk IIs incredibly helpful and friendly. The runs are great, and not crowded. Great place to go! read more

Don from ski school was the best ski instructor I've ever had. I've had lessons once before and my group lesson with Don was light years ahead of it. If you're just starting out, regardless of age and experience, he's the best instructor you can ask for. The rest of the ski trip was also great. There's 5 total lifts that take you all over the mountain where's there's a good variety of greens, blues, and blacks. I can't say much on the blues or blacks but the greens are great for learning on too and a ton of fun! read more

great mountain..but that said these people cater to out of towners not locals..check out the season pass prices.you would get a cheaper pass at killington.also no weekday season passess and the reduction for paying early in the season is miniscule..im a local and would love to come here but its out of my price range..i frequent another mountain that i can afford..elk has no weekday deals ,there are but its neglible..these people look down on locals except those with more dollars.. read more

My husband and I had a blast skiing Elk Mountain early February 2021! We've been to a few other places around WV/PA, and this is my favorite so far. Drove up from VA and stayed in an Airbnb nearby. Drove into Elk Mountain each day and parking was super easy. Top lot has ski in/out access. When that lot filled up, the lower parking lot shuttle was quick to retrieve guests. Lift tickets were well-priced, and service was friendly. The lodge was nice and warm, but we didn't spend much time inside or grab any food there. Only came in to use the restroom and warm up for a minute. Those front stairs for the bathrooms/lockers are treacherous in ski boots. It snowed a little on two of three days we skied. A dry fluffy snow. The trails were thick with powder and well-groomed. Good signage, easy to navigate. Hardly anyone was out, so lots of space and no lift lines. Average lift time and not a ton of stops or hold ups. We will absolutely go back! Great time and good skiing!! read more

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We enjoyed our first visit to Elk! Great variety of trails and absolutely loved how they are lined with Norway Spruces. The food was average and pricey but that's to be expected. read more

Elk Mountain Ski Resort - Trails are lined with Norway Spruces which makes it very pretty - Ski Resorts Near Me - Union Dale, Pennsylvania

Elk is a great ski resort where I made many childhood memories. Unfortunately, the lifts are extremely slow, so after a few trips to Vermont and one out west, it lost all of its mystique. It's a shame that they haven't updated the lifts, because the trails are cut so expertly that they make Montage look like an eyesore. Elk offers you the rare opportunity to get lost in the woods which is hard to duplicate as you travel north through New York state, or even to Vermont most weekends due to the superpasses. Competes with resorts in the Poconos (Endless Mountains are not the Poconos) on the basis of charm, versatility, and pure vertical. Could actually put Pennsylvania on the map with enough improvements but a conscious decision has been made to keep things the way they have been. read more

Was skiing at this resort this weekend.. It was quite enjoyable. The major con is: the check-in process. it took approximately hour and a half from the point of buying lift tickets, getting the rentals. It's just way too long , it takes 1/3 of this time in the nearby resort to get all this process done. also, the lockers are $8. This is kind of steep, but I will definitely be back, I hope you guys improve. read more

I've been coming to Elk Mountain since I was 18 (so 30+ years). Loved it more in the winter when I was younger, but now enjoy the summer just as much. It's 3+ miles to walk up Lenape to Mahican and then down Lehigh to Delaware. Great hike. Clean and lots of fresh air. Took just over an hour. Nice work out. Close to 900 calories. Finch Hill Dairy Barn here I come. read more

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Had a nice meal at the pub at the base of the mountain pretty good Mac & cheese and a pulled pork sandwich. Very good service from Shaye. A few drinks and the two lunches ~$72 not bad for a ski resort. We are skiing here for a few days. Wednesday & Thursday were great. Like a private ski mountain. Weather was mixed ~34 degrees spotty sun and snow squalls. Friday was much colder but bright sunny all day. The mountain has a very good mix of trails and skill level. The runs are longer than most in the Poconos. The French onion soup in the bar is delicious and a perfect choice for a quick lunch before heading back out for a few afternoon runs. Mark. read more

Took my 10-year-old grandson for snowboard lessons. Troy was a fabulous, patient, knowledgeable instructor and my grandson finished the day with about 40 runs down the beginner slope on his own. He was exhausted, but so happy that he had learned. read more

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It's a beautiful mountain and one the best kept secrets in Pennsylvania skiing. One of the largest verticals in the state. I used to ski here when I was a teenager back in the late 70s and visited in the 80s and 90s I'd like to go back to see it. One of my best memories is hiking to the top with my father in the late spring. read more

The best mountain in the area! Conditions were very good considering no natural snow and warm temps recently. The mountain was wide open, no lift lines and the Wednesday college discount was a huge plus. Very affordable and great experience. PS: if you are looking to get lessons, try to get Gary he is the man! He put us on the right track in just an hour and corrected a few bad habits from previous instruction. All around super charismatic guy and knows his stuff! read more

Lovely place. Great snow. No crowds. Good memories. My favorite ski mountain in PA.

Got to the place at 8 am. Waited one hour to sign up for lessons. Then 2.5 hours in line for rentals. Lesson at 1 pm. Most inefficient system imaginable. Trails solid ice, lesson sucked. Skip this place if you are not experienced and don't have your own gear. read more

Called beforehand to see if they offered a military discount...waited on hold for 10 minutes, hung up and tried again...no answer. Purchased our tickets and rentals online to expedite the process. When we arrived the kiosk was not working. Came back to check 30 mins later, like the attendant suggested and was closed. We picked up our tickets from costumer service only to have to wait in line for 45 minutes to pick up ski rentals that I paid for and filled out the information for ONLINE, PRIOR to arriving. Not to mention only 4 trails are open. Understaffed. If you want to have a full ski day, get here when they open, otherwise they'll waste your time. read more

There were 7 employees in the rental area. There were 6 customers ahead of us. It took 35 minutes for the one working employee to process the papers for those 6 customers. From the moment we arrived it took us over an hour to get our equipment even though there were only 6 other customers in the entire place. I asked for more help and they said no read more

I finally made my way up here on MLK weekend. The vertical is by far the best in PA. The runs are a bit short, but it is a lot of fun. I found mountain right to be slightly longer for runs. The chairs are slow, but what I really like is it wasn't crowded at all. I think because you have to drive by several other Pocono ski places, people don't want to drive the extra distance. I think it's worth it and if you want a little more vertical than other Pocono ski places, this is the place to come. Just a note, the lunch area is small and gets very crowded (not a whole lot of differences with other Pocono ski places). So eat an early lunch to beat the crowd then hit the slopes when people are eating. it's a win-win for you! read more

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. read more

Elk Mountain Ski Resort - Ski Resorts Near Me - Union Dale, Pennsylvania

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...... read more

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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. read more

It in not Vail, but for $50 bucks you can get your fix on the slopes. I went on Christmas and it was bliss. No lines, fresh snow, groomed, I really enjoyed myself. I will be heading back before the end of the season. read more

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Wow what a mountain!! This was a great experience for my family and I. Great trails for everyone beginners, Intermediate, Advanced and more! Very good groomed trails with great great snow and fresh powered, great staff and more. It may not look much when you are driving but I promise you when you get there you will be surprised of what they have to offer. My only CON was the fog everywhere and a few of there famous trails and terrian parks are almost always close. Great mountain and I will almost 100% goo ok back again. read more

Been going here for years but on my most recent trip (December 2022) I checked on the website and saw a college Wednesday promotion where it was cheaper for students. When I asked the kiosk for tickets they said that the promotion only starts January (most college kids are leaving to go back then). I later found out that someone in my group bought his ticket for the discounted price because he got them from the rental area instead. They are basically half off tickets and I was convinced by the staff I needed to pay full price. Not to mention for the size of the mountain and it being icy 90% of the time, I overpaid by a lot. Besides the horrible lift pass staff, this place is good for kids and people trying to learn. read more

I visited Elk Mountain this past weekend. It was my second time at this mountain. Overall, I had a positive experience and would definitely come here again. One quick note... I'm a beginner skier so keep that in mind as you read this review. I found the mountain to be fairly large. There were a variety of trails (unfortunately some of which were closed)... a decent amount of green and blue slopes. I was here on a Friday and Saturday. Friday was very pleasant with no lines. Saturday was obviously more crowded. Still, I noticed the lift lines moved relatively quickly. It seemed like they had a good system going. The lodge includes a cafeteria and separate bar/restaurant area. The cafeteria gets super crowded on weekends so I chose to avoid that area on Saturday. I wish the cafeteria was bigger. I have never tried the food but it seemed to be a tad overpriced. The bar was also crowded during peak hours but nothing too bad. We were still able to get a table. The bar had plenty of hot and cold drinks. I tried a couple hot drinks but must say "Snickers Bar" was my favorite. Most hot drinks cost around $6.50-$7. Only buzzkill was that the bar was cash only! I did a two day ski, poles, and boot rental for $60. Not too bad. My friend took advantage of the same deal... she had an issue with her skis halfway through the day and was able to get it fixed relatively quickly. Two day lift tickets cost $109. All in all, I would definitely come to Elk Mountain again. I was at Camelback the week before and must say I prefer Elk any day! read more

Visited during the middle of the week on a college deal day. Both my partner and I skied all day until for $50 total for both of us. Really enjoyed the long blue square runs and steep diamonds were really good. We went only a week after new years, so about half the runs were shut down. That said, the open slopes were in really good shape and there were no lines. The lifts are on the slow side. My advice to have the best time is don't just bomb down-just take your time, take breaks and enjoy the vista and being on skis not on ski lifts. read more

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 cafe 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 yelpers 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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

I gave Elk five stars because it's as good as it gets in Pennsylvania. It's small by New England standards, but in truth, the runs are very similar to those you would find up that way, and the grading (green, blue, black) is about equal. This is NOT the place I would take a beginner/intermediate skier. The vast majority of the runs are black diamonds, and they are legitimate black diamonds. Even the blues are a challenge - they would probably merit a black in most Pocono areas. Avoid on Saturdays - that's when the bus trips come up. I was there in late February on a Sunday and there were quite literally NO LINES! We would ski down to the lift and get right on. We were told that the day before, the lines were maybe 10 or 15 minutes because of bus groups. I just went up for the last time this year on Friday. They had closed last weekend for the season but with six inches of new snow, they re-opened. It was amazing. They still had a solid base and it had turned cold again. The conditions were near-perfect. I'm fired up for next year. I suppose they serve food in the lodge but I don't spend much time there - check someone else's review if you are concerned about food. But here is one tip - there is a gas station and mini-mart right off the exit at I-81. They have REALLY good sandwiches, hot or cold. I usually stop there to get a lunch to bring to the lodge with me. read more

Terrible lines. Be prepared to wait for 2 to 3 hours, absolutely better options for getting out in the winter then this mountain

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. read more

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. read more

Elk Mountain Ski Resort - We waited while tables sat empty. - Ski Resorts Near Me - Union Dale, Pennsylvania

I have been skiing at Elk Mountain for over a decade. I strongly believe it is the best place to ski in Pennsylvania. The slopes are well maintained and the snow, whether natural or man made, is well groomed. The mountain is large at about 1000', so the slopes make for a worthwhile ride. Elk mountain is perfect for skiers/ snowboarders of all ages and experience levels. They have slopes that are perfect for beginners, but also plenty of slopes for advanced skiers looking for a thrill. With 1000' of vertical tread your legs will surely be burning by the time you get to the bottom. They have a ski school with wonderful instructors wiling to teach skiers and snowboarders of all ages and experience levels. I myself learned how to ski here when I was about 10 years old. The lodge itself is a bit small and I would suggest bringing food rather than getting it there. As lodge food usually is, it is quite expensive and nothing special. You can find typical snack foods, burgers, soups, sandwiches, etc on the menu. I usually just bring a container of soup and sandwich and keep it in my bag in the lodge while I go on runs. I had to give this place 4 stars only for the reason that many of the slopes close at night. There are only 4 slopes open during night skiing, as they are the only ones with lights. Although prices are much cheaper than day skiing, the same 4 slopes over and over can get boring, especially for an advanced skier. read more

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 ole' 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:) read more

What a beautiful day. My husband and I enjoyed the day with looking at new ski equipment on the way to the mountain. The day was great. Music, food ( which was amazing ) the chairlift ride to see the fall colors made the day complete. Winter time is always beautiful here and the mountain caters to all levels. read more

Came here with my friends this past weekend. Haven't skied in years and couldn't have been more upset with the experience. Staff was rude, no one was helpful. Way too overpriced. Pavillion/facilities were outdated. When you rent your ski equipment, you're forced to have a long distance walk to the slopes. No help for people with ski boots on to get up and down the stairs. Have to ride in the back of a truck to go to and from the parking lot. But if I have ski equipment with me Im foreced to carry it and can't bring my car around to pack it in. Not too many safety measures put in place. Only saw the ski patrollers at night when everyone had left for the day. It may have been Presidents' Day Weekend, but if anything, that should give you more of an incentive to prepare. Their saving grace was the bar/bartenders. read more