Zooming north on the train after work, I feel like a kid again, giddy with nose-pressed-to-window anticipation, escaping to a skier’s paradise in the Poconos.
Why any New Yorker would pay to fly to a ski community baffles me; everything you could want in an active and picturesque winter wonderland is at your fingertips in the mountains of Pennsylvania, just a few hours north of New York City.
Where to Get Active in the Poconos: The Slopes & Stables
Blue Mountain Ski Area
1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Palmerton | 610.826.7700 | skibluemt.com
Blue Mountain offers 130 skiable acres, 30 trails (12 beginner, 6 intermediate, and 12 advanced), with 3 trails over a mile long, 3 terrain parks, a snowcross, a 400 foot half-pipe, and a 14-slide tubing park that is over 1,000 feet long. Blue Mountain also has the highest vertical drop in the Pocono Mountains at 1,082 feet.
Camelback Ski Area
One Camelback Road, Tannersville | 570.629.1661 | skicamelback.com
Camelback is one of my all-time favorite ski resorts in the Pocono Mountains. I grew up skiing here as a child and have continued to ski here after college. I have also had the privilege of being a part of Camelback’s premiere ski school, as a ski instructor. Camelback has lots to offer skiers and snowboarders of all levels, with an 800-foot vertical drop, 33 trails (all lit for night skiing), 3 terrain parks, 2 half-pipes, and 14-slide tubing park. Read the oM Guide to Skiing at Camelback.
Elk Mountain Ski Resort
Route 374, Union Dale | 570.679.4400 | elkskier.com
Voted Best (Snow, Grooming, Value, Weather) in Pennsylvania by Ski Magazine; Elk Mountain, with 1,000 feet of vertical excitement, and 27 trails from beginner to expert level, offers a vast variety of terrain, from long winding trails, to challenging steeps, both with and without bumps.
Jack Frost & Big Boulder Ski Areas
Jack Frost | 1 Jack Frost Mountain Road, Blakeslee | 570.443.8425 | jfbb.com
Big Boulder | 1 Lake Drive, Lake Harmony, PA | 570.722.0100 | jfbb.com
Jack Frost & Big Boulder Ski Areas are located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s scenic Pocono Mountains. Ski both of them in one day with the regular lift pass that gets you into either one. With 36 trails, including glades skiing, 6 parks, and 17 snowtubing chutes combined, Jack Frost & Big Boulder will keep skiers, snowboarders, and snowtubers entertained.
Montage Mountain Ski Resort
1000 Montage Mountain Road, Scranton | 855.SKI.SWIM | montagemountainresorts.com
Montage Mountain features over 200 acres of terrain, with 30 trails in total (all lit for night skiing), terrain park, half-pipe, and season glade skiing.
Horseback Riding
Mountain Creek Riding Stable
ROUTE 3, Cresco | 570.839.8725 | mtcreekstable.com
Mountain Creek Riding Stable is the most enjoyable trail ride in the Pocono Mountains. Enjoy a beautiful ride through Mountain Creek and over three miles of wooded trails. Safety equipment, pony rides, sleigh and wagon rides also available.
Where to Unwind in the Poconos: Entertainment
Mount Airy Casino Resort
44 Woodland Road, Mount Pocono | 877.MT.AIRY1 | mountairycasino.com
At Mount Airy Casino Resort, choose from 2,500 machines, including reel-spinning machines, big jackpots, and the newest themed video slots. You can also play the latest video poker, blackjack, and roulette games.
Where to Shop: Outlets
The Crossings Premium Outlets
1000 Route 611, Tannersville | 570.629.4650 | premiumoutlets.com/thecrossings
The Crossing Premium Outlet center features over 100 designer and name brand outlet stores with a wide selection of products: designer fashions and sportswear for men, women, and children, shoes, fine leather and luggage, accessories and jewelry, housewares and home furnishings, gifts and specialty items, offering savings of 25% to 65%.
Where to Stay: Lodging in the Poconos
Mountaintop Lodge
Route 940, Pocono Pines | 570.646.6636 | mountaintoplodge.com
This family owned Bed and Breakfast has been providing lodging for guests for more than two generations. Mountaintop Lodge offers many comforts of a luxurious country inn along with the intimacy of a traditional bed and breakfast. This recently remodeled 1928 country house sits on beautiful woodlands in the Pocono Mountains. The 12,000-square-foot inn provides plenty of space for guests to enjoy privacy or seek socialization.
Each of the 14 private guest rooms, and one private guest cottage, comes with a private bath and some even have jacuzzis. The inn also includes a giant wrap-around porch, lobby, great room, and sitting room for guests to mill about. The Lodge offers a variety of recreational amenities for those adventurous travelers nearby. Guests have access to great sport facilities offered at two private clubs bordering the property, such as, snowmobiling, and ice skating in the winter, and golfing, swimming, boating, and tennis, in the summer months.
Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts
877.822.3333 | covepoconoresorts.com
Caesar’s Pocono Resorts was designed as three couples-only resorts in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. Here you will find fun, intimacy, and romance all in one location. Choose from three destinations: Cove Haven Resort, Paradise Stream Resort, and Pocono Palace Resort.
Great Wolf Lodge
1 Great Wolf Drive, Scotrun | 570.688.9899 | greatwolflodge.com
This Northwoods-themed resort features 401 family-sized suites along with world class amenities. Great Wolf Lodge has a 78,000 square foot indoor waterpark, with 11 waterslides, six pools and a four-story treehouse waterfort for children and adults who are young at heart. Other amenities include a 3-story Grand Lobby with massive stone fireplace, a performing Great Clock Tower, a 6,000 square-foot arcade, a fitness center, and an Aveda Concept Spa, along with two restaurants and a café.
Lake Naomi/Timber Trails
Route 423, PO Box T, Pocono Pines | 570.646.9191 | lakenaomiclub.com
For those looking to spend a getaway weekend or a more substantial vacation in the Pocono Mountains, another lodging option is renting. Lake Naomi and Timber Trails offers a range of house styles from comfortable bungalows to award-winning showplaces. With many beautiful homes in the community, you can find you the perfect home that will fit your needs during your stay for any season’s vacation plans.
Where to Eat/Drink: Restaurants & Bars
Van Gilder’s Jubilee Restaurant
Route 940 Pocono Pines | 570.646.2377 | breakfastking.com
The Jubilee Restaurant is a family owned and operated dining spot in the Pocono Mountains. Open daily for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Be sure to stop by on Thursday and Sunday nights for the Jubilee’s famous Wing Nights.
Piggy’s Restaurant
Lake Shore Drive, Lake Harmony |570.722.8493 | piggysrestaurant.com
For a great country breakfast or lunch stop by Piggy’s Restaurant overlooking beautiful Lake Harmony. Founded in 1985, Piggy’s continues to serve only the highest quality food, prepared with care, and served by a courteous and friendly wait-staff.
How to get to the Poconos from NYC:
The Pocono Mountains are located in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, USA. The Poconos is a close getaway destination, taking only 90 minutes from New York City. Hop on a Martz Trailways bus at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, located at 8th Avenue and 41st Street, and find yourself in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. For scheduling information, ticketing, and further information visit Martz Trailways.
Getting around once you are in the Poconos can be tricky without a car or a friend in the area, so consider renting a hybrid vehicle. Check out our Mini Guide To Renting Hybrid Cars In Manhattan
Photo Credit:Jeff S.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram