5 Places to Ski and Snowboard Within 5 Hours of Delaware

Eager for winter adventures with friends and family? Here are five ways to ski, tube and snowboard, all within a five-hour drive of Delaware.

In a state that’s flatter than a Grotto Pizza box, we’re lucky to live within a few hours’ drive of winter sports excitement. Shake off the winter doldrums with an adrenaline rush down a mountain. Here are just a few favorite spots to enjoy some fun on the slopes near Delaware.

Cross-Country Ski

Despite its reputation as a physically grueling pursuit, cross-country skiing is akin to “walking, but sliding.” So says Hans Karlsen, owner of the longtime favorite Cross Country Ski Center (three-hour drive to 1480 Route 23, Sussex, New Jersey), which is spread across state parkland and represents the Garden State’s only professionally maintained and groomed cross-country skiing trail.

At 1,600 feet above sea level—the state’s literal high point— the snow comes earlier and lasts longer than other spots on the map nearby. With new equipment for rent, great views of three different states and peaceful trails through hollows that filter out of the wind, High Point is a breathtaking retreat in the shadow of High Point Monument, dedicated to New Jersey’s veterans. Locals know to visit from Tuesdays through Thursdays when smaller crowds get to experience tranquil night skiing.

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Head a bit farther north to a town once frequented by loggers and trappers and explore the Catskill Mountains in a snow-globe atmosphere while navigating hemlock-shaded trails in the forest. Mountain Trails Cross Country (four-hour drive to Mountain Trails Cross Country, 6198 Main St., Tannersville, New York) is an eminently affordable mountain escape—just $20 for a day pass, $20 for equipment rental—with a host of bed-and-breakfasts dotting the area.

Snowboard

Just outside of Gettysburg is the luxurious Liberty Mountain Resort (2.5-hour drive to 78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, Pennsylvania; 717-642-8282), a haven for those who love big air and fun features spread across 100 acres of terrain with snowmakers and groomers on call 24 hours a day. One on-site lodge was built in 2015 and comes with all the modern amenities you might expect, including a salon and day spa and indoor saltwater pool.

 

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Spring Mountain Adventures (one-hour drive to 757 Spring Mountain Road, Schwenksville, Pennsylvania; 610-287-7900) features eight trails, four lifts, terrain parks, and a full staff of snowboarding teachers to accompany its 428-foot vertical drop of pure gnarliness. Between runs, keep your blood coursing around the firepit with a cocktail from the lodge.

Home to Pennsylvania’s highest vertical at 1,082 feet, longtime Pocono favorite Blue Mountain (two-hour drive to 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, Palmerton, Pennsylvania; 610-826-7700) is a snowboarder’s dream, with some of Pennsylvania’s longest runs and most varied terrain among its 39 trails. It’s also where to warm up fireside with fish tacos and mango martinis at the resort’s highly regarded Slopeside Pub and Grill.

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Stick around at Slocum Hollow for craft cocktails and goat cheese flatbreads after boarding down and around Montage Mountain (2.5-hour drive to 1000 Montage Mountain Road, Scranton, Pennsylvania; 570-969-7669) and its 1,000-foot vertical, valley views, and full-mountain night access. With 26 trails spread across 140 acres and the legendarily steep White Lightning trail, Montage is a known snowboarding destination.

Thunder Ridge Ski Area (3.5-hour drive to 137 Birch Hill Road, Patterson, New York; 845-878-4100), with its assortment of slow and gentle slopes among its 22 trails, is a perfect spot to hone your snowboarding chops. By the time you get your bearings, you’ll be ready for Thunder Ridge’s seven black diamonds. Still nervous? In addition to an in-house rental shop for boots and boards, it also boasts the highest percentage of PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) certified instructors in the Northeast.

Delawareans can stay tuned to the Wilmington Trail Club’s cross-country skiing offshoot. The group coordinates a packed calendar of group trips to places like Lake Placid, New York, and Val-David, Quebec, from November through February. They usually fill up quickly. When snow falls over Delaware, the group hits local parks for impromptu sessions.

Tubing

Camelback Snowtubing (two-hour drive to 107 Resort Drive, Tannersville, Pennsylvania; 570-629-1661) relishes the idea that a big rubber inner tube is indeed, sometimes, the most fun way down a mountain. The well-known ski resort pays just as much care to its 40 lanes of dedicated tubing trails. Magic carpet-style lifts carry tubers up the incline fast to maximize runs during two-hour sessions. Consider booking after dark, when the lanes light up and transform into glowing “galactic” snowtubing.

 

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The tube park at Liberty Mountain Resort (formerly Boulder Ridge) recently underwent a major face-lift for this season, thanks to a partnership with Bubly sparkling water. The new tube park features redesigned tubes and whimsical wayfinding signage.

Covered in slick, manmade snow, the tubing lanes at Iron Valley Tubing (1.5-hour drive to 201 Iron Valley Drive, Lebanon, Pennsylvania; 717-279-7409) are famously fast. The food and drink options at this converted golf course are country club quality at the rustic outdoor Miner’s Pub.

Once the greens turn white for the winter, families travel in droves to AvalancheXpress (1.5-hour drive to 2700 Mount Rose Ave., York, Pennsylvania; 717-755-0123), on the site of Heritage Hills Golf Resort. Stay relaxed and horizontal while the tubing lift gently guides you up the 80-foot hill— before you spill down again for another of countless runs.

Snowmobile

Through April, hop on a guided tour and rip around snowy mountain trails in a rented snowmobile at Rip Van Winkle Ranch (four-hour drive to 5305 NY-23A, Haines Falls, New York). Delaware State Forest (three-hour drive to Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania; 570-895-4000) maintains nearly 115 miles of snowmobile trails open to the public with options for both long and short rides. Allegheny National Forest (five-hour drive to Marienville, Pennsylvania; 814-927-5700) connects with a network of other forestland to comprise 360 miles of trails, including the 114-mile Allegheny Snowmobile Loop. With some of the highest elevations in the state, the scenery and the snow are abundant.

Ski

A true locals’ resort, Roundtop Mountain Resort (two-hour drive to 925 Roundtop Road, Lewisberry, Pennsylvania; 717-432-9631) feels like going over to your best friend’s place, if your friend’s place included a 50-year-old slope with 21 trails and nine lifts. Guests can be found tailgating and bonding over BYO food and drinks in the parking lot. Check out the epic annual celebration Ullrfest, held in early December to kick off the season and wish for a cold, snowy winter season with a massive bonfire, beers and music.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort (1.5-hour drive to 101 Doe Mountain Lane, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania; 866-754-2822) is 86 acres of slopes, trails and terrain parks, and one of the most well-rounded for skiers of all experience levels. Experts can try to tackle the Sasquatch, a black diamond with aggressive slopes, or the well-equipped terrain park for freestyling. Newbies? Take comfort in the triple-chair and carpet lifts, as well as the dedicated beginner area. The mountainside lodge and resort is a family’s playground, with Dorney Park and the Crayola Factory just nearby.

The area’s best twofer, Jack Frost and Big Boulder ski area, (two-hour drive to 434 Jack Frost Mountain Road, White Haven, Pennsylvania; 570-443-8425) features the largest park system in the Poconos and was once home to the pioneer who perfected the snowmaking machine decades ago. Jack Frost comprises 20 trails, including a handful of tricky black diamonds and two terrain parks. At dusk, skiers flock to Big Boulder’s dreamy night skiing experience.

Generations of skiers got their start at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area (2.5-hour drive to 401 Hollow Road, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; 570-421-7231), a longtime family favorite amid the Poconos. With a half-dozen or so on-site dining options, a plethora of training and beginners programs and 13 easy trails (out of 23), it’s no wonder why.

Wisp Resort (4.5-hour drive to 296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, Maryland) and its 3,115-foot peak is the state’s only ski resort. Nestled around the Deep Creek Lake, an area that averages 100 inches of snow annually, Wisp has plenty to offer besides its 172 skiable acres and 33 slopes. Hang around for the weekend and try ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and the park’s famous “mountain coaster.”

Related: Discover Delaware’s Hidden Holiday Gems With This Passport

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