Shawnee Mountain Ski Area
401 Hollow Rd, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
9am-5pm Monday-Friday, with night hours from mid-December to mid-March
$$$
seasonal-activities, road-trips
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About an hour and a half drive from New York City, give or take some time based on traffic, you'll find a plethora of ski resorts in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. One of these, Shawnee Mountain Ski Area, boasts itself as "the Poconos' Favorite Family Ski Resort". So with that in mind, my family and I took a weekend trip with our 10 and 7-year-olds to see what it's all about.
Shawnee is definitely more of a ski area than a resort. While it's a perfectly fine place to spend the day skiing, it is pretty simple in terms of amenities. The lodge has a few simple bathrooms, a bar (no children allowed), a daycare, and two food areas selling chicken sandwiches, pizza slices, and the basics.
The mountain itself has 23 slopes that provided more than ample options for our family of casual skiers and beginners. While my husband, 10-year-old daughter, and I hit the slopes, we signed up my 7-year-old for two different Ski School experiences. Because she was nervous, we signed her up for a one-hour private lesson on the first day. This cost $110 but provided my first-timer with a lot of confidence. On the second day, we signed her up for the regular Ski School program that ran for 3 hours for $120. This was obviously a much better deal financially and my daughter enjoyed spending time with other children. Of course, compared to the private lesson, she didn't feel that she learned as much and did mention that she spent a good amount of time "waiting her turn". I must say that this mom did appreciate the 3 hours of freedom, though! The Ski School group classes begin at age 4.
In addition to Ski School groups and private lessons for both skiers and snowboarders ages 4 and up, Shawnee Mountain runs both a "SKIBaby" and a "Mommy & Me" program for the 3-year-olds who aren't old enough for the Ski School program.
Prices for tickets and ski or snowboard rentals can be found at www.shawneemt.com, but you can usually save 5 to 10% by booking ahead of time online. And, they offer deals on multi-day lift tickets!