Pennsylvania Communities Near Exciting Ski Destinations

Whitetail Resort | Image credit: Nicole Glass Photography / Shutterstock.com

Pennsylvania’s diverse landscape includes towering hills and mountains that are ideal for ski getaways. Residents of Pennsylvania have access to incredible resorts with challenging terrain and heavy snowfall—perfect conditions for lovers of winter recreation. 

Let’s look at some communities in Pennsylvania that stand out for their proximity to first-rate skiing and snowboarding locales. 

Spring Brook Township

Spring Brook Township is a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania surrounded by scenic nature. Many premier destinations are an easy drive away, making it the perfect winter season home base for ski and snowboard enthusiasts. Spring Brook is only a 15-minute drive from the massive Montage Mountain Ski Resort, which offers 26 trails, two terrain parks, and seven chairlifts. It is also less than an hour away from both the Camelback Mountain Resort and the Shawnee Mountain Ski Area.

Moosic

Moosic is a small, pleasant town in the Scranton area with an industrial legacy. This charming community shares a similar location to Spring Brook Township, with Montage Mountain Ski Resort just ten minutes from the town center, and Camelback Mountain Resort and Shawnee Mountain Ski Area each roughly an hour away. Camelback includes thrilling terrain parks for skiers and boarders and 40+ lanes of snow tubing fun. Shawnee Mountain Ski Area has a family-centric atmosphere, boasts 23 slopes and two terrain parks, and even offers night skiing.

Schuylkill County

Schuylkill County is in the heart of Pennsylvania with beautiful natural settings and scenic towns like Andreas, a charming community by the river. Both Blue Mountain Resort and Bear Creek Mountain Resort have much to offer and can be found about an hour from Schuylkill County. Blue Mountain has skiing and snowboarding runs with five lifts and 40 trails. Bear Creek has 21 excellent runs and includes a cozy spa.

Shippensburg

Shippensburg is a quiet Pennsylvania community with a history that stretches back hundreds of years. Less than an hour away from the heart of Shippensburg are three of Pennsylvania’s best ski and snowboard destinations. Roundtop Mountain Resort has unique terrain marked by forested trails that pose an interesting challenge, Liberty Mountain Resort has more than 100 acres of skiable terrain, and Whitetail Resort has runs for all experience levels, as well as a terrain park.

Newtown Square

Newtown Square, a charming and historic little township, is an outer-edge suburb of Philadelphia. Just 45 minutes away is Spring Mountain Adventures, one of Pennsylvania’s most enjoyable ski resorts. Spring Mountain Adventures is an ideal location for families and beginners, with ski lessons for all ages, outdoor skating rinks, and seven primary trails to explore.

Lancaster

Lancaster is a city known for its sprawling countryside and delicious farm-to-table food traditions. For skiers and snowboarders, Lancaster is ideally located only an hour away from Roundtop Mountain Resort, which includes 20 trails with varying degrees of difficulty, five lifts, three magic carpets, and 600 feet of vertical drops. It also has lodging and dining and a ski school for beginners to learn the ropes. 

Lancaster | Image credit: Bryce Wendler