Elk Mountain Ski Resort — Attraction in Herrick Township

This review is essentially what I emailed to Elk twice!!! I gave them a chance but did not hear back. I feel like I need to share my latest experience at Elk.

Me and my family are not regular at the mountain but we come once in a while and always greatly enjoyed it. We also visited during holiday weekends and had a great time as well.

We came during Martin Luther King Jr. Day and planned to ski on Sunday the 17th and Monday the 18th. On the 17th I came only with my younger son so he could get some practice. I purchased our tickets at 12:30 pm. When buying tickets, there was a long line and I inquired twice (with the person who was expediting the line and the cashier) whether I should pay for the rental at the window. I was informed I pay when I rent downstairs. So we bought our tickets and headed to rent the boots for my son. To make the long story short, we were standing in the cold for 2.5 HOURS to rent the boots. As such, we were able to ski twice on the tickets we purchased because the time ran out. I attached the tickets and rental receipt in my email to Elk but did not get any response from them.

This was so disappointing that we decided not to come back on Monday. We went to Camelback which is closer to us. The rental took 15 minutes and we were on the mountain in no time.

We ski often and always during long weekends. Since the visit to Elk, we've been to Belleayre, Okemo and Killington. Each experience was great! I understand that there is a pandemic and during long weekends there might be more people than normally. However, I did not experience anything like what I described in the past. At least at the time that people are buying 4 hour tickets, someone should mention that it takes 3 hours to get the rental. What's that? Right, no one would buy the...

Elk Mountain is one of our favorite ski resorts in Pennsylvania, within a drivable distance from the Washington, D.C. metro area. We originally discovered it by chance when my daughter’s team had a slalom and GS competition here, and we immediately fell in love with the mountain.

Unlike many corporate-owned resorts on the Ikon or Epic passes, Elk Mountain is privately owned and well-maintained. The terrain is fantastic—steep, wide, and impeccably groomed, making it a dream for carving. The mountain offers a great mix of trails, catering mainly to intermediate and advanced/expert skiers who are looking for an exceptional on-slope experience rather than off-mountain amenities.

The grooming and snowmaking are top-notch, ensuring excellent conditions throughout the season. While the lifts and lodge are old and could use some updates, they remain functional. A word of caution: the dual lifts hit hard on the back of your legs, so be mindful to avoid bruising. The food selection at the lodge is decent but on the expensive side, as expected at ski resorts. The bathrooms, however, really need renovation, especially the outdated faucets that make it frustrating to wash both hands simultaneously.

One of the best aspects of Elk Mountain is its fair and consistent lift ticket pricing. Unlike resorts with unpredictable dynamic pricing, Elk offers fixed rates and discounts for multi-day passes, making it a great value for serious skiers and snowboarders.

In short, this is a phenomenal mountain for those who prioritize great skiing over luxury amenities. The breathtaking views, well-maintained slopes, and challenging terrain make it an unbeatable destination for dedicated skiers and racers. We’ll definitely...

Our family just spent 2 days there. It's a nice mountain with 2 green runs that start at the top, a good amount of blues and black diamonds. Our one unfortunate experience was that our kids who are new to skiing spent most of the day on the bunny slope and green run at the lower half of the mountain. They were ready to try the larger green run that started at the top of the mountain. They got all the way to the start of the trail before they learned it was closed. There were no signs anywhere, not on the obvious places like the trail maps that are posted everywhere, or near the ski lifts. So the only trail that was near them was a blue trail. That ended with my youngest getting taken off the mountain by the ski patrol. My advice is to ask staff before you head up the lift. All the staff were very nice by the way, and I was very grateful for the ski patrol. The lodge has a large open seating area with a cafeteria and the food was OK. The seating is uncomfortable. There is a large window with a view of the base of the mountain which was lovely, but there was a leak in the ceiling and buckets all over one of the tables. There was a separate restaurant adjacent to that space which looked nice, but we didn't try it. There was a fireplace there but not in the main lodge area. We spent close to $1,000 on a family of 4 for 2 days for the lift tickets and rentals. And the mountain closed at 4:30 both days. We had a good time, and I didn't mind the negatives I mentioned, but if I'm going to spend $1,000 for 2 days of skiing, I'm going to look for a different...