Mountain Creek Resort — Attraction in Vernon Township

I’ve read so many bad reviews about Mountain Creek that my expectations were low, but I was pleasantly surprised. One thing you NEED to understand about me, I don’t give five stars out easily or lightly because I fully believe everything can be bettered upon. I’m really picky with who and where I give my 5-star review. I have a fuller more in-depth review on my site dreamlikediana.

PARKING There are multiple parking options. General Parking is free across the street from North Lodge (main area) & South Lodge (terrain park area). Some complain about the North Lodge walk, but it’s scenic and manageable.

PRICE Weekday tickets: $90; Weekend/Holiday: $119.99. Twilight tickets start at 3 PM ($59.99-$69.99). The best deal is the Triple Play card ($159.99 + fees) for 3 anytime lift tickets.

Mountain Creek is worth the price. Cheap experiences often lead to poor conditions and injuries. Running a ski resort is expensive, and Mountain Creek invests in quality.

FACTS Mountain Creek has one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in the country. It’s the biggest mountain in NJ, offering lodging and summer activities (waterpark, ziplining, mountain coaster, etc.). Located just 47 miles from NYC, making it an easy getaway. Offers night skiing until 10 PM. Renowned terrain parks, especially South Peak, cater to freestyle riders.

RIDE LIFE I finally had the pleasure of checking out Mountain Creek during my birthday weekend, I turned 33, and I had a blast. I can’t wait to come back and keep exploring, documenting, and enjoying more of the mountain and what Mountain Creek has to offer.

Have you looked at their trail map? Mountain Creek has some of the longest trails I’ve ever seen on a mountain. At first, I was daunted by it. My first run on Upper Horizon to Lower Horizon to Cab Ride was exhausting but rewarding. By the end of the day, I pushed for one more run, and it was my best yet.

The cabriolet ride to the top? Absolutely breathtaking.

FOOD & BATHROOMS At one point in time, our friends, my boyfriend and I took a break at The Biergarten. They had some beers that they enjoyed, while I got myself a free cup of water.

We ate at The Kink, at the end of our day, and everything was delicious. I recommend their Cajun Red Fish fries. We devoured them and ordered more. The 4 Cheese Mac & Cheese and Beer Battered Cod were also excellent. I’ve heard great things about their cabin waffles, but they were sold out. I’ll be back to try them, as I hear they're a must!

Food prices are a bit higher than a regular restaurant but worth it for the quality. Bathrooms? Not the best, but that’s expected at ski resorts.

GIFT SHOP There are 2 gift shops, and I went to both in search of Mountain Creek-specific stickers. I found none. They had pins & keychains, but no stickers. As someone who collects mountain-specific and adventure-specific stickers, to me this is a must! My hope and expectation is, they will get some before the season ends! I absolutely need to add this to my collection!

The gift shop at the South Lodge had decal stickers, but they’re too big for what I want to use mine for. Also, I am not joking when I say I want MOUNTAIN CREEK SPECIFIC STICKERS. There were pins I bought that would have been great as stickers, but I’m not interested in pins though.

With that being said, I did buy gloves at the gift shop in the North Lodge. I had gloves, but it was a little warmer the day I went and was sweating so much in them. I found the perfect gloves for my tiny hands, much thinner, but still warm, in a pale pinkish color, with grips, water resistant fabric, AND they were touch screen gloves. Decently priced for quality gloves.

QUICK TIP Mountain Creek is cashless. Use Apple Pay, GPay, or a credit/debit card.

OVERALL The mountain, lodges, and staff are fantastic. Mountain Creek delivers an incredible experience, and the price reflects the quality. Their website is professional and easy to navigate. This resort has quickly become my second favorite on the East Coast, and I can’t...

Sunday 07-21-2024 I understand a lot of people go on the weekends & it's summer - but for it being my first time at Mountain Creek Waterpark, I feel like it wasn't the best experience at all. I paid $20 extra for preferred parking, no problem at all. Once you arrive, have your barcode ready - you'll receive wrist bands. They do have 3 separate lines - seasonal pass, bag check & no bag check. There are different locker options - depending on which one you pick, you'll receive a key & will have to return it back in order to receive $5 cash back. Once you start checking out the map & see which rides you'll want to experience, just know you'll be walking up & down hills depending where the ride is at. Be careful on not slipping or hurting your feet & toes. There's no fast pass lines, everyone is standing on the same line. The cliff jumping - Bombs Away & Canyon Cliff Jumping - it's 18ft deep, so make sure you know how to swim. Once you jump, you have to swim to the shore in order for the next person to jump. The line for the rides were very long.. some people were actually skipping the lines sadly. Some of the tubes were losing air so make sure to double check once the previous rider hands it over to you. If it is losing air, just put it off to the side - it makes it easier for the rest of the riders. As much as we wanted to get on the Colorado River, there was a very long line, I believe people were on the line for an hour plus! There's barely any shade on these lines so make sure to stay hydrated & apply sunscreen whenever you can. Big Bear BBQ - I believe a lot of individuals would provide as much feedback as they can about this place. You thought the lines to get on rides were long, wait till you get on the line to order food! I got on the line 3:12pm.. I didn't receive my food till 4:36pm. I am not exaggerating either. If I had my phone, I would've taken pictures while on the line with time stamps. All I ordered was a pulled pork sandwich with fries, boneless chicken wings with fries, cornbread & corn on a cob. The cashiers didn't provide any receipt because they already had ran out of receipt paper. So, I believe the only way you can claim your food is if you remember what you had ordered, the name on the order or any statement with the card you paid with. Once again, people will pretend to look at the menu right next to you (outside of the line) if you look away or get distracted, they will cut the line & get in front of you. You got to respect other individuals as well & make the line! Once I asked about my order, an employee came back & told me they didn't have any more corn so they provided an extra plate of fries. A lot of people had complained long wait time & missing their food orders! I didn't try any of the drinks with alcohol so I can't say anything about that. Keep in mind, they do not accept cash - only card payments ** All that time waiting for the food to be ready & being able to eat at an open table, we only had about an hour left before the park closed. We just spent the last hour at the wave pool & trust me, I'm very short & cannot swim. I had the adult size life jacket & I was very far (close to 6 ft. deep) & felt very safe. I loved when the waves came on. Although, when you get towards the middle of the pool, it smelled like vomit.. I don't know what's the deal here. At the end of the day, the bathrooms are dirty so don't be surprised. I know maintenance teams can't be around all the time but it smelled really bad & the floors were wet & dirty. It was unbelievable. Food for thought - has Mountain Creek thought of creating fast lanes for all or specific rides at the park? This was my personal & first experience at Mountain Creek Waterpark. I hope to give it a second chance - maybe throughout the weekdays instead of...

First, this is about the ski facility during ski season and not about the loding/hotel (which I never stayed in) or about their Waterpark (which I love).

I gave it 4 stars for skiing but keep in mind the context of the review and that it's relative to my skiing ability where I've skied. To start, I'm delighted to have Moutain Creek here in NJ as the premiere ski area in NJ and is closest as well as accessible to those in the NY/NJ area... if you have one day to ski or snowboard and want to spend more time on the slopes rather than drive hours further to upstate NY, Boston or Vermont, then this is the place to go. They have ski /snowboard rentals as well as lesson options.

Why 4 stars? Again this is relative and I am or was an expert skier (still pretty darn good) and skiing for 40 years and have been skiing at various places having high elevation varying levels of difficulty and possibly more snow coverage. If you understand how snow is made then you have to consider that man-made or naturally falling snow can only be made when temperatures are at/below 32°... this doesn’t not happen all that often in the Northeast closer to New Jersey where temperatures are milder than say Upstate New York or Vermont. Therefore, there's less snow or trail coverage or snow depth than other places in colder regions. In fact, with temperature fluctuations, the slopes are often icy (melting then freezing at night) or likely to be granular than places that have powder -- this no fault of Mountain creek and snow conditions are largely at the mercy of mother nature. The mountain (s) is actually 3 different summits/peaks of what seems to be similar elevations with high speed lifts or slower chairs to take you up or across to each. While there are very few trails labeled as "expert" I would say the mountain trails are basically beginner to intermediate overall compared to other resorts in Vermont Lake Placid Etc. On occasion they will have one steep "expert" trail (zero G) ready or groomed for those that can ski moguls. They also have a few trails for Snowboarding (designated snowboard park with rails, half-pipes for advanced and risky snowboarders (and skiers can ski them too - I do for jumps). Skin gets crowded on the weekends and prefer to ski during the weekdays I can get in three times as many runs so you might want to play hooky from work.They also offer night skiing Food is pretty expensive with single burgers only at $11 or more or hot chocolate being $4 or more. Fries will run you about $9 and like the fries made at the South mountain at the pub! Season pass holders get a slight discount at concessions. The place has been renovated in the past 2 or 3 years from a nice rustic feel, including wood burning outdoor pit and outdoor music to something more structured and less cozy. Again Mountain Creek is really good for what it is and happy to have this resort in New Jersey it's a very different skiing experience in terms of snow quantity and quality compared to resorts in colder regions but manage to enjoy it and selective about when I go and often dependent on weather conditions prior and day going. If you're a beginner skier, snowboarder or live close by it's a godsend. If you don't like to ski they also have a snow tube park which seems small but hey it's close by - it's something to do outside and fun! If you live in certain parts of New Jersey perhaps the Poconos might be closer. ...