Travel Review: Blue Mountain Ski Resort with Kids
Kristina
—Oct 09, 2026
Blue Mountain Ski Resort has a lot to offer a family with kids who are looking for a ski day or trip. It has the largest vertical drop in PA which means slightly longer trails compared to other PA ski mountains. The best part is the variety of ski runs available, not just for advanced skiers but plenty of options for beginners and intermediate skiers.
Blue Mountain is located in the Pocono mountains about 90 minutes from both Philadelphia and New York City.
Blue Mountain Ski has been a family favorite for my family and easily accommodated our toddler up to our elementary aged kids. Last season my 3 year old started to learn and she started the year on the green slopes and by the end advanced to several of the blue ski runs. My two sons (aged 5 and 7) went from advancing beginners to tackle double blacks, moguls and smaller terrain parks. Blue Mountain Ski has a lot to offer a family with a variety of ages and ensuring everyone is having a great time.
Below you will find all the information you need before you head to Blue Mountain SKi with kids and what to anticipate.
In this Article:
- About Blue Mountain Ski Area
- Places to Stay
- Blue Mountain Ski Lesson Options
- How to Dress Kids for Skiing
- Blue Mountain Ski Mountain Terrain
- Why I love Blue Mountain Skiing with Kids
- Other Family Activities at Blue Mountain
- Tips for visiting Blue Mountain Ski Area with Young Kids
- Common Questions about Blue Mountain Ski
- Conclusion on Blue Mountain Ski Resort for Kids
About Blue Mountain Ski Area
Size: 171 Acres to Ski
Trails: 40
Lifts: 15
Terrain Parks: 7
Summit Elevation: 1,543 ft
Longest Trail: 1.5 Miles
Snowmaking: 100% of trails
Nightskiing: 100% of the mountain is lit for night skiing
Ski School: Yes
Places to Stay
Blue Mountain Ski Resort does not offer overnight accommodation, however you can look in the nearby areas.
Little Gap and Palmerton Area
Little Gap, Pa is the closest option to Blue Mountain, just over a mile and less than a 5 minute drive. Here you will find the The Roth House Bed & Breakfast .
If you are looking for more space I recommend searching for an airbnb in these towns and surrounding areas. This will allow all your family space to spread out and option to cook. When I am traveling with my three kids, a kitchen and space goes a long way, and not just for saving money. This is our family’s preferred option when going for longer than 2 nights.
Danielsville PA
Want something more upscale or a treat to stay at? The Woodstone Country Club has bunk rooms. In these family rooms there are 2 queen beds and a bunk bed with a full and twin mattresses.
Lehighton and Jim Thorpe PA
Looking for more options, Lehighton and Jim Thorpe are within a 20 to 30 minute drive from the mountain. Here you will find more hotels and options to stay. Hotel chains such as Radisson and Hampton Inn are available. Restaurants will be plentiful in this area.
Blue Mountain Ski Lesson Options
Are lessons necessary? No of course not. I grew up skiing and was able to teach my kids plenty on skis. Did I do lessons? Yes, but not every ski trip. I used lessons for two reasons. To give me some free time to ski on my own when my kids were young. And secondly when I wanted one on one time with a kid I would put the other kids in a lesson.
My kids learning to ski has been about 90% parents taught and 10% lessons. The best you can do is start them in a lesson and build on that one lesson with mountain time with you!
Check out Skiing with Young Kids: Beginners Guide if you want more tips on lesson vs not for your young kids.
Skiing in the fog with the kids
Winter Adventure Camp
Blue Mountain offers multi-week children’s skiing lessons for kids aged 6 to 14. This is a great opportunity if the parents aren’t great skiers and want their kids to learn to ski. Or great if the adults want some kid free ski time and can commit to being at the mountain for several weekends.
Afternoon or morning sessions are available for either a Saturday or Sunday option. You must buy a season pass as well as figure out equipment. At Blue Mountain Ski you either
- Bring your own gear
- Get a seasonal Rental
- Daily Rentals
Explorers Ski & Snowboard Lessons
Can’t commit to several weeks of lessons, no problem. Blue Mountain also offers a one time Ski or Snowboard Explorer Lesson. The lessons are 90 minutes and do include a lift ticket and rentals.
This is a great option to start your family ski holiday to refresh your child’s skills.
Private Lesson
Another option for your kids or adults is to purchase a private lesson. These are available in 1 hour or 2 hour time slots and do not include rentals or lift ticket. These lessons you can specify what you want the lesson to focus on and a great option if you are trying to perfect a certain skill.
We purchased a two hour lesson for my 7 year old son here last year. He was moving away from “pizza skiing” and wanted to perfect his carving skill while skiing. We were able to write this request when we booked the lesson. Our instructor was great with our son and really helped him grow confident in parallel skiing and perfecting how to carve.
This is a great option when your kids skills grow beyond your own and you want a more focused lesson.
Race Team
Blue Mountain has its own kids race team! My kids really got into skiing last ski season and saw the race team on the mountain. Immediately they wanted to know if they could join and it turns out kids ski teams are a thing!
Being on the race team is not for everyone and a try out is required to join. My boys tried out in March for the next ski season. The spots are limited and the coaches are looking for specific skills to make the team. If you are older than the U8 you will be expected to only parallel ski and be an advanced skier!
For more information email the team at racing@skibluemt.com. The race team operates out of the Summit Lodge at the top of the mountain.
How to Dress Kids for Skiing
Kids ski happily when warm and dry. The best thing you can do for you kids when taking them skiing, no matter the age, is make sure they are dressed appropriately, otherwise your ski day might end in tears and frustration.
The base layer is important to get right. If you put them in cotton base and they sweat, your kid will stay damp and turn cold quickly. A material that is naturally moisture-wicking and breathable is what you are looking for, merino wool is your best material. Merino wool also helps keep you warm when it's cold out, the structure of the fabric traps airs providing the insulation.
After the base you should layer depending on the weather outside, the colder it is the more layers you should. The top layer should be snow pants and snow/ski jacket. Look for items that are completely waterproof and are insulated.
For the feet you should put on a long pair of non-cotton socks. Again merino wool is best.
Gloves should be warn no matter the weather. If a kid falls and doesn't wear gloves their hands will soon be full of snow and cold. A waterproof gloves is essential.
For the face I put my kids in a full face mask in cold weather. This helps block out wind and keeps them warm, especially on the ski lifts.
Over the mask each kid has their own pair of ski googles and helmet. The googles provide warmth, especially on windy days.
Without the googles you will find your eyes tear up. And helmet for safety if they fall. If you go skiing more than a couple times a year investing in kid's helmet is worth it. Not to mention adult helmets!
Blue Mountain Ski Mountain Terrain
Blue Mountain truly has ski runs for skiers at every level. They have two main lodges, one at the bottom of the mountain (Valley Lodge) and the top (Summit Lodge). There are parking lots at both lodges, however if you need to rent skis, take a lesson or part of an adventure camp you will want to park at Valley Lodge.
Blue Mountain also offers night skiing every day. I certainly took advantage of this with my family. The crowds dissipate by evening and making it feel like your own personal ski mountain.
Beginner Skiers
Blue Mountain has its own bunny slope area that is perfect for the beginners. It is located closest to the Valley Lodge parking and separate from the rest of the mountain. Here you will find an easy slope to learn to ski and a good spot for young kids or kids just learning.
The bunny slope has a triple chair lift as well as magic carpets. Once at the top of the bunny hill from the chair lift you have the option to go down the right or left side. Commonly Blue Mountain grooms the mountain and may put features on one side such as slopes or baby moguls.
Beginners to Intermediate Skiers
Once you learned how to stay upright on your skis, successfully go down the bunny slope and stop, you are ready to move to new terrain. My 3 year old daughter had no problems bypassing the bunny hill all together and taking on longer trails on the larger mountain.
Blue Mountain has two great beginner longer slopes for newer skiers and beginners. “Paradise” and “Burma Road” are those perfect runs. For a toddler or a new skier they might only be able to go down these runs twice before needing a break, however after several skiing days their endurance will grow.
For families who have advanced skiers too, doing a family run of “Paradise” has a hidden surprise. Paradise has several off trail hits to explore making this run entertaining for the whole family. My 5 and 7 year old boys didn’t mind going down Paradise with their little sister because they ventured into the trees getting little side hits!
Once you mastered the greens Blue Mountain also has 4 main blue runs to explore. My three year old was only able to confidently go down Lazy Mile, while she found the other blue’s too steep for her. However an older intermediate kid should be able to handle more of the blues.
Intermediate to Advanced Skiers
Blue Mountain does a great job of grooming the mountain and adding some challenges. Once a skier is comfortable with all the blues there is plenty more to explore. Blue offers several blacks and 3 double black runs. Besides the runs moguls can typically be found on “Main Street” and “The Chute”.
My boys are fearless and loved challenging themselves on the moguls and racing me down the double blacks. Without the kids egging me on I am not sure I would have tried these slopes, but man am I glad they did. Challenging yourself as an adult and pushing your comfort levels is well terrifying but fun! They even got me going off some of the jumps!
Blue Mountain also features several terrain parks for all different level skiers and mixed throughout the mountain. Again my boys had no fear of trying the jumps and enjoyed watching older kids and adults show them their tricks.
Food Options at Blue Mountain Ski Area
Blue Mountain has two lodges Valley Lodge and Summit Lodge. Both lodges offer cafeteria style food to grab such as burgers, hot dog, pizza and chicken fingers with fries.
Valley Lodge features food trucks located right outside the lodge. Last season they had a Tipsy Taco Food Truck as well as a belgium waffle and ice cream truck. Also inside the lodge is a bar area for any alcoholic beverages.
Summit Lodge offers a couple more food options beyond the cafeteria style. It has the Slopeside Pub and Grill. It is a mountain top restaurant that serves American Fare with a nice indoor fireplace. Wood Fire Pizza sits outside the lodge surrounded by picnic tables. Enjoy the outdoors with pizza from the wood fire pizza oven.
Another great option is the ramen bar. This is found on the second floor of the Summit Lodge.
Our family of 5 have eaten at the cafeterias as well as the Slopeside Pub and Grill. If eating at the Slopeside I recommend the deserts!
Lastly if trying to save some money bringing your own food into the lodge is okay too. We have had plenty of home brought lunches and snacks to fuel us for our skiing day! Our favorite snacks are sandwiches, a bag of chips and a yummy cookie we made at home!
Why I love Blue Mountain Skiing with Kids
- -Your kids grow with the mountain: always something more they can progress too
- -Big enough to keep your entertained for multi day ski trips
- -Local feel mountain: without big resorts nearby Blue Mountain attracts more local skiers
- - Longer runs than other PA ski mountains
- -Night skiing always offered: smaller mountains only offer it on certain days
Other Family Activities at Blue Mountain
If you are at Blue Mountain Ski Area for multiple days you might want to take a break skiing and try something else. Below are some fun family activities you can do:
- Snow Tubing : USA’s largest snow tubing park
- Sitting by the fire pits and enjoying the outdoors
- Ropes course in the off season
- Biking trails in the off season
Tips for visiting Blue Mountain Ski Area with Young Kids
- Plan accommodations first, if not a day trp\ip
- Book Lessons and Lift Tickets Early
- Arrive early so you get a close parking spot
- For multiple day trip look to buy used skis (saved us a ton of money)
- Buy your own helmet (saves money if you go skiing multiple times)
- Stop for lunch early to avoid main rush
- Bring your own snacks and food if looking to save money
Common Questions about Blue Mountain Ski
- Is a season pass at Blue Mountain worth it?
Blue Mountain Ski offers 4 hour or 8 hour ski passes on a daily basis. If you will only be skiing at blue for less than 4 full days I suggest buying daily passes. However if you plan on skiing more than 5 days a season pass will save you money and provide you other benefits, such as food discounts, shorter queues and summer passes for certain activities.
2. Do kids ski free at Blue Mountain Ski Resort?
No, sadly all kids cost the same as an adult ticket.
3. Is parking free at Blue Mountain?
Yes you can park free at both Summit and Valley lodge. If you want a closer spot you do have the option to pay for a premium parking spot, but it is not necessary. And as long as you arrive early you should be able to get a decent spot.
Conclusion on Blue Mountain Ski Resort for Kids
Overall, I would highly recommend Blue Mountain Ski Resort for any family no matter the ages of kids. This mountain is perfect for a longer ski trip or a one day excretion. Blue Mountain Ski has a perfect local ski lodge feeling that a family will appreciate.
The mountain is large enough for everyone in the family to be challenged and have a good day out on the mountain. And don’t let it stop too early, night skiing is a great quieter time on the mountain that will leave you with amazing family memories.
If you are looking for a more resort holiday mountain feel try Camelback Ski. Or a mountain best for young kids and beginners try Shawnee Ski Mountain. Both in the Poconos PA.