Blue Mountain Resort With Kids: What Parents Should Know

Blue Mountain is a Pennsylvania day-trip resort with a lot of beginner terrain and a famously large tubing park. It is a short drive from the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, and it works best for families who want a straightforward day or weekend on the snow.

• Why families choose Blue Mountain: a dedicated Learning Center, a high share of beginner terrain, a kids’ lesson that bundles lift, rental, and helmet, and a tubing park the resort bills as the largest in the U.S.
• What to know first: it is a small-vertical Eastern hill (about 1,082 ft, which the resort says is Pennsylvania’s highest), tickets are sold online in advance, and lodging on-site is limited.

The full data sheet is on our Blue Mountain profile.

The Short Version

Our family-fit rating is “Family First.” About 46% of the terrain is beginner, there are roughly 40 trails on 171 acres, and the Learning Center is built around first-timers. The resort promotes its tubing park as the largest in the U.S., with more than 55 lanes.

The tradeoffs are the small size and the limited on-site lodging, so most families day-trip or stay nearby.

Blue Mountain makes sense if you want an easy, close-to-home ski or tubing day.

Think twice if you want a destination week with big terrain.

What Blue Mountain Is Like With Kids

The tubing park is a highlight. The resort says it has 55+ lanes served by magic carpet lifts, with a 36-inch minimum height and no age or weight limits. Sessions are two hours and include a single or double tube. Evening “Sonic Snow Tubing” sessions start at 5 PM with music and color-changing lights, and the resort has run themed tubing nights on alternating Thursdays. Tickets are sold online in advance, are name-specific, and are non-refundable, and you should arrive at least 30 minutes before your session.

For kids who want more than a day, the Winter Adventure Camp is a multi-week program that introduces young skiers and snowboarders to the sport. Palmerton is about 10 minutes away, and Jim Thorpe, a popular historic town, is about 20 minutes away for off-slope time.

On-site lodging is limited (the resort advertises camping and glamping), so families often stay in Palmerton, Jim Thorpe, or the Poconos. Resort management is shared with Camelback, which makes a two-resort Poconos trip easy to plan.

Learning Here: From First Day to Teen Years

The first day. The award-winning Learning Center is designed for beginners, with gentle terrain. Lessons start and end at the Valley Lodge at the base. The kids’ ski and snowboard lesson is for ages 4-13 and welcomes first-timers through advanced skiers.

The next step. With a large share of easy terrain, kids can build confidence quickly. Multi-week programs like the Winter Adventure Camp give kids steady progress through the season.

As they grow. Teens will run out of challenge with just over 1,000 ft of vertical, though the resort has terrain parks and runs a lot of snowmaking, which it describes as the largest system on the East Coast.

First Time Skiing With Kids? What Parents Should Know

Blue Mountain is one of the easiest places in the Northeast to try skiing for the first time. The hill is low, the terrain is mostly gentle, and you are not committing to an expensive week.

Book lessons rather than teaching them yourselves. Kids learn faster with an instructor, and parents enjoy the day more. The resort says kids’ lessons must be purchased online in advance because space is extremely limited, and lift tickets overall can sell out, so book as soon as you pick a date.

Where first-timers start. At the Learning Center near the Valley Lodge, on gentle terrain at the base, before moving to the easier trails.

What a first day looks like (based on the kids’ lesson format):

• 30 minutes before the lesson: arrive at the Valley Lodge (the Frontier Center area), print or pick up lift tickets at the pickup box, and get rental gear and a helmet.
• Lesson: about 90 minutes on snow with an instructor, in a group matched to ability.
• After the lesson: the kids’ ticket is valid for an 8-hour day, so families can keep practicing on the easy trails with a parent.
• Add-on: a tubing session is a good second activity for a tired first-timer.

Rental and helmet logistics. The kids’ lesson price covers lift ticket, ski or snowboard rental, and a helmet, so there is nothing separate to book for those. Adults should arrive early on weekends to rent.

What to wear and pack. Dress in layers using synthetic or wool materials rather than cotton, with snow pants, a jacket, gloves or mittens, a hat, and a scarf or neck gaiter. Add goggles or sunglasses and sunscreen. Lockers are available (credit card required), outside food and drink are not allowed in the lodges (tailgating outside is fine), and parking is free.

What a first day roughly costs. The resort lists the kids’ lesson at $189 per child, including an 8-hour lift ticket, rental, and helmet. Adult lift tickets are sold online with dynamic pricing (8-hour or 4-hour options), so the price varies by date, and early purchase is cheaper. For two kids in lessons plus two adults skiing, a rough estimate is $550 to $800 for the day before food and lodging (our estimate). Tubing is priced separately, per two-hour session. Prices change; check with the resort for current rates.

What parents do while kids are in lessons. Ski on your own, grab a coffee in the lodge, or watch from the base area. Because lessons are about 90 minutes, there is not a long gap.

Honest pitfalls.

• Crowds. Weekends and school breaks are busy, and lift lines can get long on a small mountain. Weekdays are much calmer.
• Online only. There are no ticket windows. Buy lessons, lift tickets, and tubing in advance.
• Cold and ice. Eastern snow can be firm and icy. Warm layers and goggles matter more than you expect.
• Snowmaking dependence. Early and late season depend on man-made snow, so check conditions before you drive.

Ski School

The kids’ ski and snowboard lesson (ages 4-13) is listed at $189 for 90 minutes on snow and includes an 8-hour lift ticket, rental, and helmet. Kids should arrive about 30 minutes early. Lessons start and end at the Valley Lodge, and must be purchased online. The Winter Adventure Camp is the multi-week option. Prices change; check with the resort for current pricing, since it uses dynamic pricing.

Getting There

Lehigh Valley International (ABE) is about 40 minutes away. Many families drive from Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. Parking is free at both lodges.

When to Go

Weekends and school breaks are busy. Midweek and early-morning visits are calmer. Conditions depend on snowmaking, and the resort has historically opened in early December with skiing into the evening, but check the 2026-27 opening date. Tubing and lessons have sometimes opened a few weeks after skiing begins.

What a Family Trip Really Costs

As a day-trip hill, costs are mostly tickets, lessons, rentals, and food. Kids’ lessons are listed at $189 each with lift, rental, and helmet included, and adult tickets vary by date. If you ski more than a couple of times a season, the 2026-27 Peak to Peak Poconos Pass ($899, announced for both Blue Mountain and Camelback) includes a child add-on for ages 9 and under at $149 with an adult purchase, according to Camelback’s pass announcement. Prices change; check with the resort for current rates.

Blue Mountain vs. Camelback

Camelback has an indoor water park and more lodging nearby. Blue Mountain is simpler and more focused on beginners and tubing. See the Camelback profile.

Bottom Line

Choose Blue Mountain if you want an easy beginner day with tubing. Think twice if you want a multi-day trip. Our family-fit rating is “Family First.”

Compare more options: Browse family ski resorts on Kiddometer.