Campgaw Mountain With Kids: What Parents Should Know

Campgaw is a small county-owned ski area in northern New Jersey. It is not a destination; it is a place to learn to ski close to home, with night skiing and tubing. For a first-timer in the New York metro area, that is the point.

• Why families choose Campgaw: a short drive, gentle terrain, group lessons for ages 4-6, and a tubing hill.
• What to know first: it is tiny. The resort lists about 270 ft of vertical drop on 18 skiable acres (some directories list 274 ft and 23 acres).

The full data sheet is on our Campgaw profile.

The Short Version

Our family-fit rating is “Family First.” The mountain has 3 surface lifts (magic carpets), 2 double chairlifts and 8 beginner and intermediate trails, with night skiing and a tubing hill. It is county-owned.

The tradeoff is that it is tiny, and kids will outgrow it quickly.

Campgaw makes sense if you want a first-ski day close to home.

Think twice if you want variety.

What Campgaw Is Like With Kids

Beyond the surface lifts there are two double chairlifts and a small terrain park (reported by third-party guides). Children ages 4-6 stay on surface lifts only in the resort’s lessons and programs. This is a day trip: there is no lodging, so plan to be home for bedtime.

Hours (2026-27 posted regular-season hours). Monday to Thursday 2pm to 8pm, Friday 1pm to 10pm, Saturday 8:30am to 10pm, Sunday 8:30am to 8pm. Holiday hours differ and the resort notes some early-opening days, so check its hours page. Night skiing means the short drive can fit after school.

Tubing. The tubing park has an uphill surface lift and, per the resort, 15 to 17 lanes about 800 ft long. Tubes are provided and sessions run two hours (one-hour sessions only on select holidays). Posted 2026-27 prices: $33 Monday to Thursday, $35 Friday, $39 weekends and holidays for two hours. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall (hat removed), with no exceptions, one person per tube, and no ski boots. Tickets go on sale 14 days ahead, only a limited number are sold per session, and sessions sell out, so buy online early. Cancel or change at least 48 hours ahead or a fee may apply. Birthday parties and group tubing are also offered. Prices change; check with the resort for current rates.

Learning Here: From First Day to Teen Years

Surface lifts make first turns easy. Group lessons for ages 4-6 run 1.5 hours with a hot chocolate break, and ages 7 and up have their own group lessons. Weekday children’s lessons start at 2:45pm and 4:30pm; weekends and holidays have more times (9am when programs are not running, 10:45am, 1pm and 3pm). Weekday lessons for ages 7+ run at 4:30pm. A group needs four or more participants to run the full 1.5 hours; smaller groups may be shortened to one hour. Late arrivals do not get extra time. Cancel or change 48 hours ahead or a $30 fee applies.

For a longer arc, the resort runs four-week programs, including a Cruisers program for ages 4-6. Children who are ready for chairlifts are considered too advanced for the children’s lessons and are steered to private lessons. After a few visits, most kids will want more terrain, and Mountain Creek is the natural next step.

Getting There

Campgaw is at 200 Campgaw Road in Mahwah, inside Campgaw Reservation, about 18 miles north of the George Washington Bridge according to the resort. From Route 17 South, take the MacArthur Blvd exit; from Route 208, take the Ewing Ave exit. Either way, follow the park signs, enter the park, take the first right through the yellow gates and continue to the lot. Drive times vary with traffic; allow extra on winter weekends. The resort asks guests to park only in marked spaces (improperly parked cars can be towed). We did not find a posted parking fee, so confirm before you go.

What a Family Trip Really Costs

As a local hill, costs are modest. Everyone on the snow needs a snow pass (lift ticket) and equipment. Posted 2026-27 all-day snow pass prices are $43 Monday to Thursday, $49 Friday, and $69 on Saturday, Sunday and holidays; shorter afternoon or evening blocks cost less. The resort lists a discount on snow passes and rentals for ages 65 and older and military (ID required; not on lessons). A Bergen County resident discount of 20% has been reported by a third-party guide, but we did not find it on the resort’s current rate pages, so ask before counting on it.

Rentals are posted at $55 for a ski or snowboard package and $17 for a helmet. The simplest option is the full lesson package, which includes the lesson, snow pass and daily rental: $139 (weekday) or $159 (weekend or holiday) for ages 4-6, and $149 or $179 for ages 7+. Helmets are not included. Lesson only (you bring your own gear and pass) is $69 or $79 for ages 4-6 and $74 or $84 for ages 7+. Season passes are posted at $309 for ages 3-11 and $349 for the unlimited adult pass (weekday-only $239; senior 65+ $249), which pays off after a few visits. Prices change; check with the resort for current rates.

First Time Skiing With Kids? What Parents Should Know

Campgaw exists for this. The hill is small enough that you can see your child from the base, and young beginners start on surface lifts, so nobody needs to ride a chairlift on day one.

Where to start. The beginner area at the base. Book a group lesson rather than teaching your own child; the resort does not allow anyone other than its own instructors to give or receive lessons on site. The full package is the easiest because pass, rental and lesson come in one booking.

A realistic first day.

• Arrive 45-60 minutes early (our estimate) to park, check in and get fitted for boots, skis and a helmet. A parent or guardian must sign the rental agreement for anyone under 18. New Jersey law requires helmets for anyone under 18, and the resort notes this on its rental page.
• Lesson, about 1.5 hours: for 4-6 year olds that includes a hot chocolate break.
• Practice and tubing: kids who still have energy can repeat the beginner area, or try tubing if they meet the 48-inch minimum (a separate ticket).

Skiing or tubing? Tubing needs no skill and no rental, and costs less than a ski day, but the 48-inch minimum rules out many under-6s. Skiing takes more setup (pass, rental, lesson) and builds a skill. Families with mixed ages often do one of each on separate days.

Crowds and timing. The resort describes short lift lines. In our read, weekday afternoons and evenings are the calmer and cheaper choice, and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are the busiest and most expensive. The cold night session is the main comfort trade-off.

Food. A third-party reference describes a small lodge with a cafeteria and snack bar. Menus and hours were not posted, so bring water and snacks. Season pass holders get 15% off food and retail.

What to wear. Waterproof jacket and pants, a fleece or wool mid-layer, one pair of thin wool socks, waterproof mittens, goggles, and a neck gaiter instead of a scarf. No cotton. Tubers need regular winter boots, not ski boots.

What it costs. Two kids ages 4-6 on a weekend using the full package are about $318 plus helmets ($34) at posted prices; a weekend adult snow pass ($69) and rental ($55) would add about $124 if you also ski. Prices change; check with the resort for current rates.

• Cold: night skiing is chilly, so a weekday afternoon lesson can be more comfortable than a late Saturday session.
• Tubing tickets sell out; do not count on walking up.
• Outgrowing it: do not plan a long day; two to three hours is plenty for a beginner here.

While kids are in class, parents can watch from the base. We found no childcare service, so one adult stays on site.

Campgaw vs. Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek in Vernon is much larger; a third-party guide reports 46 trails and eight lifts, plus a large tubing park, and it skews toward tweens and teens. It is the natural step up once kids are comfortable linking turns, though it is a longer drive from Bergen County. See the Mountain Creek profile.

Bottom Line

Choose Campgaw if you want a cheap, close first ski day. Think twice if you want more than a few runs. Our family-fit rating is “Family First.”

Compare more options: Browse family ski resorts on Kiddometer.