Crowd calendar · 2026-27 season
Elk Mountain Ski Resort
Union Dale, Pennsylvania· Open Dec 11 – Mar 21
Tap a day to see why, then plan a trip around it.
QuietModerateBusyPacked 3"+ snow forecast
December 2026
SMTWTFS
January 2027
SMTWTFS
February 2027
SMTWTFS
March 2027
SMTWTFS
Busy stretches to avoid
- Thanksgiving weekendNov 25 – Nov 29
- School holidaysDec 20 – Dec 25
- Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area school winter break (students off Dec 24 to Jan 3)Dec 24 – Jan 3
- Christmas–New Year peakDec 26 – Jan 1
- School holidaysJan 2 – Jan 3
- MLK weekendJan 16 – Jan 18
- Presidents' Day weekendFeb 13 – Feb 15
- Presidents' week school breakFeb 16 – Feb 19
- Scranton School District spring breakMar 25 – Mar 29
- Easter weekendMar 26 – Mar 29
Beating the crowds
- Tuesday to Thursday is quietest almost everywhere, and often cheaper.
- Buy lift tickets online up to 7 days ahead, or reach the ticket windows when they open at 8:00 a.m. Lifts start loading at 8:30 a.m., so arriving before then avoids the first rush.
- Midweek (Monday to Friday, non-holiday) tickets cost less and the mountain is quieter. Senior Tuesdays and College Wednesdays are $50 at the windows.
- Parking is free. The lower lot by lifts E and F is where most people park; the Elkwagen shuttle takes skiers up to the main lodge. The upper lot closest to the slopes requires a purchased pass sold at the main lodge.
- The Tioga green run from the summit is one of the few beginner trails that gets crowded on busy days, so beginners can try the lower beginner slope or the D lift area instead.
Ski Elk Mountain Ski Resort for less
Get every cost per person with sources, the cheapest place to stay, quiet dates and a day-by-day plan. Takes about a minute.
Plan a cheap trip herePlaces to stay nearby
The cheapest beds are usually a town or two down the road. Split a whole house with your group.
This is a forecast from patterns: weekdays, national holidays, school breaks, pass blackout dates and events. Resorts don't publish lift-line data, so treat it as a guide. Snow forecast from Open-Meteo.
Projected Opening Dates - OnTheSnow.com · onthesnow.comLift Tickets (prices updated October 2025) - Elk Mountain Ski Resort · elkskier.comDirections & parking - Elk Mountain Ski Resort · elkskier.comElk Mountain Ski Resort - PA, USA · boarderspeak.comHome - Elk Mountain · elkskier.comPennsylvania School Winter Break 2026-2027: Dates by District · pennsylvaniaschoolcalendar.com