Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County is home to many
of Philadelphia’s oldest and largest suburban communities.
Many residents of the Philadelphia
area would be surprised to discover that it is also the
site of a flourishing ski resort, Spring Mountain Ski
Area. Located less than an hour (in good traffic) from
the City of Brotherly Love, Spring Mountain Ski Area is
open until 10 pm (9:30 pm on Sundays), so it’s easy
for anyone in the Philadelphia area to enjoy a day or
a night of Spring Mountain skiing without a long drive.
Spring Mountain Ski Area is one of the lowest ski resorts in the United States. Its base sits at just 108 feet above sea level. Spring Mountain Ski PA is a real mountain though: it rises to 528 feet for a vertical drop of 420 feet.
Evening lift tickets (4 pm to 10 pm) at Spring Mountain Ski Area are only about $20. A night of Spring Mountain skiing or snowboarding is a perfect session. The nights are often uncrowded too; Spring Mountain Ski PA gets much of its business from afternoon school groups. There are only nine designated runs serviced by five lifts, so there is not really enough terrain for a long day on the slopes. Nevertheless, the 15 skiable acres at Spring Mountain Ski PA are more than enough to introduce kids or first-time adults to winter sports, and there are one or two runs that should challenge a more experienced skier or snowboarder.
The most challenging run for Spring Mountain skiing is Glacier, served by the Stonehill double lift. Glacier run, accessible off Stonehill or Rocktop lifts, is also steep in places. Neither run is unmanageable for the average skier. The best blue run at Spring Mountain Ski Area is Drifter, served by the Rocktop lift. Intermediates will also like wide-open Alpine run beneath
Black Granite double chair. Novices will find this wide enough to practice traverses. If you do not feel comfortable with the steeper top of Alpine, take the triple lift halfway up the mountain and ski the easy lower half.
Spring Mountain Ski Area has a great small introductory area, Mole Hill. Perfect for young learners, this area is serviced by a magic carpet. On weekends, parents and children can get discount tickets good only for this area. Young kids (over 42 inches) will also enjoy the small snowtubing area at Spring Mountain.
Spring Mountain Ski Area is not the kind of ski resort where you would want to spend a weekend. It is an easy drive from Philadelphia and its north and west suburbs, up route 422 from King of Prussia. If you are a visitor to the area, check into a Philadelphia hotel and enjoy in the best in urban nightlife and an ideal learning ski area on the same trip.
