- An adult 8-hour weekend ticket at Elk is $98. The 2-day Saturday-Sunday ticket is $182, and night skiing (4:30 to 9pm) is $44.
- Night skiing runs Thursday through Saturday on scheduled nights. The rest of the week, lifts close at 4:30pm.
- Prices are the same online and at the window. Online tickets go on sale up to 7 days out, and they're non-refundable.
- Elk is about 30 minutes from Shehawken Lake Cabin, which sleeps 6 and has a fireplace waiting after the last chair.
Most of the questions I get in winter are some version of the same thing: how much are tickets, when is night skiing, and is Elk worth the drive. Here’s the whole answer in one place, pulled from Elk’s own ticket page, plus how to plan a weekend around it.
One note up front. Elk posted its current ticket prices in October 2025 and hasn’t published new ones for 2026-27 yet. Treat the numbers below as very close, check elkskier.com the week you go, and you won’t be surprised.
The mountain, by the numbers.
From a 2,667-foot summit, the highest lift-served skiing in eastern Pennsylvania.
6 green, 10 blue, 11 black across 180 acres. The longest run is 1.75 miles.
Five doubles and a quad, plus 100% snowmaking coverage and two terrain parks.
That black-diamond count is the thing most people miss. Eleven of 27 trails are blacks, so there’s plenty for strong skiers, and Elk was named Best Overall Mountain in the Mid-Atlantic region. There’s no tubing, so if part of your group was planning on that, this isn’t the mountain.
Lift ticket prices.
These are Elk’s posted adult (18-64) rates. Weekend pricing also applies on holidays.
8:30am-9pm
4:30-9pm
Kids, teens, and seniors.
- Junior (12-17) and senior (65-74): $85 for an 8-hour weekend ticket, $157 for the Saturday-Sunday 2-day.
- Child (6-11) and super senior (75+): $73 for an 8-hour weekend ticket, $135 for the Saturday-Sunday 2-day.
- Kids 5 and under ski free with an adult who buys a ticket. Their tickets are window-only.
- Night tickets are $44 for juniors and seniors and $38 for kids.
The little rules that save money.
- Online and window prices are the same, so buying online is about skipping the line, not a discount. You can buy up to 7 days ahead, but online tickets can’t be refunded or moved to another date. If the forecast looks shaky, wait.
- Elk uses a reloadable RFID card. The first one costs $5. Hang on to it and reload it online next time.
- The 2-day ticket beats two singles. Saturday plus Sunday at $182 is $14 less than two 8-hour weekend tickets.
- Window-only deals: $10 off with a military ID, $50 tickets for seniors on Tuesdays, and $50 for college students with ID on Wednesdays.
Night skiing: the best deal on the mountain.
Elk has been running night skiing since 1966. On scheduled nights, Thursday through Saturday, the lifts keep running from 4:30 to 9pm. The rest of the week, the mountain closes at 4:30. Elk posts the night schedule on its home page, so check before you plan around it.
At $44, a night ticket is less than half the price of a weekend day ticket. Here’s the move: get to the cabin Thursday or Friday afternoon, drive the 30 minutes to Elk around 4, and ski under the lights before the weekend crowd shows up. If you want the whole day, the extended ticket covers 8:30am to 9pm for $104 on a Saturday.
The drive back from Elk to the lake is two-lane country road with no streetlights. On a clear night it’s easy. If it’s actively snowing, take it slow, and consider calling it at 8 instead of 9.
Hours.
- 8:00am: ticket windows, rentals, ski school, and the cafeteria open.
- 8:30am: lifts start loading.
- 4:30pm: closing Sunday through Wednesday.
- 9:00pm: closing Thursday through Saturday on night-skiing nights.
Lunch options at the mountain are the cafeteria and the Winter Garden Restaurant, which Elk recently renovated, with slopeside tables and a bar.
First-timers and lessons.
If someone in your group has never skied, Elk’s learn-to-ski or learn-to-board package is $130. It includes a full-day beginner lift ticket, a 90-minute first-timer group lesson, and rentals. It’s for ages 8 and up and sold only at the ski school desk. Group lessons start at 10am and 1pm, plus 5:45pm on night-skiing nights. The ski school has 75-plus PSIA-trained instructors.
Beginner-only lift tickets are $42 on weekends ($37 midweek) and cover the beginner “A” lift only. They’re window-only, which is fine, since you’ll be at the rental shop anyway.
When to go.
- Avoid the holiday weeks if you can. Holiday pricing runs Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, plus MLK Day and Presidents’ Day, and those are the busiest days on the hill.
- January and February are the most reliable snow. Elk averages about 5 feet of natural snow a year and makes snow on every trail, so a thin natural year still skis.
- Thursday and Friday are the sweet spot: cheaper tickets, night skiing, and shorter lines. A Thursday-to-Saturday trip beats the classic weekend on almost every count.
Is it worth a season pass?
If you’re skiing Elk more than 10 times, look at the passes. An adult season pass is $1,050 until December 1 and $1,130 after (the $960 early price ended October 20). The Big and Friendly Pass is cheaper: $750 for eleven 8-hour visits on any day, or fourteen midweek visits, until December 1. Applications go in by mail or in person, not email. For one or two weekends a year, day tickets win.
Where the weekend actually ends.
Lodging right at the mountain is limited, so most skiers drive in from somewhere. The cabin on Shehawken Lake is about 30 minutes from the base lodge. It has three bedrooms for six people, a full kitchen, a stone fireplace in the great room, and a driveway that gets plowed. Brian, who came up in January 2025 with his sons, put it simply: “Had a great couple of days skiing with my sons.” If you’re weighing where to stay, I broke down the options in where to stay for an Elk Mountain ski trip, and the Elk Mountain weekend from NYC post walks through the drive up and the trails worth hitting.
Frequently asked questions.
How much is a lift ticket at Elk Mountain?
At Elk’s currently posted rates, an adult 8-hour ticket is $98 on weekends and holidays and $81 to $86 midweek. A 4-hour weekend ticket is $85, and a Saturday-Sunday 2-day ticket is $182. Check elkskier.com for 2026-27 updates before you go.
Does Elk Mountain have night skiing?
Yes. On scheduled nights, Thursday through Saturday, Elk runs lifts from 4:30pm to 9pm. A night ticket is $44 for adults and juniors or seniors, and $38 for kids. Sunday through Wednesday the mountain closes at 4:30pm.
Is it cheaper to buy Elk Mountain tickets online?
No. Online and window prices are the same. Buying online lets you skip the line and can be done up to 7 days ahead, but online tickets are non-refundable and can’t be moved to another date.
How big is Elk Mountain?
Elk has a 925-foot vertical drop from a 2,667-foot summit, 27 trails (6 green, 10 blue, 11 black) on 180 acres, six chairlifts, 100% snowmaking, and a longest run of 1.75 miles.
Where should I stay for a ski weekend at Elk Mountain?
Lodging at the mountain is limited. Most groups stay in a nearby rental or a hotel in the Scranton area. Shehawken Lake Cabin is about 30 minutes from the lifts and sleeps 6 across 3 bedrooms.
