Visiting the Poconos

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This most recent visit to the Poconos, we stayed at Split Rock Resort & Golf Club and visited Jack Frost Mountain ski area during the day. It was only a short ride, making spending the day outdoors easy (and coming back to our room was relaxing).

Winter is a great season to enjoy time at a resort- and to take advantage of the winter-weather sports like skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing while you are there. Split Rock Resort and Jack Frost Mountain are the perfect escape combination that you are looking for this season. Split Rock Resort is not just for winter, however. Every season is a good time to visit, with a different experience each and every time. Located in the western region of the Poconos, you will find the sense of adventure that you have been missing from everyday life.

Split Rock Resort has over 1,200 acres to explore, and is lots of fun for the entire family. The resort offers lots of on-site events and live entertainment, as well as a pool and several restaurants and eateries. You can check out local bands and award-winning festivals. There is something going on every single week, so while you are there you can soak in some music and festivities. There is also an arcade, movie theater, and bowling alley, all for additional fees.

The resort has all sorts of accommodations, so whether you want to stay in a suite, lodge room, villa, or cottage, you have that choice. Lake Harmony is the gorgeous view that you will get from the lodge rooms. If you are planning on a longer stay (or you have a larger family), you may want to look into the suites or the villas, which offer a fireplace, full kitchen and even a dining area. The bathrooms were amazing in our room- there were showers and a whirlpool tub, which we loved.  What a great way to relax after a day outdoors! It’s like a home away from home, and in some cases, better. The cottages are perfect for an intimate stay.

There is also the H2Oooohh! waterpark you and your family can visit, but that is a separate price from the rest of the resort. Ticket prices range from $16 for observer only (you can enter, but not ride or take part in anything) to $32 for adult and children over 12.   There are 53,326 square feet of water attractions, five exciting body, tube and raft slides, a wavepool, activity pool, water dumping bucket, and more.  There is also a surfing activity, where kids and adults can try to ride a wave standing up or body-boarding style on the Komodo Dragon – Pennsylvania’s First Indoor Flow Rider.  There are also hot tubs and a kiddie play area. This was the highlight of the trip for my son, and the place where we spent most of our time.

While you are staying at the Split Rock Resort, you should take the time to visit the Jack Frost Mountain ski area. It is just as iconic as the resort that was founded for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to get away as a retreat. In 1942, it was built along the shores of Lake Harmony and had an adjoining Hazzard ski slope. When the lodge was sold in 1947, the ski slope was renamed to be known as the Big Boulder Ski Area. This was the first commercial ski resort in Pennsylvania and was where snowmaking was first used successfully for commercial enjoyment.

Fun fact? John Guresh, an employee who was instrumental in building Big Boulder Ski Area, perfected the snowmaking machine.  In 1956, there was now a sprinkler type machine that released crystals that looked and acted like snow. Jack Frost was born in 1972 and is now a resort that is a companion to Big Boulder Ski Area. These two resorts are now a big part of the skiing community in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

My son had the best time snow tubing (his favorite winter activity).  After you choose your tube, you drag it a short way to a tow-rope lift.  The way it works (for anyone who has not tried this before) is that you sit inside the tube, and an employee snaps the rope onto a tow-rope that drags you up the hill at a not-too-brisk pace.  Once you get to the top, you hop out of the tube, take the rope, and wait for your turn to go down the hill.  This saves you from having to drag it  up the hill yourself over and over again, which we all know is exhausting.  (And if you have small kids, to drag them, their tubes, and your own tube up as well!)

At Jack Frost, the parking and tubing areas are at the top of the resort. You will find everything that you need in the Main Lodge, and the Tubing Park is right there as soon as you arrive. Parking is no problem, and it’s not far to walk to. There is also Big Boulder Park that operates mostly at night, but does have some daytime and weekend hours. They also have a tubing park. With a multitude of different runs to experience, there is never a dull moment.

Head over to http://www.splitrockresort.com/ to book your stay.  You and your family will have a great time!