Where to Go Skiing Near Youngstown, OH

Youngstown is less than 60 miles to Lake Erie, which is great for water sports during the summer. But because of its location, Youngstown is also a great place to base your skiing holiday from. There are many ski resorts dotted around Youngstown and the state of Ohio. The ski slopes have gone through decades of updates to better suit recreational and professional skiers. Snow can begin to fall in Youngstown as early as October, and in some years, the snow continues to fall until May.

Some of the most popular ski slopes in and around Youngstown are listed below.

Mount Pleasant of Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Image via Flickr by thisisbossi

An hour’s drive to the northeast of Youngstown is the ski resort of Mount Pleasant of Edinboro. This resort has every winter activity you could want for your family. Mount Pleasant offers lessons to teach you and your children the basics of skiing and snowboarding.

The resort also has ski lifts and tubes that bring you up to the top of the slopes. Families that want to have winter fun together can also try snow tubing. After a day of burning calories in the cold, everyone can eat, drink, and watch the sun go down at the Slopeside Grille.

Alpine Valley, Munson Township, Ohio

A short drive to the northwest of Youngstown brings you to Alpine Valley, Munson Township. They have chairlifts that bring you up to each of the many ski runs on this large resort. There is also a dedicated tubing park for families to enjoy the sport without getting into trouble with the skiers.

There are seven trails in total, with slopes matching various skill levels: from beginners to the advanced skier. The resort boasts a 264-foot vertical drop from the top to the main gathering area. Parking is easy to access and is right next to the main office and restaurant.

Boston Mills/Brandywine, Peninsula, Ohio

Another short drive to the west will take you to Boston Mills and Brandywine, two ski resorts for two different experiences. The resorts offer 88 acres of pure snow-filled joy. The resorts share the same high level of expertise, lifts, and ski slopes to suit a range of experience levels.

Families can visit the Brandywine resort, complete with a tubing park and surface lifts. The Magic Carpet lift takes beginners to the tops of slopes, so they can spend more time skiing. Both resorts offer warm restaurants and bars to unwind in after a fun day skiing, with vegetarian and gluten-free food.

Mad River Mountain, Bellefontaine, Ohio

Further afield and to the west is the ski resort of Mad River Mountain, at a 1460-foot elevation. A brand-new lodge gives skiers a great place to prepare and eat in. As a skier, you can enjoy 23 ski runs with vertical drops of 300 feet, or you can have fun with the family at the tubing park.

Snowfall levels are lower in this area, with an annual average of 36 inches. So, the Mad River Resort has 130 snow cannons to compensate, making it the largest snowmaking system in Ohio. With a bar, a restaurant, and a retail shop to get the latest in skiing gear from, Mad River Mountain has it all.

Snow Trails, Mansfield, Ohio

One of the oldest ski resorts in Ohio, set up in 1961, Snow Trails’ slopes have the highest elevation in the state. Snow Trails has an impressive range of slopes to suit all levels of ability, from beginner to advanced.

Though it takes a couple of hours on the motorway from Youngstown, this resort is worth the journey. There are plenty of ski lifts, 19 runs, five terrain parks, and snow tubing. The resort does not offer accommodation, but there are many places to stay nearby.

Big Creek Ski Area, Concord Township, Ohio

Big Creek is another short trip north from Youngstown, on the edge of Lake Erie. This resort gets an average annual snowfall of 102 inches on its four ski runs. Big Creek has two ski lifts that run parallel to one another to take skiers up to the top of the 175-foot drop.

Facilities at Big Creek are fewer than at some other slopes, but you do get the benefit of being close to the lake. Lake Erie is a beautiful area, and there are thousands of restaurants and hotels that you can go to along its shoreline.

Seven Springs, Champion, Pennsylvania

A hundred miles south of Youngstown is Seven Springs, one of the most all-around entertaining ski resorts in the area. The main lodge houses a variety of restaurants, stores, and nightclubs for those that still have energy in the evening and a spa for those that do not. Families can spend time together in the indoor pool, on the tube rides in the snow, or a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the wilderness.

Ski runs go as high as 750-foot vertical drops for the more advanced and to 150 feet or lower for those that are learning. Seven Springs also has 10 ski lifts and some of the best-kept slopes in Pennsylvania. You can get single tickets or season passes that will last the winter for all of the 33 runs.

Keep Road Conditions in Mind

Due to the elevation and the remoteness of some of these resorts, snow can fall faster than snowplows can cope with. Some areas may ask that you use 4×4, and in some cases, snow chains, depending on the time of year. Most resorts have a good amount of traffic on their roads and all are near to large towns and cities if you need help.

#1 Cochran loves to support and promote Ohio and its surrounding areas, which is why we have put this list of great ski resorts together. Our dealerships in Boardman and Youngstown have close to 1,000 vehicles in stock, Chevrolet, Buick, and many others. If you want to hear more about skiing, entertainment, and other helpful information on Ohio, email us. We can send you a reminder when the next article comes out.