Blue Knob
3.5
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All season resort offers winter skiing, snowboarding, a tubing park and cross-country; in summer, golfing, hiking and mountain biking are popular activities.
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- NotALostWanderer929 contributionsSki weekend in PAWe went skiing with a group over a holiday weekend in Feb. It's a very affordable area with nice trails and friendly lodge. There was a band playing in the afternoon and a brewery was offering tastings of their beers. Kids had a great time, despite the frigid temps! Good choice for a long ski weekend with the family!Visited February 2020Written 22 May 2020
- Scott HHershey, Pennsylvania30 contributionsBlue Knob ski good for PALoved Jack Rabbit trail. I got cocky after a few clean runs and tried Forever Glade trail which goes thru the woods. I quickly found my snowboarding limits. Ended up the slide of shame to exit the Glade without needing the ski patrol:) Only 1 lift open on the Wednesday we visited. Apparently, the mountain needs natural snow for good skiing due to limited sno making, but we lucked out it had snowed quite a bit recently. Stayed in condos. Yes, they are stuck in the 70's (maybe earlier?), but who cares. Fun trip.Visited February 2021Written 11 February 2021
- LauraRW21,640 contributionsThe Good, the Bad and the MismanagedOK, first the good. Blue Knob has a terrific vertical descent. Some of the runs are nice and long—nearly a mile. There are really no crowds to speak of—and I write this having visited over President’s Day weekend. We practically walked on to every lift. However. The list of bad is much longer. I have skied in quite a few eastern seaboard locales. Wisp, Whitetail, Roundtop, Snowshoe, Liberty, Timberline. Most of these have invested, recently, in their infrastructure. Blue Knob has the look and feel of a place that has not spent any money on itself since the early 80s. Example-the lift from the black runs was a painfully slow two man chairlift. Nearby was another two man chairlift that never ran the entire weekend. (A holiday weekend!) Upon enquiry it turns out that it is in need of a part, and will probably not run at all this season. The existing two man lift is therefore the only one to get you back up to the top from the black runs. And it takes almost 12-15 minutes. Longer if it stops. Which it does. A lot. Many of the runs were so icy as to be unpleasant. Extrovert—a black run that is highly publicized as being one of the most challenging runs on the eastern seaboard, was two solid blocks of ice. And I mean so much ice that they had that a yellowish tinge to them. On the third day we were there, rather than groom the run, Blue Knob closed it. It wasn’t the only run that was closed, or closed over the weekend, despite snow falling almost constantly on Sunday. And yes, they ran the snow machines all day that day as well. Snow machines were running full blast during the entire weekend, but as Blue Knob has the older snow machines, this was kind of like skiing at an airport, and having the noise of jet turbines in your ears. Annoyingly, one of the snow machines was pointed directly at the slow two man chair lift mentioned earlier, giving already chilled skiers that extra brutal blast of cold of snow right at the end of the ride. Safety is a worry. The first day we thought it incredible that another snow machine was positioned to hit the cable and chair of the non-operating chairlift. It caused both to develop so much ice, that it broke off while we were on the other lift, thumping to the ground, and narrowly missing a skier. This wasn’t a few icicles, but about 70-100 lbs. of ice—enough to hit the ground with a solid thump. When I reported it to a staff member, I saw the machine being “redirected” a few hours later, but it was still hitting the chair, and forming a 10 x 1 foot long jagged “tooth” of ice. And people were still skiing under it. On the two man chair lift I noticed that one chair had orange plastic tied to it, and that staff would not let you use it. Why? Because it is “kind of broken” and “falls off.” How comforting. Entrances to lifts were icy, but no attempt was made to cover them with snow. I hope you are not hungry when you come to Blue Knob. The cafeteria area probably seats a couple hundred people at best, with orange tables that look right out of the seventies, and worn brown carpet beneath. It is mostly taken up with people who have brought picnics from home. Woe unto you if you stand in line to get a slice of pizza, cocoa and chips (about the healthiest selection available), and then have…nowhere…to…sit. Signs. Someone went crazy making signs at the Lodge. There are signs for nearly everything. Whoever that person was, they disappeared when it was time to label the runs. Going down Jack Rabbit, you have a choice of turns towards the end. Left or right. I skied there three days and I still don’t know which run I was on if I went right. Mambo was the same. Upper Mambo was signed, so was lower Mambo, but then the signage ended, and a number of choices presented themselves. No idea which was Mambo and which wasn’t. Many, if not most of the blue and green runs are undersigned. Did I have a good time? I can’t say I didn’t—no lines and long runs will compensate for a whole host of other failings. But the failings here are all things that other nearby resorts have successfully addressed. It mystifies me why the resort hasn’t upgraded the lifts, had all the runs open, over a three day weekend.Visited February 2013Travelled with familyWritten 20 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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3.5
88 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
19
Average
21
Poor
11
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11
pjgator
Roanoke, VA180 contributions
Feb 2023
I'll start w/ the good: 1) They were having a sale in the ski shop, so I got a much-needed pair of ski pants for my son for a great price. 2) The cheese sticks in the cafeteria were great!
A much longer list is the bad: 1) Don't go snow tubing here if you are trying to raise young children in a Christian household. The guys working the tubing run carry around their own speakers for music, loudly blasting F-bombs in the lyrics. F-this and F-that repeatedly while you're waiting in line for 1-2 minutes to get hooked up to the horrible tow rope. 2) Three very short and dangerous tubing runs were open. We have tubed several other east-coast places and I've never, in ~6 years of tubing trips, seen a person accidentally cross over to another lane from his/her original lane. I saw that happen here 3 times in 45 minutes. Luckily, no one was injured. 3) The tow line stopped working ~4 times in 45 minutes, leaving you to either wait out the fix, or walk back up the entire slope. NOT. FUN. 4) You will get mixed instructions by the guys running the area. One will tell you to go ahead and ride back down the slope if you come unhooked from the tow line. When this happens (again, I saw this happen multiple times in 45 minutes), another guy will yell and tell you to roll off your tube and then he will verbally chastise you for not rolling off sooner. When you try to explain what the guy at the top told you as initial instructions, he will become agitated w/ you and tell you 'No, he didn't say that.' WELL. HE DID. The other 4 people in my group heard the same instructions. 5) Safety is just not their concern at all. Saw multiple incidences of people slamming into each other on the dismount from the tow rope. 6) Read Dodie M's 2021 review and LauraRW's review from 2013. Nothing has changed since those two assessments. I'm guessing there are financial mis-managements going on here or there would be some updates to the cafeteria and eating area since 1985.
Overall, you should spend the extra money and go tubing at Seven Springs. More runs, longer runs, safer runs, better transportation back to the top of the slope. You won't regret going to Seven Springs. I fully regret the time I spent here, except the 10 minutes in the ski shop buying my son's new bibs and the 5 minutes to eat some cheese sticks.
A much longer list is the bad: 1) Don't go snow tubing here if you are trying to raise young children in a Christian household. The guys working the tubing run carry around their own speakers for music, loudly blasting F-bombs in the lyrics. F-this and F-that repeatedly while you're waiting in line for 1-2 minutes to get hooked up to the horrible tow rope. 2) Three very short and dangerous tubing runs were open. We have tubed several other east-coast places and I've never, in ~6 years of tubing trips, seen a person accidentally cross over to another lane from his/her original lane. I saw that happen here 3 times in 45 minutes. Luckily, no one was injured. 3) The tow line stopped working ~4 times in 45 minutes, leaving you to either wait out the fix, or walk back up the entire slope. NOT. FUN. 4) You will get mixed instructions by the guys running the area. One will tell you to go ahead and ride back down the slope if you come unhooked from the tow line. When this happens (again, I saw this happen multiple times in 45 minutes), another guy will yell and tell you to roll off your tube and then he will verbally chastise you for not rolling off sooner. When you try to explain what the guy at the top told you as initial instructions, he will become agitated w/ you and tell you 'No, he didn't say that.' WELL. HE DID. The other 4 people in my group heard the same instructions. 5) Safety is just not their concern at all. Saw multiple incidences of people slamming into each other on the dismount from the tow rope. 6) Read Dodie M's 2021 review and LauraRW's review from 2013. Nothing has changed since those two assessments. I'm guessing there are financial mis-managements going on here or there would be some updates to the cafeteria and eating area since 1985.
Overall, you should spend the extra money and go tubing at Seven Springs. More runs, longer runs, safer runs, better transportation back to the top of the slope. You won't regret going to Seven Springs. I fully regret the time I spent here, except the 10 minutes in the ski shop buying my son's new bibs and the 5 minutes to eat some cheese sticks.
Written 27 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ava Benjamin
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Family
Couldn’t have asked for better! Blue knob ski resort never fails to entertain, provide , and please. If you haven’t been there , you’re missing out! The snow was was powdering , not to sticky nor icy. The staff members were VERY kind and helpful. It is a great resort for people of all ski levels. Wether you’re new to skiing or not , blue know provides.
There is a lodge at the top of the mountain as well. You have the opportunity to rent skis if needed. There is a very large sitting area if you need to rest , eat , etc.
Snow tubing is also a very popular and well liked experience at blue knob. They supply snow tubes for you to ride in. It is very enjoyable! I 100% recommend.
Blue knob is the highest skiable in PA. It will not ever disappoint. All ski resorts may have there ups and downs but blue knob always makes sure to do their best when it come to providing and safe and fun environment.
There is a lodge at the top of the mountain as well. You have the opportunity to rent skis if needed. There is a very large sitting area if you need to rest , eat , etc.
Snow tubing is also a very popular and well liked experience at blue knob. They supply snow tubes for you to ride in. It is very enjoyable! I 100% recommend.
Blue knob is the highest skiable in PA. It will not ever disappoint. All ski resorts may have there ups and downs but blue knob always makes sure to do their best when it come to providing and safe and fun environment.
Written 18 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophia F
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Friends
I am a long time skier at Blue Knob, even when not all the slopes are open it never fails to be a good experience. I have never had a better day of skiing than I have had here, I have made many unforgettable memories about this mountain. It has far more personality than other larger resorts, which makes the environment nourishing. This is the perfect mountain for those who want max time on the slopes. The are NO LIFT LINES!!! You get to spend your time skiing instead of waiting.
The chicken soup at the lodge is amazing! You can always find a seat. The club at the top has a great menu, we go almost every week.
The unique and vintage style of slopes was clearly made by an artist. The old signature slopes mambo and stembogan are unique and have not seen such interesting slope shapes at any other Eastern ski resort. I would 100% recommend!
The chicken soup at the lodge is amazing! You can always find a seat. The club at the top has a great menu, we go almost every week.
The unique and vintage style of slopes was clearly made by an artist. The old signature slopes mambo and stembogan are unique and have not seen such interesting slope shapes at any other Eastern ski resort. I would 100% recommend!
Written 18 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jay
Bellwood, PA1 contribution
Oct 2022 • Couples
I took my wife to the relax and recharge condo, for her birthday. It was a very cozy relaxing time with plenty of amenities. The hosts bent over backwards to accommodate our every need. Definitely 5 stars. It was also pet friendly which was a huge plus
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie H
2 contributions
Feb 2021
I had so much fun. this is 29839845 times better than ski round top. the trails are so gorgeous, the lift ride is spectacular with beautiful scenery. everything is great. The lodge/rental place where you first go in is very old-fashioned and definitely has not been upgraded in quite some time, but I actually like it. It shows the owners care about the important things like the ski/snowboarding experiences themselves. and the PRICES. extremely affordable and you get a LOT more than what you paid for. highly highly recommend.
Written 19 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda G
West Chester, PA18 contributions
Feb 2021
We are not snow people.That said,we took a family trip to blue knob. Grandkids,siblings,everyone. We had a ball watching grandkids and parents tubing . Some had skid the
We had a blast watching the grandkids and their parents tubing.the set up was efficient and the young lady directing the hordes was quick and understood how kids are. She was cheerful and helpful great day!!!!!!
We had a blast watching the grandkids and their parents tubing.the set up was efficient and the young lady directing the hordes was quick and understood how kids are. She was cheerful and helpful great day!!!!!!
Written 7 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pannipannini
Maryland1,273 contributions
Feb 2021 • Family
All who complain: try running an affordable ski resort for $34/day weekday lift ticket. You can’t have it both ways - affordable and all the service you’re used to at other resorts. Instead of complaining, try being grateful that there is a place where great skiing can be had for all of humanity. Not just for the upper 5-10% who can afford $80+ lift tickets on weekdays.
Skiing should be accessible by anyone who wants to try it, and Blue Knob still makes this possible and it is an awesome mountain.
If you want faster lifts, more lifts, sushi for lunch, micro-beers, ideal snow conditions 100% of the time, then go elsewhere. The minute some corporation purchases this place, annual passes will go up to $800+/person, and lift ticked unaffordable for the average person.
This place rocks. It is what it is - one of the few privately owned, affordable, family-friendly, old-style ski areas around. The steeps are fantastic, and people of all abilities can cruise with joy...
Skiing should be accessible by anyone who wants to try it, and Blue Knob still makes this possible and it is an awesome mountain.
If you want faster lifts, more lifts, sushi for lunch, micro-beers, ideal snow conditions 100% of the time, then go elsewhere. The minute some corporation purchases this place, annual passes will go up to $800+/person, and lift ticked unaffordable for the average person.
This place rocks. It is what it is - one of the few privately owned, affordable, family-friendly, old-style ski areas around. The steeps are fantastic, and people of all abilities can cruise with joy...
Written 19 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott H
Hershey, PA30 contributions
Feb 2021
Loved Jack Rabbit trail. I got cocky after a few clean runs and tried Forever Glade trail which goes thru the woods. I quickly found my snowboarding limits. Ended up the slide of shame to exit the Glade without needing the ski patrol:) Only 1 lift open on the Wednesday we visited. Apparently, the mountain needs natural snow for good skiing due to limited sno making, but we lucked out it had snowed quite a bit recently. Stayed in condos. Yes, they are stuck in the 70's (maybe earlier?), but who cares. Fun trip.
Written 11 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dodie M
Altoona, PA51 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
We decided to go snow tubing here because it's only a 30 minute drive for us. I tried to book online the day before but didn't see any spots available. I called but twice and got an answering machine. When I finally got through I was told the morning time slot was full but the afternoon was open. We booked for 12:30.
When we got there we had no idea where to go. The parking lot is a free for all and there's no signage directing you where to go. When we got to the main building there were signs directing you but some hallways were closed off (due to COVID?). We could see where the restrooms were but couldn't figure out how to get there because the hall was blocked off. We finally figured it out. We also couldn't figure out where the tubing hill was. There were no signs. Both staff members we asked were unhelpful and borderline rude. One said "out there" and the other offered "hard right".
The tubing itself was a lot of fun. There were five different lanes open and you could get some good speed going. However, our times slot had a TON of people. Once you got to the bottom it was a 10-15 minute wait to go back up. There were so many people the line stretche across the bottom of the chutes with a line going up the far chute which was closes. People on tubes kept slamming into the line of people waiting. You're going at a pretty good clip and don't have control. Some of the kids in the line were pretty little. It was an accident waiting to happen. At one point we counted 63 people in line at the bottom waiting.
When we got to the bottom of the hill after one of our runs two adults were screaming at each other and a young boy around 11 ot 12 was crying. Apparently the young boy slammed into one of the men's families by accident at the bottom of the chute. He picked the young boy up and slammed him into the ground. Then a 14 year old girl came down and slammed into them as well. The man pulled the girl's ski goggles off and screamed in her face. Both children were in different groups and not related to this man. Another man stepped in a started yelling at him to relax. At one point it looked like they were going to brawl and had people holding them back. Eventually they got on the conveyer belt that took you back up to the top. By the time we got to the top the young man's father had showed up ad was screaming at that man that slammed his son to the ground. It was pretty heated with a lot of swear words around children. We went down the hill again to get away from it.
The staff was alert to what was going on. However, the man that assaulted these children never left. We did two two more runs and he was still there until our time was up. I was disappointed that he had not been escorted off the property. I felt we were put in an unsafe position at the bottom to begin with due to the lines in front of the chutes. It seemed inevitable that something bad was going to happen.
My friend and her family went earlier I the day (the time I was told was sold out) and she said at most there were 30 people in her time group. We counted 75 in ours. It was way too many people to be safe.
This place isn't a "resort" it's a rundown shack with unsafe practices.
Next time we'll travel to Tussey Mountain or Seven Springs.
When we got there we had no idea where to go. The parking lot is a free for all and there's no signage directing you where to go. When we got to the main building there were signs directing you but some hallways were closed off (due to COVID?). We could see where the restrooms were but couldn't figure out how to get there because the hall was blocked off. We finally figured it out. We also couldn't figure out where the tubing hill was. There were no signs. Both staff members we asked were unhelpful and borderline rude. One said "out there" and the other offered "hard right".
The tubing itself was a lot of fun. There were five different lanes open and you could get some good speed going. However, our times slot had a TON of people. Once you got to the bottom it was a 10-15 minute wait to go back up. There were so many people the line stretche across the bottom of the chutes with a line going up the far chute which was closes. People on tubes kept slamming into the line of people waiting. You're going at a pretty good clip and don't have control. Some of the kids in the line were pretty little. It was an accident waiting to happen. At one point we counted 63 people in line at the bottom waiting.
When we got to the bottom of the hill after one of our runs two adults were screaming at each other and a young boy around 11 ot 12 was crying. Apparently the young boy slammed into one of the men's families by accident at the bottom of the chute. He picked the young boy up and slammed him into the ground. Then a 14 year old girl came down and slammed into them as well. The man pulled the girl's ski goggles off and screamed in her face. Both children were in different groups and not related to this man. Another man stepped in a started yelling at him to relax. At one point it looked like they were going to brawl and had people holding them back. Eventually they got on the conveyer belt that took you back up to the top. By the time we got to the top the young man's father had showed up ad was screaming at that man that slammed his son to the ground. It was pretty heated with a lot of swear words around children. We went down the hill again to get away from it.
The staff was alert to what was going on. However, the man that assaulted these children never left. We did two two more runs and he was still there until our time was up. I was disappointed that he had not been escorted off the property. I felt we were put in an unsafe position at the bottom to begin with due to the lines in front of the chutes. It seemed inevitable that something bad was going to happen.
My friend and her family went earlier I the day (the time I was told was sold out) and she said at most there were 30 people in her time group. We counted 75 in ours. It was way too many people to be safe.
This place isn't a "resort" it's a rundown shack with unsafe practices.
Next time we'll travel to Tussey Mountain or Seven Springs.
Written 7 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alainea M
State College, PA2 contributions
Feb 2021 • Friends
I tried to contact them about their menu for their valentines day dinner. I then tried to contact them about our snow tubing tickets. If you email call or use their social media site don’t expect anyone to write you back. I would’ve came but I’m not driving out there the whole entire way to ask you the question the day of in person. So I did leave him a message and I just politely gave them feedback that the communication is lacking on their business.
Written 7 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rgreenem
Ellsworth, ME8 contributions
How far from I 40 are you? Time and distance.
KW353
Blue Grass, VA49 contributions
Not sure where on I-40 you intend to start. From Washington, PA to Pavia (the little town at the base of the park), the travel time is 2 hours, 18 mins and the distance is about 130 miles. The suggested route is the PA Turnpike . . . probably the fastest way. I myself prefer I-30, then PA 96 north from Schellsburg. You'll begin to see brown signs for Blue Knob once you're 10-15 miles away. Hope you'll make the trip!
Planning on taking my kids tubing here, is there a conveyer belt to pull u back up the hill and how many lanes are there?
DKMommy
Elkton, MD286 contributions
No they don't. I would not recommend this slope for kids. They do not mark closed slopes well. The ski bindings are too tight and do not come off when you fall. My daughter was injured while exiting a ski lift with her instructor.
jansterPittsburghPa
Ormond Beach, FL35 contributions
We're looking for somewhere to go over either Valentines or the week after....my birthday. Blue Knob is not giving very much information. Like what else is there besides skiing as neither of us take to the slopes. Just want to go to the mountains and see some snow, snowmobiling, cross country, and like any good Canadian, drink....Live in Pittsburgh. Any thoughts let me know
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Claim your listingBLUE KNOB: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Knob
- Hotels near Blue Knob:
- (15.84 km) Comfort Inn Duncansville - Altoona
- (2.80 km) Blue Knob Escape at Blue Knob All Seasons Resort
- (3.59 km) Ski-In Ski-Out Blue Knob Family Home w/ Mtn Views
- (3.94 km) Mountain House / Ski Chalet - Sleeps Up To 14
- (9.06 km) Sunhearth Trails Bed & Breakfast
- Restaurants near Blue Knob:
- (15.73 km) Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Co.
- (2.82 km) Blue Knob Clubhouse Bar and Grill
- (5.86 km) Claysburg Pizza Shop
- (12.53 km) The Meadows
- (5.98 km) C-K Big Dipper
- Attractions near Blue Knob:
- (6.15 km) Glenn's Place
- (7.49 km) Blue Knob State Park
- (8.25 km) King Valley Golf Club
- (13.89 km) Antique Depot
- (10.95 km) Charlotte's Trove







































