Coolmoor is the gentle run near the base of Camelback where most of the resort's ski and snowboard lessons happen. This winter it gets something it has never had. Alpine Outpost is a new food-and-beverage stop on the teaching trail itself, so parents and guests can get something to eat or drink while watching the lessons.
That's the change at the bottom of the hill. The bigger news is at the top. In September, Camelback announced three new trails for the 2026-27 season, its first terrain expansion in 30 years. Put the announcements side by side and a pattern shows up. The new terrain mostly serves skiers who already ride the black runs. The new comforts mostly serve families on the teaching hill. And the cheapest way to use both is a pass built around weekdays and late afternoons.
Two of the three new trails are for experts
According to SnowBrains' report on the expansion, the trails fill gaps in parts of the mountain that existing runs don't reach.
| Rating | Where it sits | What it connects | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double-black diamond | Top of the Stevenson Lift, directly beneath it | Into Pharaoh's | Short, narrow, intense drop |
| Blue square | Off skier's left of Upper Cleopatra | Into Big Pocono | The resort's narrowest intermediate trail, with twists, turns and a ski-up hot chocolate bar |
| Black diamond | Beneath Black Bear 6 | Basilisk to John Bailey | Rollers, natural and ungroomed on most days |
Two of the three are rated black or harder. Camelback described the double-black as built to challenge expert skiers "in a way they haven't experienced at Camelback before." For the black under Black Bear 6, the resort said it would give "our more advanced skiers a completely new experience." Unofficial Networks wrote that the steep, narrow double-black "will make for great skiing on powder days," and that the black will keep its natural features.
The blue is the one most skiers will try. Upper Cleopatra into Big Pocono is already familiar ground, and the new route adds a warm-up stop on the way down. SnowBrains reported a new hot chocolate bar off the trail coming from Upper Cleopatra.
The 45-trail count includes some trails you already ski
Camelback says the expansion brings it to 45 trails, the most of any ski resort in the Poconos. The trail map on the resort's website still describes a 39-trail mountain. Three new trails don't get you from 39 to 45. Unofficial Networks explains the difference: the new total also counts the naming of "a few existing connector runs."
So part of the jump is new terrain, and part is bookkeeping on runs skiers have been using for years without names. That helps on a mountain where meeting spots matter. A connector with a name on the map is easier to find than one described as "the cut-through by the lift."
The new trails don't have names yet either. As of mid-September, Camelback was asking the public for name suggestions. Until the updated map comes out, the double-black is the one under Stevenson, the blue is the one with the hot chocolate, and the black is the ungroomed run under Black Bear 6.
The teaching-hill upgrades are for the people waiting at the bottom
Alpine Outpost takes the same idea and applies it to families. Most Camelback lessons happen on Coolmoor, and the new stop is right there. A parent who used to walk back toward the lodge during a kid's lesson now has a place to eat or drink beside the run.
Lift work also affects how the expanded terrain feels on a busy day. Camelback says the Bailey Lift will be running on opening day with a new gearbox, adding lift capacity through the season. All of the resort's lifts have been repainted evergreen.
Lift capacity matters more after last winter. Jason Bays started as Camelback's vice president and general manager last season. Under him, the resort saw a 126 percent increase in visits during Christmas week 2025 compared with the same week in 2024, according to data from the ski-tracking app Slopes. SnowBrains reported that this made Camelback the fastest-growing ski resort in the country for that holiday stretch. Bays is a Poconos native. He told the resort that his first jobs as a teenager were at Camelback, as a lifeguard and a ski instructor, and that he went through its after-school ski program as a kid.
The cheapest way onto the new terrain runs on weekday hours
Peak holiday weeks are getting busier, and the resort's lower-priced products steer skiers toward quieter hours. The 2026-27 Value pass covers Monday through Friday all day and weekends from 3 p.m. to close, with no blackout dates. When the 2026-27 passes launched on February 18, 2026, the Value pass was $239. Camelback's online checkout listed it at $269 when we checked in early October 2026. A Children's Value Pass for ages 6 to 9 can be added for $79.
The full lineup, as of October 2026:
- Value: weekdays all day, weekends from 3 p.m., no blackout dates, $269 at checkout in early October
- Peak to Peak: access to both Camelback and Blue Mountain, $959 at checkout in early October, up from $899 at the February launch
- Senior: $109 at checkout in early October, up from $99 at the February launch
- Unlimited and Triple Ticket: also part of the 2026-27 lineup; check current pricing on the season pass page
For skiers without a pass, Camelback sells a twilight lift ticket for $39, good from 3 p.m. to close. The twilight page doesn't list a clock time for close, so check the resort's posted hours before planning a late session.
Parking also changed last season. Unofficial Networks listed the end of paid parking among the changes that went over well during Bays' first winter. General parking at Camelback is free. Premium Lot D2 runs $20 per vehicle Monday through Friday and $25 on weekends and holidays. Season passholders get free general parking every day of the season, plus access to Lot D2 for passholder parking.
Some passholder perks also work best on weekdays. Unlimited, Value and Peak to Peak holders each get one ticket apiece for the Mountain Coaster, Sunbowl Tubing and the 1000-foot Zipline, good Monday through Friday with holidays excluded. All season passholders who show their pass get 25 percent off the retail price of a Camelback day lift ticket for a guest.
October 19 is the date that's set. Opening day isn't.
Camelback's homepage says season pass prices go up October 19, eleven days from today. The resort hasn't said how much they'll rise. Prices have already moved since February, so the figures above apply until that date.
Camelback hasn't announced an opening date for 2026-27. A September 14 report said the date was still undetermined and that the resort planned to open as soon as possible. For reference, last season opened December 3, making Camelback the first ski resort in Pennsylvania to open for the winter. It ran until a Cinco de Mayo party on May 5, a 138-day season that was the longest in the mountain's history. That's a record to measure against, not a forecast. Opening day depends on the weather and on snowmaking.
Until then, the fall program is still running. Camelback's "The Curse" event runs through November 8.
When a new trail opens a few minutes from home, you'll want the best value on the days you can actually get there. If you're weighing whether being near Camelback should play a part in your next Pocono move, Kacey Conaty can talk through what life near the mountain looks like in winter and in summer. Contact Kacey to Start Your Pocono Search.
