Parents argue online about how anyone affords a ski weekend. We priced one instead, with listed prices for one real weekend: a family of four from Philadelphia, two nights and two ski days, at two Colorado mountains and one Poconos hill you can drive to.
How we priced it
- Family: 2 adults and 2 kids, ages 8 and 11. Both kids pay child prices at Copper Mountain and Winter Park (ages 5 to 12). At Camelback everyone 6 and up pays the same.
- Dates: Fri Jan 29 to Sun Jan 31, 2027. Two nights, skiing Saturday Jan 30 and Sunday Jan 31. Not a holiday weekend.
- Lift tickets: each mountain's own online store on Nov 10, 2026. Copper and Winter Park sell a 2-day ticket that is cheaper than two single days. At Camelback we used the Triple Ticket, a fixed price for any 3 days with no blackout dates; the third day is a bonus.
- Lodging: a mid-priced 2-bedroom rental listed on Google Travel for those 2 nights, total with taxes and fees. For Camelback we also show Camelback Lodge, where stays include the indoor waterpark.
- Flights: Philadelphia to Denver, the lowest nonstop round-trip fare Google Flights showed for one adult on Nov 10, 2026, times four. Taxes and fees included, bags not. Kids' fares can differ.
- Not included: food, rentals, lessons, a rental car or shuttle in Colorado, gas and tolls to the Poconos, checked bags and insurance.
| Cost | Copper Mountain, CO | Winter Park, CO | Camelback, PA (rental) | Camelback, PA (Camelback Lodge) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift tickets, 2 days, family of 4 | 2-of-3-day ticket: adult $385, child $264. Total $1,298, plus $20 for four new Copper Cards ($5 each) = $1,318 | 2-out-of-3-day ticket: adult $329, child $200. Total $1,058 | Triple Ticket $149 x 4 = $596 | Triple Ticket $149 x 4 = $596 |
| Lodging, 2 nights | East Village 2-bedroom condo near the Super Bee lift, sleeps 4: $1,127 | Pool and hot tub condo, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6: $644 | Poconos Mtn Getaway, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6, about 4 miles from Camelback: $440 | Camelback Lodge, lowest rate shown: $1,231 |
| At the mountain | $2,445 | $1,702 | $1,036 | $1,827 |
| Flights, Philadelphia to Denver, 4 seats | United nonstop $430 x 4 = $1,720 | $1,720 | Drive, about 2 hours | Drive, about 2 hours |
| Total from Philadelphia | $4,165 | $3,422 | $1,036 | $1,827 |
2-bedroom rentals we saw for these nights: Copper $907 to $1,127, Winter Park $375 to $736, near Camelback $440 to $627. At Copper we skipped two cheaper 2-bedroom listings rated 1.2 and 2.2 out of 5. Copper says its online prices include tax; Winter Park's page does not say, so taxes may be added at checkout. Camelback adds taxes and fees to Triple Tickets. The Camelback Lodge rate is the lowest Google showed for the dates; confirm the price for four guests.
What the numbers say
- Flights are the biggest single line. Four seats from Philadelphia were $1,720, about 41 percent of the Copper weekend and about half of the Winter Park weekend. Google Flights flagged Philadelphia to Denver prices as high for these dates. The cheapest fare was $362 with a stop and carry-on fees.
- The Poconos weekend was about a quarter of the Copper weekend and about 30 percent of Winter Park, even before gas. Staying at Camelback Lodge instead of a rental still kept it under $2,000.
- Buy lift tickets ahead. On Saturday Jan 30, a 1-day adult ticket online was $209 at Copper and $168 at Winter Park, and both stores showed a higher regular price next to it ($269 and $262). Camelback's walk-up weekend price is $120 per person, which would be $960 for this family's two days instead of $596 with Triple Tickets.
- Multi-day beats single days. At Copper, the 2-day ticket saved $33 per adult and $14 per child versus two 1-day tickets.
- Kids' ages matter. Camelback has no child price from age 6 up, but kids 5 and under ski free. Copper and Winter Park both charge child prices from 5 to 12.
- Winter Park's store lists a free ticket option for kids 12 and under for Jan 18 to 24, 2027. If your dates can move, check it.
- If you hold an Ikon Pass, all three mountains are on it. Check your days and blackout dates at ikonpass.com before you buy tickets.
Our read: a Colorado ski weekend from Pennsylvania is a flights problem first. If you want to know what skiing costs your family before you book a week out West, a drive-to weekend at Camelback is the cheap test. For your own family, days and lesson plan, run the trip cost tool.
Related: Saving money on a family ski trip; Camelback vs Blue Mountain.
Sources
Sources, checked Nov 10, 2026: Copper Mountain lift ticket store and ticket terms; Winter Park day lift ticket store; Camelback Triple Tickets and lift ticket pages; Google Travel vacation rental and hotel listings for Jan 29 to 31, 2027; Google Flights, Philadelphia to Denver, Jan 29 to 31, 2027.
Last updated: 2026-11-10