There are two ski areas in the Jack Frost area, Jack Frost Mountain itself and Big Boulder, about five miles away. The surrounding area is sparsely populated, with no towns of any significant population for about a thirty-minute radius. Nearby Blakeslee has one traffic light, three banks, and one grocery store, so don't expect any big clubs or giant hotels.

The attraction of the area isn't glitzy facilities or exciting nightlife, but a respite from the big city tensions of Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. Many residents are professionals from neighboring cities who own second vacation homes.

Winter Activities

Most of the skiing in the area is geared toward beginners, and the vertical drop isn't very impressive at either Jack Frost or Big Boulder. Ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, sleigh riding, and snowmobiling are popular and available nearby.

Summer Activities

The area is popular in the summer as a quiet retreat from neighboring metropolitan areas, though most of the activity is not centered at the ski resorts, other than a few music festivals. Hiking, fishing, sailboating, and mountain biking are popular summer activities.

Apr�s-ski

The surrounding towns are quite slow and have a limited nightlife. Lake Harmony, between Jack Frost and Big Boulder, offers the best bars for young people. Shenanigans is the most popular spot for the under-thirty crowd.

Housing

Housing is fairly limited. Many employees of the two ski areas are college-age and live in their parents' or relatives' vacation homes. Housing is spread over a wide area in many small towns.

Transportation

Jack Frost is twenty-five miles from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. USAir and Eastern fly into Wilkes-Barre Airport on a regular basis. From the airport, travel south on the N.E. Extension Pennsylvania Turnpike to Route 940 East; Jack Frost Mountain is eight miles from the Turnpike.

Jack Frost Ski Area Employment

Finding a good job can be a real problem. Few people relocate to the area with the intention of working in the ski industry, and neighboring towns are so small that few opportunities for work exist. The biggest winter employers are Jack Frost and Big Mountain ski areas.

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