Outdoor activities and ski resorts to visit on your next adventure, open now!
Belleayre Mountain
First up on the list is Belleayre Mountain, a popular site for snowboarders and downhill skiers and an ideal location for day-trippers from New York City. This Belleayre ski resort is 171 acres, boasting 50 unique trails, 5 glades, a terrain park and a progression park. It’s no secret why Belleayre is known as one of the best Catskills resorts. Although it’s one of the largest mountains in the Catskills, don’t be intimidated: Belleayre offers plenty of trails that vary across all skill levels, and the lower half of the mountain is dedicated to beginner and intermediate skiers so they have ample room to learn. Ski and snowboard down some of New York’s most challenging steeps, fun bumps and winding trails. Worried about getting lost on the trail? Trail maps are available for Belleayre Mountain’s many trails. In addition to great trails, you can hop on one of the park’s gondolas to catch panoramic views of the wintry Catskill Forest Preserve. Belleayre is also known for the variety of snowsports programs it offers, including private lessons, kids lessons, competition programs and more. Ski rentals and snowboard equipment and several dining options are also available on site.
Hunter Mountain Resort
Next up is Hunter Mountain, one of New York’s most popular ski resorts and lodging destinations frequented by skiers and snowboarders alike. The 240-acre park spans four different mountain faces and features 67 trails, 13 lifts, four freestyle terrain parks and plenty of nearby accommodations. Whether you consider yourself an experienced expert or a barely-there beginner, sign up the award-winning ski school’s individualized lessons or check out their day and season-long programs. Lift tickets are available but limited during holiday dates like, Dec. 25 – Jan. 2, Jan. 14 -17 and Feb. 18 – 27. Wondering what else there is to do at Hunter Mountain? The ski resort is home to plenty of fun things to do, including snow tubing. Only two and a half hours from NYC by car, Hunter Mountain makes for a great weekend getaway that will have your whole family wanting to come back every snowfall!
windham mountain
Just a few miles north of Hunter Mountain is the less crowded but equally favorited and family-friendly Windham Mountain, which spreads across two peaks and 285 skiable acres. New York weather during the winter season makes Windham the perfect snowy destination. Windham offers beginner-to-expert terrain perfect for alpine skiing and cruising, as well as six terrain parks where freestylers can practice tricks and tucks in a safe, secure setting. The park features 54 trails and 12 lifts, including a brand new, high-speed, detachable six-passenger chairlift, and has one of the largest varieties of on-mountain dining. Windham Mountain’s Snow Sports School offers a wide variety of programs and instruction options for children and adults to ensure that each student excels on the slopes. Additionally, snow tubing is another excellent activity at the ski resort.
bristol mountain
In the western Finger Lakes region of New York near Canandaigua Lake, is Bristol Mountain, located east of Buffalo and slightly south of Rochester. Bristol’s 1200′ vertical rise, the highest between the Adirondacks and the Rocky Mountains, makes for breathtaking views at the mountain’s summit and a variety of inclines for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. Although a bit smaller in comparison to our previous parks with only 138 acres of total skiable terrain, this mountain still offers riders 34 different slopes, two terrain parks, two Nordic loops, and two high-speed quad lifts. The state-of-the-art snowmaking system covers almost all of the terrain, and 96 percent of trails have lighting during the night operating season, so the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. This snowmaking machine also means you won’t have to rely on the Rochester weather. Other services include rental equipment, a full snowsports retail store, and an equipment tuning center. Bristol Mountain lodging is also available so that you can make the most of your stay.
gore mountain ski resort
Further north in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains is Gore Mountain, a sprawling, four-peak winter resort about an hour’s car ride from the Ticonderoga station on Amtrak’s Adirondack’s line. Compared to other mountain resorts, Gore is recognized and hailed for its safety protocols, leading sustainability initiates and unbeatable Adirondack views. The mountain’s terrain variety makes it an ideal location for glade skiing specifically, but downhill skiers and snowboarders visit to challenge themselves in the eight terrain parks, which range from laidback set-ups to competition courses. The mountain offers equipment rentals, affordable private lessons, a variety of unique lodging partners, and plenty of on-site cafes to choose from and warm up in. Although Gore Mountain has plenty of great lodging suggestions, be sure to check out VRBO and Airbnb. Whether you’re a season pass holder or a first-time, same-day ticket purchaser, enjoy twilight skiing and cross-country/snowshoe trail access under the lights at the historic North Creek Ski Bowl, where all four peaks connect. With 14 lifts and 110 trails, there’s always more to explore at Gore.
whiteface mountain
The host of two Winter Olympics and often called the best ski experience on the east coast, Whiteface Mountain is a special place and one you don’t want to skip this winter sporting season. This massive mountain boasts the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies, with 90 trails stretching over 25 miles and encompassing three snowy peaks. The 288 skiable acres feature four terrain parks, 12 lifts and one gondola, glade skiing areas, and mile after mile of groomed cruisers connected by renowned side country. Despite the mountain’s impressive size, 98% of the terrain has snowmaking coverage, making for ideal skiing and snowboarding conditions for experts and beginners alike. Winter weather in the Adirondacks always makes for the perfect snowy conditions. Challenge your endurance on the 2.1-mile long Wilmington Trail, the longest single intermediate trail in the Northeast, or take in the amazing panoramic views of the surrounding Adirondack Mountains from Whiteface’s peak, where on a clear winter day you can spot Lake Champlain to the east. When you’ve exhausted yourself on the slopes, explore the lakeside Olympic village and off-mountain attractions you can’t find anywhere else, such as bobsledding down an Olympic track or groomed Nordic skiing. You’ll also find more dining and hotel options in Lake Placid than in any southern Vermont hamlet! Check out your unique lodging options here.
holiday valley ski resort
There’s a reason Holiday Valley was ranked the sixth-best ski resort in the East by SKI Magazine—it’s simply one of the best! Located in the charming village of Ellicottville, just an hour south of Buffalo, Holiday Valley has become an annual vacation destination for countless families since its founding in 1957. Whether you’re visiting for a day-trip or a weekend getaway, this ski resort is undoubtedly fun. This 290-acre resort boasts 60 slopes and trails, 13 lifts, three base lodges, two hotels, an aerial park mountain coaster and numerous amenities. During the winter Holiday Valley also offers cafeterias in all 3 base lodges, a coffee bar upstairs in Tannenbaum lodge and the Waffle Hut at the base of Cindy’s lift. Explore the mountain’s several terrain parks that feature everything from half and quarter pipes to rails and table tops, or opt for a casual cross country skiing or snowshoeing session instead. Thanks to the 39 available night trails, the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down; it ends whenever you want it to (or when the cold gets to you)! Once you’ve tired yourself out on the slopes, ease your tired muscles and melt away your stress at the Ellicottville Oasis Spa, located in Holiday Valley’s Tamarack Club. We all deserve a nice hot stone massage for making it out of 2020 in one piece—call (716) 699-8996 to make a spa reservation today!
catamount mountain resort
Catamount Mountain Resort is a four-season resort straddling the NY/Massachusetts border in the Adirondacks, just 2 hours from NYC, and home to some of southern New England’s best steeps and beginner and intermediate terrain. Since undergoing its stunning transformation in the summer of 2018, Catamount has become one of the best mid-sized ski areas on the East Coast. The resort offers guests a new lift, new lodge, hundreds of new snow guns, four snow-making ponds, miles of pipe, countless other upgrades and the surrounding area’s best and most varied terrain. Plus, the resort’s growing variety of on-site rooms is all within walking distance of the base lodge, which means you can be the first one on the slopes and the last one off! New to skiing? The resort offers skiing lessons at their snow sports school to better prepare you for hitting the slopes. Family-oriented, close to Great Barrington, MA, and the Hudson Valley, Catamount Mountain Resort is an ideal location for all skier types and makes for an unforgettable vacation and is perfect for outdoor adventures.
pineridge cross country ski area
Address: 1463 Plank Road, Petersburg, NY 12138
Distance from Albany-Rensselaer Station (ALB): 18.7 miles (+ Enterprise Rental Car pick-up at the station)
For the outdoor-lovers interested in a more relaxed type of winter sporting, have no fear: New York State offers plenty of picturesque cross-country skiing and snowshoeing locations too, and Pineridge Ski Area is one of the best. Nestled in the foothills of the Taconic and Berkshire Mountains, the Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area offers visitors the chance to explore hundreds of acres of untouched wilderness. Wind through beautiful snow-blanketed forests of hardwoods and evergreens, ski along the picturesque Poestenkill Creek or hike up to an elevation of 1746 feet where you can spot New York’s Taconic Range and even Mount Greylock in far-off Massachusetts. Ski rentals are also available at the resort, which is convenient for those of us who don’t own our own pair. When you’ve had your fill of the fresh mountain air, cozy up in the lodge with a warm fire, hot refreshments and good company. Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area is only a short drive outside the Capital District and a worthwhile trip for expert and amateur cross country skiers alike across New York State.
mohonk mountain house
rocking horse ranch
This all-inclusive family resort in Highland, N.Y., is only 90 minutes from NYC and a 15-minute drive from Amtrak’s Poughkeepsie station, making it the ideal location for those city dwellers looking to get their little ones into the great outdoors this holiday season. Keeping true to its quirky name, the Rocking Horse Ranch specializes in horses and horse riding, but expect a range of other fun outdoor activities in the snow, too. This winter, race down the resort’s 500-foot long snow tubing lanes, take the new state-of-the-art Magic Carpet Conveyor Lift back up to the top, and then do it all over again, all day long at the Winter Fun Park! From trampolines, miniature golf, and Super Bungee Jumpers to trivia nights, game rooms and a rock wall, you’ll find there’s no shortage of activity and excitement at Rocking Horse Ranch, no matter the season. Plus, your winter stay offers access to the park’s real ice skating rink (rentals included), some small hills for skiing (instruction and equipment included), and horse-drawn sleigh rides through 500 acres of magical woods. Still not sold? Perhaps the unlimited supply of hot chocolate will!
tobogganing at chestnut ridge park
