When the forecast calls for clear blue skies and fresh powder, add a New York mountain to make it a perfect day. Whether you want to ski for an afternoon, a weekend or longer, New York has all the right ingredients for your winter getaway. And you won’t have to go far to get there. More than 100 downhill and cross-country ski centers are located across the state, often within a few hours’ drive from major cities.
Our mountains offer abundant snow, high-speed quads and gondolas, cutting-edge terrain parks for riders, and pristine cross-country trails. You’ll find family-friendly slopes, ski schools, intermediate trails, black diamonds--whatever you’re looking for. Accommodations range from rustic cabins to cozy inns and all-inclusive resorts and spas. With something for everyone, it’s no surprise that New York ranks in the Top Four for National Skier Visits.
Winter fun has been perfected for over 100 years in the Adirondacks. Known for its astonishing vertical drop and variety, Gore ranks among the top mountains in the East. It also has a new Learning Center for all ages. You can ski down Olympic courses at Whiteface Mountain, with the East’s greatest vertical drop. Lake Placid hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, and still attracts some of the world’s best athletes to winter sports competitions. In 2009, Snow Magazine East listed Whiteface as one of the Top 10 Most Scenic Resorts in the East, and Lake Placid as one of the Top 10 Favorite Destination Villages.
Some of your many options in the Finger Lakes include Greek Peak, with a fantastic new resort and indoor waterpark, and Bristol Mountain, where new cross-country trails to the summit are lit with nightlights. First-class resorts and a wide variety of terrain are hallmarks of Western New York. In Ellicottville, called the Aspen of the East, Holiday Valley was recently chosen a Top 10 ski area by Ski magazine, and the Inn at Holiday Valley was rated a top hotel by Snow Country. Peek’n Peak, a resort known for its old-world charm, has trails and terrain parks for all levels.
Just north of New York City, Hunter Mountain, a premier Catskills resort with a slopeside hotel and varied terrain, is called the Snowmaking Capital of the World. Nearby, Windham has one of the region’s highest vertical drops, and Belleayre was voted the Best Place to Learn to Ski in the East by Ski magazine.
And if you can't get enough of the slopes, don't worry. There's plenty of time to enjoy the powder at the many ski areas of the State, with ski season lasting through the late winter and into the spring.