The first time I saw a seven-piece mariachi band enter my subway car, I thought I had seen just about everything. That was until I saw a shockingly unusual sight: four skiers, bundled in their snow pants and Spyder jackets, and one snowboarder who clearly was trying to rebel against his preppy parents. How ridiculous, I thought, skiers in Manhattan?
True Roosevelt Island has a gondola, but that’s as close as this city will ever get to being a ski resort. It turns out there are over 40 places to ski in the tri-state area and 10 of them are accessible via public transportation just 2-3 hours from NYC. Few things can be more difficult for the skier stuck in New York than figuring out a ride to the mountains, so I have taken the stress out and assembled a list below. And if it ever snows, I hope we all find fresh powder this season.
10. Hunter Mountain
Just three hours from New York up in the Catskills Hunter Mountain. With 58 trails and 1,600 ft vertical drop, and terrain park, it’s a great place and fairly affordable for a quick weekend ski that doesn’t require the trek to further upstate. Lift tickets are on the cheaper side than most major resorts in Vermont, starting at $75.
While all the mountains on this list are of course accessible by car, but if you’re looking to make it up using public transportation, the NYC Snow Bus has an almost daily route to Hunter Mountain and is the easiest way to get up there (it also includes combination deals with lift tickets, rentals, and lessons for all mountains the service goes to!), along with these other charter bus options. Adirondack Trailways from the Port Authority Bus Terminal is also another option.