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.
9. Gore Mountain
Located in North Creek, New York, Gore Mountain is one of the larger mountains on this list offering up 103 trails and a 2,537 ft. vertical drop. NYC Snow Bus is again one of the best options since it one package includes bus, lift ticket, and rentals for only $174. Otherwise, lift tickets start at $78 for a 1-day pass during the weekday.
Gore, while also accessible by Adirondack Trailways, you can skip the bus ride and take Amtrak up up to Saratoga Springs and take a railway service to North Creek where Gore Mountain is.
8. Camelback Mountain
Located in Tannerville, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains region, Camelback Mountain resort is about a two – three hour drive from New York City. A full mountain resort, it offers not only skiing and snowboarding on 37 trails (also lit for night skiing), but has also the largest snow tubing park in the country. If you’re staying at Camelback Lodge, there’s also an indoor waterpark, perfect for kids if they still have energy after a full day of skiing.
Lift tickets start at $53 on weekdays and $67 on weekends and holidays. There is a bus you can take from the Port Authority Bus Terminal that bring you to two locations close to Camelback: Mt. Pocono or Mt Airy Casino. Check with Martz Trailways for pricing and schedules.
7. Belleayre Mountain
For another easily accessible New York State skiing mountain, try Belleayre Mountain. About Two and half hours from New York City, Belleayre has 50 trails, a 1404 ft vertical drop, terrain parks, and offers cross country skiing.
Take the Adirondack Trailways to Belleayre for a ski-bus package deal that can include lift tickets, lodging, and transportation. Other bus operators are also available out of the city. Regularly, lift tickets start at $56 for adults for a 1-day pass.
6. Catamount
For some skiing in the Berkshires, try Catamount on the New York and Massachusetts border, about three hours from the city. Easiest to get to by renting a car and driving, it’s nice for a weekend getaway with 36 trails and a vertical drop of 1,000 ft.
While there is no direct service to Catamount via bus, if public transportation is your only option, take the Amtrak up to the Hudson Station and from there the mountain is only a 30 min taxi ride away. But lift tickets are very inexpensive, staring at $20 for a non-holiday, 1-day pass.
5. Thunder Ridge
The Thunder Ridge Ski Area in Patterson, NY is only an hour away from the city. Take the Metro-North Ski Train up to the Patterson Station and you’ll be able to get on a free shuttle bus to Thunder Ridge. This makes it really easy to get up and enjoy its 22 trails and 500 ft vertical drop.
Lift tickets are only $25 during the weekday (exclusion Friday), but rise only to $52 for adults on weekends and holidays for a full day. Add $25 more and you can try out their night skiing.
4. Mount Peter Ski Area
Just two hours from New York, Mount Peter is located in the Hudson Valley of Orange County, NY. Which makes it optimal for skiing and then going back to sleep in your own bed. Perhaps the most reasonably priced of all the mountains, full-day lift tickets start at $54 (and that’s on holidays and weekends).
You can get there by bus from the Port Authority Bus terminal by taking the 196 Warick Skyline Express, or take the Yehuu bus service leaving from other multiple locations in the city. The Mount Peter Ski Area may not be the largest here (with only 13 trails), or have the most difficult terrain to test, but if all you’re looking for is an easy day of skiing right outside the city, this is the right place to go.
3. Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek is a ski resort in the Vernon Township of New Jersey. It has from peaks total with 46 trails, 17 terrain park trails, one of the largest snow tubing parks in the Northeast, and even night skiing, all just two hours away from New York City.
Accessible by NYC Snow Bus and other bus operators, full day lift tickets start at $74 at the window. The NJ Transit offers bus service from Port Authority and Wayne Transit Center. Be sure to check the schedule!
2. Windham Mountain
Windham Mountain, up in Windham, New York presents its skiers and snowboarders with 52 trails, a terrain park, and even night skiing. Lift tickets start at $52 with options to pay for only a few hours if you live locally enough to ski just for 4 hours. Still, day passes are reasonably set starting at $77.
For a trip that takes just over two hours, use the NYC Snow Bus or Adirondack Trailways for a fast weekend ski away from the office. If you’re staying overnight at the Winwood Inn and Condominiums, there is free shuttle bus service from the Windham bus station to the inn. Windham also works with other tour bus operators in the city, so there are many options to help you catch some of that winter powder.
1. Jiminy Peak
North of Catamount is Jiminy Peak in the Taconic Mountains near Hancock, Massachusetts. The furthest of the mountains on this list, it is about three to four hours away but still closer than the major mountains of Vermont and upstate New York if you’re not looking to go too far north.
With 45 trails and a 1,150 vertical drop, including the rare night skiing, it’s worth the weekend trip for some decent skiing. Lift tickets start at only around $40 for a 1-day pass when purchased online in advance (note: it’s always cheaper to book your lift ticket online instead of purchasing when you get there). However, Jiminy Peak is only most easily accessible by car. See you on the slopes!
Next, check out Big SNOW American Dream, and all-year-round indoor ski slope in New Jersey.
