New York City is not a place with quick access to white slopes. Drive a bit outside the city, though, and you’ll find ski resorts that offer the winter experience you might be craving. Here are Culture Trip’s top picks, all no more than three hours outside of NYC. Now get shredding.
Situated in the Catskills, Belleayre is a great option for anyone skiing on a budget. It’s owned and run by the state, which keeps prices down, and it can be handily accessed by train. It has 50 trails in total, and a 1,404ft (428m) drop, while still managing to have enough easy runs as to not alienate novices or families.
The Berkshires are generally thought of as a summer destination, but these Massachusetts mountains are also perfect for a trip during ski season. Jiminy Peak opened in 1948 and is the largest resort in all of New England. There are 45 trails and nine lifts, but perhaps most amazingly, Jiminy Peak is powered in large part by wind energy generated on site. The sustainability-forward mentality resonates through the entire resort, so if you’re environmentally conscious, this is the place to go.
Catamount sits on the state line between New York and Massachusetts, taking around two hours to reach. It was one of the first ski resorts in the Berkshires, having opened in 1939. Since 2018, it has undergone a major overhaul, including a brand new lift, a new lodge and vastly increased snowmaking capability. As well as the 36 trails, it is home to the longest zipline in the US – 5,523ft (1,683m)!
Roughly 95mi (150km) from NYC, Mohawk Mountain is the biggest ski area in Connecticut, a reputation it has retained since opening in 1947. As well as skiing and boarding, snow tubing is offered here, and the resort has 12 trails that are lit for night skiing (25 total). Mohawk played a big role in popularizing artificial snow, and if you need to wind down, yoga sessions are also available.
Callum Davies contributed additional reporting to this article.