SKI GUIDE – Central NY, Catskills, and Berkshires

By Jeremy Davis

From Central New York to the Catskills, to the Berkshires, there is plenty of downhill opportunities for skiers and riders. No matter what experience you’re craving – a large, inclusive resort, a mid-sized mountain with exciting terrain, or a smaller, more retro mountain – you will find it throughout this region. 

This guide showcases all of the areas that are open to the public (or paying guests) in this region for the 2025-26 ski season. One area not covered in the guide, the Cazenovia Ski Club can be skied if you are with a member, or if you redeem an Indy Pass ticket: skicaz.com. You’ll see familiar resorts, but you may see a few you haven’t heard of or been to before. There’s also quite a few new improvements at several mountains that will help improve the downhill experience.

Quite a few of these mountains are also on multi-mountain season passes. The Indy Pass, which goes on sale several times each year (sign up for the waiting list otherwise), offers two tickets at 270 ski areas across the planet, including Greek Peak, Skaneateles Ski Club, Berkshire East, Bousquet, and Catamount: indyskipass.com. The NY Ski3 Pass provides access to Belleayre in the Catskills, along with Gore and Whiteface in the Adirondacks: nyski3.com.

A new pass, Snow Triple Play, gives access to Belleayre, Plattekill, and Ski Butternut. Ski Butternut and Otis Ridge season passes have some reciprocal benefits with each other. Song Mountain and Labrador offer a joint season pass, and there’s also a season pass that covers Berkshire East, Catamount, and Bousquet: snowtripleplay.com. Lots of great passes for sure!

As some of these ski areas are not open seven days a week, and some offer night skiing on certain days, please check out their websites for their operating hours before visiting. We hope you have enjoyable upcoming season and that you have a chance to explore all the great downhill areas in our region. 

CENTRAL NEW YORK

Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland – The largest ski area in Central NY, Greek Peak offers a wide variety of trails and slopes for skiers and riders of all abilities, along with night skiing. There’s 54 trails and 11 glades to choose from, all served by six chairlifts and two surface lifts, over multiple mountain faces. There’s plenty of cruising trails, fall line expert runs, renowned glades, and beginner runs from every lift. Non-skiing activities include snow tubing, an indoor water park, multiple restaurants, lodging, a spa, and more: greekpeak.net.

Labrador Mountain in Truxton – Labrador Mountain is a classic ski area, with 20 trails and slopes for all abilities. It’s great for families and those looking for an authentic ski experience. Three chairlifts, a T-bar and two beginner tows help to minimize lift lines. The Ptarmigan Double accesses an expert pod of trails, while the other lifts serve downhillers of all abilities. Night skiing is available. Grab a bite or an après ski drink at the Puffin Bird restaurant next to the base lodge. Labrador is a sister ski area of Song Mountain, with season tickets that cover both mountains: skicny.com/labrador.

Skaneateles Ski Club in Skaneateles – Looking for a true retro ski experience? Then be sure to check out the Skaneateles Ski Club. While this is a club-owned and operated area, they do offer tickets to the public. There’s a T-bar that accesses the hill’s full 350 feet of vertical, along with a beginner tow. Downhill terrain includes several wide open slopes, gladed areas, and a few narrower runs: skiskan.com.

Song Mountain in Tully – A compact and fun area to ski and ride, Song Mountain’s trails are all named mostly after – you guessed it – songs. The trails have a lot of character too – from the narrow and twisty Christmas Carol and One More Try, to the steeper Chopsticks. Less experienced skiers enjoy several runs from the summit, and there’s an isolated beginner area with its own double chairlift. In the lodge, grab a bite to eat at Heuga’s. Song Mountain is a sister ski area of Labrador, with season tickets that cover both mountains: skicny.com/song.

Val Bialas in Utica – Val Bialas, one of the few urban ski areas in the country, is currently undergoing major improvements, including a new, two million dollar snowmaking system. This is in progress, but there is hope that the system will be online at some point this winter. There’s a 250 foot vertical drop accessed by a double chair, with great views of the city of Utica. Be sure to check out the Parks and Recreation’s website for more details. cityofutica.com/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks-open-spaces.

CATSKILLS

Belleayre in Highmount – One of three ORDA-operated ski areas in New York, Belleayre has announced multiple upgrades for the 2025-26 season. These include an expansion of the Discovery Lodge with an upgraded rental center and food offerings, more snowmaking and a new groomer, and new EV chargers. Belleayre’s terrain is generally steeper from the summit (though with intermediate options), an intermediate cruiser’s paradise in the middle, and easier beginner runs on the lower portions of the vertical: belleayre.com.

Hunter Mountain in Hunter – The mountain boasts the largest vertical drop in the Catskills at 1,600 feet. This year, visitors will notice the freshened look in the base lodge along with upgraded food offerings. Four high-speed detachable lifts and high capacity fixed grip lifts work to reduce lift lines to maximize guests’ access to 67 trails. Beginners and lower intermediates will flock to the quieter slopes of Hunter West. Intermediate cruisers will enjoy a plethora of runs from the Broadway Express as well as trails like Belt Parkway from the summit. Experts have plenty of choices, including the steeps and moguls of Hunter West: huntermtn.com.

Ski Plattekill in Roxbury – Plattekill offers a classic ski area experience in the Catskills, on an 1,100 foot vertical drop. The skiing and riding here is unpretentious, fun, and varied and is a great alternative if you want a more authentic ski day. Both the Northface and Sunshine lifts feature a wide variety of ski terrain from their summits. There’s lots to explore here – experts, check out the steep challenges of Blockbuster and Freefall. Intermediates will enjoy the twists and turns of Ridge Run and Twist. Beginners will appreciate the long runs of Powder Puff and Overlook: plattekill.com.

Windham Mountain in Windham – The ski area at the Windham Mountain Club has plenty of terrain spread out on its 1,600 foot vertical drop. Nine chairlifts and 54 uncrowded trails give skiers and riders a premium on-mountain experience. While the mountain has moved to more a club atmosphere in the last few years, the skiing is still open to the public (check out their website for more details on the differences between club memberships and public access). There’s plenty of cruising terrain here spread out over two peaks, and beginners can enjoy the long Wanderer trail off East Peak: windhammountainclub.com

BERKSHIRES

Berkshire East in Charlemont, MA – Berkshire East is a medium-sized resort that features something for everyone. Beginners will love the long, winding trails of Thunder and Outback to Roundabout. Intermediates will enjoy the dips and turns of Mohawk and the perfectly pitched glade Blizzard Islands. Experts will find plenty to enjoy, from five steep trails from the summit to the double diamond Beast glade. Two learning areas provide beginners with their own areas, and green trails can be found from the top of all four chairlifts, including a high-speed quad. Be sure to check out the Après scene at the Crazy Horse Bar & Grill, overlooking the mountain. Night skiing is also available: berkshireeast.com.

Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, MA – Bousquet Mountain was the site of the first ski lift in Massachusetts and has a venerable history as an early snow train destination. In the last several years, the area has seen a renaissance and has many upgraded features. A new triple chair increased lift capacity to the summit, which features views of the city of Pittsfield and surrounding mountains. The old base lodge has been replaced by a brand new one, including Drifters, a restaurant and bar with great views of the mountain. A good mix of terrain will appeal to families, mostly wide open slopes, but with several steeper drops like Roberto’s Chute and the Parker Trail: bousquetmountain.com.

Catamount Mountain Resort in Hillsdale, NY and Egremont, MA – Catamount is one of only two ski areas in the United States where you can ski in two different states (the other is Heavenly in California and Nevada). Aside from this unique geographic quirk, Catamount’s ski terrain is diverse. If you are an expert, there are some tremendous steeps that are on par with ski areas farther north – Christopher’s Leap and Catapult give experts quite a challenge. Wide open cruisers abound for intermediates – Sidewinder winds around the ski area on skier’s right, while Shawenon is one of the resort’s newer trails. Several beginner trails round out of the offerings on the Meadows  and Promenade Triples: catamountski.com.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA – Jiminy Peak is a full resort, with big mountain skiing and riding, as well as slopeside lodging. With a fast and high capacity six-pack to the summit (along with six other chairlifts), you can make a lot of runs here in a short time, particularly during weekdays and nights. Green trails snake their way around the periphery of the mountain, with mostly cruisers dominating the terrain. Steep slopes like Jericho and Whitetail give experts a challenge. Intermediates will love Fox and Noreaster. Multiple dining options are also available, including Hendrick’s Lodge at the summit: jiminypeak.com.

Otis Ridge in Otis, MA – Looking for a classic, smaller ski area that’s got a lot of character? Look no further than Otis Ridge. Despite a vertical drop a little more than 300 feet, the trails have a lot of character. There’s a double chair to the summit, as well as a vintage T-bar – ride that and make laps on the short but steep Sandy’s Slalom. Throwback trails Dutchman and Ridge Run twist their way down the hill, with narrow, banked turns and quick drops. Two beginner sections as well as a green trail from the top ensure that beginners can enjoy the area as well: otisridge.com.

Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, MA – A new fixed grip Jane’s Quad greets skiers this year at Ski Butternut. Replacing the older Overbook triple, the new lift accesses the skier’s left of the area and also features a better lift unload and access to the beginner Uptown trail. Four other quads help limit lift lines around the mountain. Fun cruising is the name of the game at Butternut, with many long cruisers with excellent snowmaking. If you are looking to learn the sport, Butternut has a fantastic beginner slope with its own lifts, separated from the rest of the mountain. If you can ski here on a Friday, you can take advantage of one of the best deals in ski country – $25 tickets: skibutternut.com.

Jeremy Davis is the author of five books, including “Lost Ski Areas of the Southern Adirondacks” and “Lost Ski Areas of the Northern Adirondacks” – available at nelsap.org. He serves on the New England Ski Museum board of directors and is a director of operations of Weather Routing Inc. in Glens Falls.