Belleayre is a local gem in the Catskills: with a 1,404-foot vertical drop (closest resort to NYC with over 1,000 ft) and 171 skiable acres, the mountain’s 64 trails and glades spread wide across its face, lending an expansive, open air feel and plenty of terrain variety. Ranging from bunny hills to winding blues stretching longer than 2 miles, to steep double black diamonds, Belleayre satisfies families as well as expert skiers. Constructed in 1949, the location was chosen for its elevation and natural snowfall (150 inches annually,) critical features in the pre-snowmaking days, and trails were hand-cut to track the natural counters of the mountain. Owned by New York state, Belleayre is currently experiencing somewhat of a revival under the stewardship of ORDA (Olympic Regional Development Authority,) and makes for an easy day trip from NYC or a weekend getaway.

Uniquely, the main base at Belleayre is located mid-mountain at Overlook Lodge – with all trails above that point catering to intermediate/advanced skiers, and greens for beginners below. This layout results in a consistent progression as you head downhill from the summit – trails typically start at a steep angle, gradually leveling off as you reach the base camp area, allowing for plenty of Adrenalin to rack up in those first moments to last you through the run. We visited on a day after a massive snow storm had hit upstate New York, and the freshly groomed corduroy was everywhere, from the moguls of Tongora and Winnisook on the western side of the hill to the meandering Deer Run to the east. Even so, it was significantly less crowded than on a typical day in the neighboring resorts of Hunter mountain or Wyndham, with a markedly calmer vibe across the mountain – from the lift lines to lunch at the lodge.

Belleayre’s community vibe extends from a decidedly casual approach to the check-in process to a lively series of on-mountain events: the schedule for the month of April alone includes a ‘Show Off Your Tie Dye’ day, a promising ’Slush Cup & Costume Day’ and the requisite ‘Bring back the 80’s’ event. The greater area is brimming with quaint villages, and Woodstock, Margaretville and Phoenicia all offer a thriving scene of farm-to-table restaurants, galleries and boutiques. The Catskills are more popular than they’ve been in decades now with city dwellers escaping NYC in the still-lingering post-COVID age, and Pine Hill is the closest and most convenient hub for overnight lodging near the mountain.