Where the Snowmaking Is Serious and the Mountains Are Close

The Catskills have been making snow for generations.

Long before snowmaking became a standard feature of the American ski industry, operators in the mountains were experimenting with ways to keep trails open when nature did not cooperate. That early investment helped establish the region as a winter destination for both nearby families and skiers willing to make the trip from the New York metropolitan area.

The landscape of the industry has changed considerably since the 1960s. Mountains such as Phoenicia, Highmount, Belleayre, Bearpen and Hunter were once part of a much larger collection of ski areas. By the 1980s, more than a dozen were operating across the Catskills.

Today, far fewer remain. But the mountains that survived have adapted, investing in snowmaking, grooming, lifts, lessons and an expanding menu of activities designed to keep visitors coming even when they are not skiing.

The result is a winter landscape that ranges from large resorts and state-owned facilities to independent family operations — and, increasingly, attractions that have little to do with downhill skiing.

Several area mountains begin building anticipation for the season well before the first snow. Fall festivals in October at resorts including Belleayre and Hunter combine foliage viewing and other activities with an early introduction to the winter season. Visitors should check individual resort websites for current schedules and operating information.

Delaware County

At Plattekill Mountain [plattekill.com] in Roxbury, independence is part of the business model.

The Vajtay family has owned and operated the mountain since 1993, maintaining a ski area that has remained family-owned even as larger corporate and state-backed resorts have expanded elsewhere in the Catskills.

Plattekill offers skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing on 41 trails served by four lifts. Snowmaking and grooming are central to its operation, while rentals, lessons and race development programs give beginners and experienced skiers options beyond simply buying a lift ticket.

The mountain is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and major winter holidays, including Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and the Presidents Day holidays. On many Mondays and Thursdays, the entire mountain can be reserved by private groups.

Danielle Vajtay said many of this season’s improvements will be noticeable less for their appearance than for their effect on operations. The resort has upgraded portions of its lodge, expanded snowmaking and added a winch-cat groomer designed to work on steep terrain.

The goal, she said, is to allow the mountain to recover more quickly from poor weather and maintain skiing conditions when snow and temperatures fluctuate.

Plattekill has also sought to address one of the advantages enjoyed by larger ski companies: the ability to offer season-pass holders access to multiple mountains.

The resort participates in a network of 43 independently owned ski areas, allowing Plattekill season-pass holders to receive complimentary or discounted skiing at participating mountains in 23 states. The network includes Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Ski Cooper in Colorado and Mad River Glen in Vermont.

Plattekill has moved much of its ticketing and reservation system online, with discounts available for advance purchases. But it has retained an option that has become less common at larger resorts: buying a ticket on the day of a spontaneous ski trip.

A last-minute, single-day ticket costs more, Vajtay said, but the option remains available.

Plattekill Mountain is at 469 Plattekill Road in Roxbury.

Greene County

Hunter Mountain [huntermtn.com] represents a very different chapter in Catskills skiing.

Founded in 1960, the resort was an early leader in snowmaking and aggressive ski-area promotion. It is now owned by Vail Resorts and remains one of the region’s largest winter destinations.

Hunter has 320 acres of skiable terrain, 67 trails and 13 lifts. Nearly half of its terrain is rated for expert skiers. Four terrain parks serve snowboarders and freestyle riders, while lessons, rentals and snow tubing broaden the appeal beyond experienced skiers.

The mountain is also one of the Catskills resorts where visitors can build a trip around an overnight stay, with lodging available on the property and additional accommodations and entertainment in surrounding communities.

For the coming season, Hunter plans to add snowmaking pipe and snow guns while renovating food and beverage areas.

Its competition programs include alpine racing, freestyle moguls and terrain-park slopestyle for young skiers and riders. Adult race training is supplemented by community competitions, including the FDNY Ski Races and the Chef’s Race.

Hunter Mountain is on state Route 23A in Hunter.

A few miles away, Windham Mountain Club [windhammountainclub.com] offers a more exclusive model.

The private, members-only club has 54 trails spread across 285 acres, served by 11 lifts, including a high-speed, six-passenger chairlift. Six terrain parks cater to freestyle riders, and snow tubing is available for visitors who would rather stay off skis.

The mountain reports snowmaking coverage across 97% of its terrain and average annual snowfall of roughly 78 to 100 inches.

Membership is currently subject to a waiting list. The public can ski and snowboard during the winter, but access is limited by availability and capacity. Tickets are sold online in advance, and the resort does not sell walk-up tickets once its capacity has been reached.

Lessons, rentals and racing programs are offered, including youth competition programs and adult training camps.

Windham Mountain Club is at 19 Resort Drive in Windham.

A ski area without the skiing

In Prattsville, Bearpen Mountain Sports [bearpenmountain.com] has taken a very different approach to winter recreation.

The property was once known as the Princeton Ski Bowl, which operated from 1955 to 1959 and became known for an unusual “cable-less tow.” Army trucks carried skiers from the parking area toward the summit lodge, although heavy snow could make reaching the summit difficult.

The ski area eventually closed. Decades later, Howard and Dominique Rennell returned to the property with a broader idea of what a mountain recreation center could be.

Today, Bearpen offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and sledding, fat biking and ice skating. Its most unusual attraction may be its curling center.

The sport, which combines precision, strategy and sweeping on a sheet of ice, remains relatively uncommon outside dedicated clubs and competition venues. Bearpen offers visitors a chance to try it.

The recreation center also offers equipment rentals, limited food and cocktail service and live entertainment on many weekends. It generally operates Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with additional hours during holidays and winter vacation periods.

Bearpen Mountain Sports is at 1491 County Route 2 in Prattsville.

Sullivan County

Holiday Mountain Ski Park [skiholidaymtn.com] in Monticello traces its history to 1957, when it began as a town recreation facility.

After changing hands between public and private operators over the years, the property was purchased by the Taylor family in 2023 and has undergone renovations aimed at broadening its appeal.

The mountain has eight ski trails served by two chairlifts, including a new quad. An updated learning center features beginner terrain and a magic-carpet lift, while expanded snowmaking infrastructure is intended to improve conditions throughout the season.

For those who do not ski, Holiday Mountain has a 350-foot tubing run with 12 lanes and a conveyor lift. The resort also offers lessons, equipment rentals, alpine racing and multi-week ski-development programs.

It is also one of the area’s remaining destinations for night skiing. Its scheduled hours include evening skiing Tuesday through Saturday, with daytime hours on weekends.

Holiday Mountain is at 99 Holiday Mountain Road in Monticello.

For another kind of winter getaway, Villa Roma Resort [villaroma.com] in Callicoon combines outdoor recreation with a long list of indoor activities.

The resort’s sports complex includes a fitness center, eight-lane bowling alley, bounce house, wallyball and racquetball courts. An indoor pool, hot tub and sauna provide additional options when the weather keeps visitors inside.

Outside, guests can cross-country ski, sled and use a small ski hill with three slopes for skiing and snowboarding. Two snow-tubing runs and an ice-skating area round out the winter activities. Equipment rentals, a chairlift and a ski school are available for beginners and children.

The property also includes dining, shopping, spa and salon services.

Villa Roma is at 356 Villa Roma Road in Callicoon.

Ulster County

Belleayre Mountain Ski Center [belleayre.com] has perhaps the longest institutional history of any of the region’s major ski areas.

The state-owned mountain, operated by the Olympic Regional Development Authority, is entering its 75th season. Belleayre installed New York’s first chairlift and in 2017 became the only Catskills ski center with an enclosed cabin gondola.

The resort now has eight lifts, including the gondola and a detachable quad, serving 174 skiable acres and 50 trails. Four lodges support the operation, along with nearly 10 kilometers of cross-country trails.

Snowmaking remains a major part of the mountain’s strategy, with the system expanded regularly.

The Discovery Lodge serves as the principal arrival point and houses ticketing, rentals, equipment tuning and repairs, food service and ski and snowboard instruction. The lodge also hosts concerts, weddings and community events outside the ski season.

An expansion this year will add 28,600 square feet to the existing lodge.

Belleayre has also developed a reputation among young competitive skiers, offering a range of racing and training programs.

The mountain straddles Delaware and Ulster counties and is located off Route 28 at 181 Galli Curci Road in Highmount.

For all of the changes in Catskills skiing over the past seven decades, one element has remained remarkably consistent: The region’s ability to turn cold weather into an economic and recreational asset.

What began with experiments in snowmaking and a collection of small ski slopes has evolved into a winter industry with corporate resorts, public mountains, independent operators and recreation centers offering activities well beyond traditional skiing.

And with snowmaking extending the season on many of the region’s mountains from November into March, the Catskills’ winter season increasingly depends on something more reliable than the weather alone.