The Best Ski Resorts Within 5 Hours of NYC

Located in the Poconos and near the Appalachian Trail, Blue Mountain boasts the state’s highest vertical drop at 1,082 feet, in addition to 40 trails across 171 skiable acres. Go for fully lit night skiing trails with LED lights and the resort’s snow tubing park—featuring the longest, fastest lanes in Pennsylvania—with 46 lanes, all of which are serviced by three carpet lifts. Beginner lessons for skiing and snowboarding are available through the onsite Learning Center. Afterwards, grab a bite at the Slopeside Pub & Grill via its indoor and outdoor dining options and live music throughout the week.
Where to eat and drink: Blue Mountain Resort Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Belleayre debuted in the Catskills in 1949 with five trails and New York’s first chairlift: Today, it encompasses 63 trails, parks, and glades along with eight lifts across 175 skiable acres, including cross country trails. A ride on the Catskill Thunder gondola provides visitors with breathtaking views of the Catskill Forest Preserve and the chance to capture photos of the regional wildlife and landscape. Belleayre also expanded its Discovery Lodge and has an outdoor heated patio space complete with fire pits and outdoor seating. Known for its laid-back vibes and beginner-friendly topography, sustainability remains an important initiative with the addition of more energy-efficient compressors, repurposed benches from old lift chairs, LED lighting, and upgrades to their snowmaking systems.
Where to eat and drink: Belleayre Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 3 hours

The region’s only ski-in/ski-out resort, Camelback Resort is set in the picturesque Pocono Mountains, with 39 trails over 166 skiable acres. Alongside Aquatopia, an immersive, indoor year-round water park experience, the property is also home to America’s largest snow tubing park (complete with disco lights and music), where tubers can access 42 fast-lightning lanes and two magic carpet lifts. The Sunbowl quad lift transports visitors from the mountain to the village for lessons at the Ski & Ride Academy, where pros teach skiers of all ages and levels. Rounding out the experience are luxury guest suites; dining options, which in addition to three ski-in/ski-out restaurants, include an Italian steakhouse, brasserie, and food truck tacos; a multi-level arcade; and fitness facility.
Where to eat and drink: Camelback Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 2 hours

Stunning views of the Adirondacks are the backdrop to Gore Mountain. High-speed quads provide access to all four of its peaks and Straight Brook Valley and the latest addition to the property, called the Backwoods trail, gives guests a 60-foot-wide intermediate-rated adventure for further family-friendly exploration. Additionally, there’s twilight skiing; a cross-country trail network of 11 piste (groomed) loops; and snowshoeing adventures through the “largest marble-cave entrance in the East.” Gore also expanded its snowmaking capacity with higher-efficiency snow guns and energy-saving compressors, improved terrains to give beginner and novice skiers a smoother ride, and implemented snowmaking upgrades in anticipation of its hosting the Winter World University Games in 2023—all in addition to being home to the longest glades in the East.
Where to eat and drink: Gore Mountain Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Hunter Mountain has been celebrated for a trio of firsts since it opened in the 1950s: the first skiing spot in New York to install snowmaking, the first in the world to feature both top-to-bottom snowmaking, and the first to have 100% coverage of the mountain. Spanning 320-skiable acres in the glorious Northern Catskill Mountains, Hunter Mountain has 67 trails, 13 lifts, and a vertical drop of over 1,600 feet. Its EpicMix app gives visitors entry and priority access at 34 affiliated Vail Resorts (which owns Hunter) in the United States, with multiple properties included within the Northeast. The snow tubing park offers plenty of family-friendly fun—with thousand-foot lanes, a fire pit, snack bar, and kid-friendly magic carpet lifts. With four mountains, three freestyle terrain parks and snowboarding, lessons at every skill level, plus a day lodge and plenty of dining options, there are endless adventures for first-timers and seasoned experts alike.
Where to eat and drink: Hunter Mountain Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 3 hours

A truly remarkable feat, Jiminy Peak—the first mountain resort in the U.S. to have installed a wind turbine—now receives 100% of its electricity from renewable sources like alternative wind power. Its green efforts also extend to hundreds of energy-efficient snow guns, LED lights to guide skiers on night trails, and electric car charging stations. With 45 trails and nine lifts, Jiminy Peak is among the largest of New England’s ski resorts, with a vertical drop of 1,150 feet. Lessons are available for skiers at all levels; snowshoeing trails for six miles; and mountain coaster off-ski rides to twist and turn through a 3,600 foot pathway—all amid the gorgeous scenery of the Berkshires.
Where to eat and drink: Jiminy Peak Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Thrill-seekers may have met their match at Killington Resort—a self-proclaimed “beast” of adventure for skiers and snowboarders—the largest in the Eastern U.S. Featuring 155 trails (with the highest vertical drop exceeding 3,000 feet) spread over more than 1,500 skiable acres, Killington helps visitors zip around the massive resort with the help of 21 lifts and three gondolas. Other attractions include: freestyle riding through log rails and rainbow trees in The Stash terrain park; taking a Meet the Mountains guided tour (with well over a thousand acres to explore); and tubing. Additional amenities include a bubble-enclosed ski lift, improved snowmaking, and terrain enhancements to give skiers a smoother ride.
Where to eat and drink: Killington Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 5 hours

With more than seven decades of operation under their belt, Mohawk Mountain gives skiers the chance to explore a diverse range of wooded and open downhill runs—offering the state’s most trails at 26 (including 16 night trails), biggest vertical drop (at 650 feet), and eight lifts. Situated on 350 acres in northwestern Connecticut, there are cross-country trails for snowshoeing along with snow tubing, a recent addition. Mohawk Mountain also expanded its lodge to accommodate increased physical distancing measures, added an app-based food ordering system to better serve visitors, and made pass pickup easier through their new automated stations.
Where to eat and drink: Mohawk Mountain Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 3 hours

Open since 1954 and as a preferred locale by New Yorkers and Bostonians alike, Mount Snow spans four mountains over 600 acres with more than 80 trails and 19 lifts. Home to the only all-park mountain face in the East, the 100-acre Carinthia comprises 10 parks; multi-mile trail runs; a tree-skiing zone; and rails, jumps, and a monster superpipe to amplify every nature-driven twist and turn. And with its 42,000 square foot Carinthia Base Lodge, Mount Snow offers plenty of dining options—a sit-down restaurant, two bars, made-to-order food stations, plus a Time to Dine option in the EpicMix app that provides a virtual assist to enjoy post-activity meals. Also a Vail Resorts property, Mount Snow’s Epic Pass gives skiers and riders access to this and multiple U.S. resorts.
Where to eat and drink: Mount Snow Dining
Distance from NYC: 4 hours, 30 minutes

As New Jersey’s largest ski area, Mountain Creek stretches over four peaks, with 167 acres and eight lifts (including two high-speed quads). Featuring the region’s tallest skiable vertical (at 1,040 feet), the freestyle area includes over 65 acres, with night skiing available across the entire terrain—for which a thousand snow-making guns ensure 100% coverage. Mountain Creek offers Sno-Go bikes to scale the slopes, granting ski-bike riders full mountain access; there’s also a snow tubing park that’s accessible via a magic carpet lift. The resort’s Snowsports School offers daily lessons—whether for a single session or all season long. The onsite Beirgarten has an outdoor patio to indulge in bratwursts and brews, while The Appalachian offers onsite accommodations featuring fireplaces and mountainside views.
Where to eat and drink: Mountain Creek Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 2 hours

With one of the best-known snowmaking reputations in the East, Okemo—in addition to its world-class service, with two luxuriously heated high-speed lifts, and cozy lodgings—has long been a family-friendly favorite among Vermont-locals. With access to 121 trails over 632 skiable acres, Okemo also has the longest superpipe in the East (at 500+ feet). Nestled in Okemo State Forest, the scenic surroundings are the host for a multitude of wintertime activities: snowboarding, Nordic skiing, and snow tubing; plus ice skating and mountain coasting. The Epic Pass offers access to multiple Vail Resorts in Vermont and around the U.S., and the EpicMix app includes lift line wait times, interactive trail maps, on-mountain GPS locations, and the ability to make dining reservations even while mountainside.
Where to eat and drink: Okemo Mountain Resort Dining
Distance from NYC: 5 hours

Snowboard lovers know Stratton, which now utilizes solar energy, as the place that started it all: It was the first to give snowboarders slope-access four decades ago. With the highest peak in Southern Vermont, Stratton offers plenty of downhill action too (the vertical drop is over 2,000 feet)—over its 99 trails, 11 lifts, a summit gondola, and terrain suited to both novices and advanced skiers. They also partner with MOOver, a free public transit system in southern Vermont, to provide easier mountain access, and launched a mobile app. Also accessible are groomed trails for riders to explore via fat bike rentals; the four-lane snow tubing park with firepits and a warming hut; and 5k lit trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at the Nordic Center.
Where to eat and drink: Stratton Mountain Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Set in the scenic Catskills, Windham Mountain Ski Resort has 54 trails, 11 lifts, and six freestyle-friendly terrain parks across two peaks on 285-acres of skiable expanse. A recent multi-million dollar renovation brings the boutique resort experience to life with a new snow machine, charming guest rooms, European-style “Umbrella Bar” and reimagined restaurant, and new high-speed lift. The Windham Mountain Tubing Park provides snow tubing for family fun (with a conveyor belt to bring you back up), along with kid snowmobiles and a cozy lodge. There’s also snowshoeing, snowboarding, and more—along with lessons for every age and skill level for mountain adventures at every turn.
Where to eat and drink: Windham Mountain Area Dining
Distance from NYC: 3 hours