Belleayre Mountain
175 acres, 50 runs in the Catskills. New York's only state-owned ski resort, ORDA-operated.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
20 Nov 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
142
Annual snow
96in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Belleayre Mountain's summit reaches 3,428 feet, dropping to a base at 2,024 feet across 50 runs spread over 175 acres in the Catskill Mountains near Highmount, New York. Terrain splits 58 per cent intermediate, 22 per cent beginner, and 10 per cent each for advanced and expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 96 inches. Nine lifts, including three quad chairs and a gondola, serve the mountain alongside one triple chair and three surface lifts.
Belleayre holds a genuinely distinctive place among New York's ski areas as the state's only publicly owned and operated ski resort, a status that has shaped its identity since inception. The Catskill Park setting, protected as forever-wild forest land, required a specific constitutional amendment to permit the ski centre's development, reflecting the careful balance struck between conservation and recreation in this region.
A bill allowing New York State to create Belleayre was introduced in 1945 and passed in 1947, enabling a public referendum permitting roughly 20 miles of trails to be cut for an intensive-use ski centre within the protected Catskill region. Construction began in 1949 under the New York State Conservation Department, with a crew of 135 men breaking ground and building three main trails designed by Art Draper, a 10th Mountain Division veteran, ahead of the winter 1950 opening featuring the state's first rope tow and chairlift.
Belleayre was managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation for decades before transferring to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) in November 2012, joining Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain under the same state authority. Adult daily tickets run from 61 to 89 US dollars.
1,404ft
Vertical
50
Runs
175 acres
Skiable
96in
Annual snow
The Terrain
50 runs across 175 acres skiable
Belleayre Mountain spreads 175 acres (71 hectares) across the Catskills near Highmount, rising from a base at 2,020 ft (617 m) to a 3,430 ft (1,045 m) summit for a vertical drop of about 1,400 ft (428 m). Intermediate runs make up 58% of the 50 trails, with 22% beginner and 10% each for advanced and expert. A gondola, three quad chairs, a triple chair and three surface lifts move skiers around, so the mountain handles weekend crowds from downstate and the New York City area with little fuss.
Deer Run is the intermediate cruiser to seek out, meandering through a quieter part of the mountain, and Horseshoe Pass is another upper mountain trail with snowmaking cover. Two glade areas sit high on the hill, and more expert terrain lies beneath the Tomahawk quad. Freestylers get a terrain park, a progression park and an X-course, which is a generous line-up for a mountain of this size. Belleayre suits mixed groups of families and developing intermediates who want a manageable Catskills day, with a few steeper pitches for the stronger skiers.
Terrain split
50
runs
50 runs across 4 grades
Beginner11 runs · 22%
Intermediate29 runs · 58%
Advanced5 runs · 10%
Expert5 runs · 10%
Time it right
When to visit Belleayre Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Belleayre Mountain ran from 6 December 2025 to 12 April 2026, a roughly eighteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 96 inches. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather and snowmaking conditions.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the mountain's intermediate-weighted terrain. Given Belleayre's status as New York's only state-owned and operated ski resort, and its relatively accessible Catskills location, the mountain draws a broad visitor base including day-trippers from the New York City metropolitan area.
The SKI3 season pass, covering Belleayre alongside fellow ORDA-operated Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain, gives season pass holders access across all three state-run ski centres. This shared pass structure encourages visitation across ORDA's properties throughout the season. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial intermediate and beginner terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since the November 2012 transfer from the Department of Environmental Conservation to ORDA, the resort has continued operating under coordinated state authority alongside its sister mountains. Belleayre's identity as a genuinely public ski resort remains central to its seasonal character.
Season 2026 - 2027
20 Nov 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
142
Days open
96 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Belleayre Mountain
Daily snow reports at Belleayre Mountain go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
14 in
Snowiest day
26 Jan 2026
0 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
60 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Belleayre Mountain, and where to stay
Belleayre Mountain sits near Highmount, New York, in the Catskill Mountains, with a base elevation of 2,024 feet and a summit at 3,428 feet over 175 acres of protected forever-wild forest land. This Catskill Park setting places the resort within a region long balanced between conservation and recreation.
The Catskills region surrounding Belleayre offers a range of small towns, inns and restaurants, with the resort serving as a genuine draw for the broader area's tourism economy. The New York City metropolitan area lies within a manageable drive, making Belleayre an accessible day-trip or weekend option for downstate visitors.
New York State Route 28 provides direct access to the resort, running through the heart of the Catskills region. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled state highway is regularly maintained given its role as a major regional corridor. There is no direct public transport service to the resort itself.
Specific nearest commercial airport details are not confirmed in available resort information, though the resort's Catskills location keeps it within a reasonable drive of the broader New York City metropolitan area. Belleayre's accessible, publicly operated model continues to serve as an entry point to skiing for many downstate New Yorkers.
Where to stay
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Hotels and lodges near Belleayre Mountain, powered by Stay22.
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Belleayre Mountain Lift System
Belleayre Mountain runs nine lifts: three quad chairs, one triple chair, one gondola and three surface lifts, serving 50 runs across 175 acres in the Catskills. The gondola provides a distinctive summit-access option uncommon among New York's ski areas, complementing the quad chairs that carry the bulk of the mountain's skier traffic.
The lift network has developed considerably since the resort's 1950 opening, when the state's first rope tow and chairlift served the newly cut trails built by a 135-man construction crew under the New York State Conservation Department. Investment continued steadily under state management through subsequent decades.
Since transferring to the Olympic Regional Development Authority in November 2012, alongside Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain, Belleayre has benefited from coordinated investment across ORDA's three ski centres. This shared authority structure supports the current nine-lift network, including the gondola and three quad chairs that access the bulk of the mountain's varied terrain.
The three surface lifts support beginner and learning areas near the base, complementing the resort's intermediate-weighted terrain profile. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects beyond the ORDA transition are not confirmed in available resort information. Belleayre's status as New York's only state-owned and operated ski resort continues to shape investment priorities across its lift infrastructure.
8lifts across 4 types
1
Gondola
3
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
3
Surface Lifts
Belleayre Mountain lift system
Belleayre Mountain is served by 8 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Belleayre Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.