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
8ft
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
8 ft
Annual snow
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
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Belleayre Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
9 Oct 2026
Kelly Canyon, Idaho, Adds Snowmaking, a Bigger Terrain Park and More Parking for 2026-27
Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.
9 Oct 2026
Valle Nevado Extends Season to November 8 After 108 cm in 48 Hours
Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.
9 Oct 2026
Alps Snow Forecast: Cold Front Brings Thursday Snow to the High Alps
The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.
8 Oct 2026
California Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Mammoth Leads, Tahoe Follows
Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.
7 Oct 2026
Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: A-Basin and Keystone Race to Be First
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
5 Oct 2026
Dolomiti Superski 2026-27: Four New Gondolas, New Reservoirs and an €89 Peak Day Pass
Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
4 Oct 2026
Belleayre Mountain Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 11 Oct 2026
3,428ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Drizzle47°F / 51°F · SE 16mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts8
Live open status isn’t available right now.
20 Nov 2026 - 11 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 48 hours· Updated Oct 11, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
3,428 ftUpdated Oct 11, 2026 at 4:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
1.4"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Sun, Oct 11
Rain
Temp51° / 47°°F
Snow0.0"(100%)
Wind16 mph SE
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Belleayre Mountain snow report
Belleayre Mountain snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this New York resort.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Belleayre Mountain is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 428m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Belleayre Mountain's 617m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
We pull Belleayre Mountain's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 8 lifts, including 3 quad chairlifts and a gondola.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Belleayre Mountain's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.