Belleayre Ski Resort

Belleayre is located in the Catskill Mountains near Kingston, New York. The ski park has a smaller footprint, covering only 171 total skiable acres, but it manages to include a lot of features. This ski park is a favorite across New York, attracting more than a quarter million skiers and snowboarders every year. Average snowfall isn’t as much as ski parks farther north get, with only 141 inches (3.6 meters) falling every year, but snowmaking capabilities cover over 98 percent of the terrain.

The Mountain

Despite being one of the smaller resorts in New York, Belleayre still manages to pack in a lot of features. The Overlook Lodge splits the ski area into two separate levels, with novices in the lower section, expert trails in the upper, and Intermediates having trails in both sections. The lift system design makes it incredibly easy to move around the mountain. With eight lifts, almost 11,000 skiers per hour are moved over the mountain. Skiers have four distinct embarkation and drop off points on the mountain with two separate midpoints on the upper slopes. There are 50 named trails and glades on Belleayre with a difficulty blend of 22 percent basic, 58 percent intermediate, and 20 percent advanced.

Novice skiers should park on the lower level near the Discovery Lodge. There, they can acclimate themselves to the park by using one of the four lifts to reach any of the 13 novice rated trails at the park. There’s a ski school available for those who need some assistance brushing up on their skills or who have never been on skis before.

Intermediate skiers should join advanced skiers by parking at the upper level near the Overlook. From there, they can take Lift 7 up to the mid station and ski through any of the 24 intermediate chutes or glades at that level.

Expert skiers can take advantage of any of the 22 single or double black diamond rated trails throughout Belleayre. Some of the favorite trails for experts include the Dreamcatcher, a woody gladed steep, and Utsayantha, a wider steep that encourages you to find your own line.

There are two dedicated terrain parks and one crosspark at Belleayre. Area 15 is downslope of the Overlook and is an easier progression park with low rails and easy jumps. Area 51 is a more difficult park that has some extreme lines to be found. From a wicked rail to jump and a series of tables to jibs, or taking jumps to pipes and tables, freestylers are going to have a ball here.

Bottom Lining It

With all that Bilayer has to offer, it’s easy to see why it remains so popular. Daycare for the kids lets parents and families roam the mountain without worrying about the younger set. Additionally, the ski school now accepts students as young as 5 years old. The snow coverage is a lot better on the west side of the mountain, so Deer Run isn’t as bone jarring as it was in leaner snow days and improvements to the various glades keeps happening. The local atmosphere is laid back and friendly, and lodging is available everywhere. Whether you come to spend a week or just a weekend, Belleayre is one heck of a ski spot.