Going skiing with the family this winter? Looking for family friendly ski resorts near NYC? Here are our top picks for best family friendly ski resorts near NYC. All the ski resorts listed below are all less than 2 hours drive from NYC.
1. Best Family Friendly Ski Resort for Beginners near NYC
Mount Peter Ski Area– 51 Old Mt. Peter Road Warwick, New York 10990
Mount Peter Ski Area is the best ski resort for beginners near NYC. It has a great beginners learn to ski program and learn to snowboard program. And the best part about going to Mount Peter is you get free beginner ski and snowboard lessons with the purchase of a lift ticket! If you are bringing the entire family to go skiing, you save a lot with the free lessons. The lift tickets are reasonably priced so it is a great ski resort for beginners looking to save on skiing. The beginner ski lessons at Mount Peter are for skiers ages 5 and up and beginner snowboard lessons are for skiers ages 6 and up. Free beginner lessons are offered on weekends and holidays. There are also lessons for 3 & 4 year old but you have to pay for them separately. Aside from learn to ski lessons, you can also send your kids to their 3 hour kids camp. Mount Peter is approximately 1.5 hours from New York City. It is a small, family-run ski area with 14 trails, 1 terrain park, 1 tubing area, 3 chair lifts and 2 magic carpets. If you are looking for a family friendly ski resort near NYC that is great for beginners, go to Mount Peter!
2. Most Affordable Ski Resort near NYC
Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort at 99 Powder Hill Road, Middlefield, Connecticut
If you are looking for an affordable ski resort to take the family to, the best value ski resort near NYC is Powder Ridge. Lift ticket prices are really affordable at $57 for adult lift tickets and as low as $34 for adult night lift tickets. To save even more, you can purchase 4 hour lift tickets as low as $49. There is also Lower Mountain lift ticket options at $46 for the day. Kids 12 years old and under and seniors over 65 years old will get further discounts on lift tickets. Located just 2 hours from NYC, Powder Ridge is a small, local ski area in Connecticut. There are 21 trails, snow tubing, 3 chairlifts, 1 tubing lift and 1 carpet lift at Powder Ridge. Tehy also offer group lessons for kids and adults. The food and beverage options at Powder Ridge is better than most ski areas, there is cafeteria dining, a beer and wine garden and a full-service restaurant complete with Sunday brunch. Skiing is expensive, if you are looking for an affordable family friendly ski resort near NYC then you should go to Powder Ridge.
3. Best Ski Resort to Go to via Metro North from NYC
Thunder Ridge Ski Area– 137 Birch Hill Rd. Patterson, New York 12563
If you don’t have a car or you plan to take public transportation to go skiing, Thunder Ridge is an easy ski resort to get to via Metro North from NYC. Take the Metro North Harlem line from Grand Central Terminal to Patterson Metro North station. At the Patterson Metro North station, catch the shuttle bus to Thunder Ridge. Thunder Ridge is about a mile away. Buy the discounted combo Metro North train ticket and Thunder Ridge lift tickets. Also make sure to call Thunder Ridge to check shuttle bus schedules. There are 22 trails, 3 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets at Thunder Ridge. Lots of trails for beginners and advanced skiers. The cafeteria and pub are slopeside at the lodge. Group lessons and children’s programs are popular at Thunder Ridge so sign up early. If you want to beat the crowd, there is also night skiing. Lift tickets are very affordable, if you go on non-holiday weekdays adult lift tickets are only $45 and on weekends and holiday, the tickets go up to $69. Sometimes you can get $14 lift tickets from Liftopia. If you are planning to take the Metro North to go skiing, then Thunder Ridge is definitely the best ski resort near NYC.
Check for Discounted Tickets from Liftopia: Thunder Ridge Lift Tickets for $14
4. Closest Ski Resort to NYC
Big Snow American Dream at 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ
Big Snow American Dream is the closest ski resort to NYC. It is only 31 minutes from NYC. Located in American Dream Mall in Rutherford, NJ, Big Snow is North America’s first and only indoor ski and snowboard resort! There are 3 trails at Big Snow (green to black diamond), 2 magic carpets and 2 lifts. The 2-hour slope access ticket starts at $34.99 and snow day package starts at $69.99 which includes 2 hour slope access tickets, rentals (equipment, helmet and even outerwear) and access to instructors. Children 6 and under ski free with a paying adult. Since Big Snow American Dream is so close to NYC, it’s an easy weekend ski excursion with the family. Plus American Dream Mall is also home to indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe, so you can stop for apres ski!
5. Best Family Friendly Ski Resort with Waterpark near NYC
Camelback Mountain at 193 Resort Drive, Tannersville, PA
If you are looking for a family friendly ski resort near NYC that has an indoor waterpark then you should plan a family ski trip to Camelback Mountain. Located in the Poconos, it is an 1 hour and 50 minutes from NYC. Camelback Mountain is a family friendly ski resort with skiing, snow tubing, indoor waterpark, hotel and spa. The indoor waterpark at Camelback is housed in a 125,000 square feet space where it’s always 84°F. There are 13 different water slides, wavepool, an adventure river, play and spray structures, toddler area, simulated surfing experience and even a swim-up bar at Camelback’s indoor waterpark. The waterpark is great for non-skiers and if you need a break from skiing. But do go to Camelback Mountain for the skiing. Camelback Mountain has a vertical drop of 800 feet- 39 trails, 10 chairlifts, 6 magic carpets and snow tubing. There is a ski school with half-day children’s programs, group lessons and private lessons. Lift tickets are pricier than other ski resorts on this list the weekend adult tickets are $95 and $62 for weekday adult tickets. Children 5 and under ski free. Sometimes you can get $34.99 lift tickets to Camelback from Liftopia. Plan a family ski vacation to Camelback Mountain it’s one of the best ski resort near NYC with an indoor waterpark.
Check for Discounted Lift Tickets from Liftopia: Camelback $34.99 tickets
6. Best All-Inclusive Ski Resort for Families
Rocking Horse Ranch at 600 State Route 44 Highland, NY
Rocking Horse Ranch is an all inclusive resort in Upstate New York located only an hour and a half away from NYC. If you are looking for an all inclusive vacation that includes skiing for the entire family, then you should go to Rocking Horse Ranch. For one all-inclusive rate, you get 4 meals, hotel stay, nightly entertainment and lots of family friendly activities like skiing, horseback riding, indoor waterpark, petting zoo, ice skating, tubing, complimentary babysitting and more! At Rocking Horse Ranch the lift tickets, ski rentals and ski lessons are all included in the price! The skiing at Rocking Horse Ranch is perfect for kids and beginners. There are two ski hills at Rocking Horse Ranch, a small hill with a rope tow and a bigger hill with a magic carpet. There are plenty of instructors at the ski hill ready to teach your child to ski. I took my 5 year old there and that’s where he learned to ski! The good thing about staying at Rocking Horse Ranch is the skiing is unlimited. When we were staying there, we took our son back to practice skiing through out our entire stay and that really made him a confident skier. It’s also nice that they serve complimentary hot cocoa at the ski hill! If you are looking for an all inclusive resort with skiing near NYC, go to Rocking Horse Ranch.
7. Best Ski School near NYC
Windham Mountain at 19 Resort Drive, Windham, NY
Windham Mountain has the best ski school near NYC. I like it because the ski school at Windham Mountain starts as young as 3 years old. The 3 year old ski school program at Windham is a well thought out program that is very age appropriate available in half day or full day programs. At the ski school for 3 year olds, kids are in small groups for skiing, playtime, lunch and breaks which are perfectly paced to teach kids to learn to love to ski. Full day ski school are available for the older kids ages 4-12 years old. Windham is 2.5 hours away from NYC. It’s a large ski resort with 54 trails, 6 terrain parks and 11 lifts. If you are looking for good ski school near NYC, you should plan a family ski trip to Windham Mountain.
Check for Discounted Lift Tickets from Liftopia: Windham Mountain $34.99 tickets
8. Closest Destination Ski Resort near NYC
Mountain Creek at 200 NJ-94, Vernon, NJ
Mountain Creek is the closest destination ski resort near NYC. It is located in Vernon, NJ, just over an hour from NYC. Mountain Creek is a destination ski resort that will give you the true mountain experience with 46 trails on 4 mountain peaks, vertical drop of 1040 feet, 8 lifts, 3 magic carpets, snow tubing with 30 lanes and 67 acres of terrain park. Plus there is an indoor waterpark and condo-style slopeside accommodations at Mountain Creek. All this within just a short drive from NYC. If you are looking to take a family ski vacation without the long drive, Mountain Creek is the closest destination ski resort near NYC.
Check for Discounted Lift Tickets from Liftopia: Mountain Creek $19.99 tickets
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