belleayre mountain ski center

The ski slopes are good, not as crazy as the nearby Hunter or Windham. So, perfect for a family with kids learning to ski. So, we signed up our 4 year old for a group lesson at $30. Our boy, however, once the time came for the lesson, threw a fit (we later learned he wasn't feeling well; stomach virus), and refused to participate. So, we pulled him out and asked for a refund. No refund. No credit. Nothing. All they said was once you sign him up; that's it. I really think they could have done a little better than that, especially when it involves a 4 year old.

Came here with my fiance while we were on a weekend getaway in Woodstock. I am used to skiing Vermont and other larger hills, but she had never been skiing before. The lodges are older, but you can see the work they are doing to update everything. The chair lifts are old, but I'm sure they will be updated in the future as well. The main lodge was cool and the big Polish beers were great!! The discovery lodge was a great starting point for her to learn. Off of that lift there are numerous green runs and it made learning very easy for her. I did a few of the harder runs and I was definitely impressed.

Its not Aspen but relatively close to NYC without the crowds of Hunter Mt. Day I skied there (at end of Feb) conditions were great. We have had a lot of snow in the East this year. Food is OK, facilites are OK, but separating beginners at bottom and more advanced at top with a lodge in between works well.Good for families or those looking to have a nice day on skis (or boards).

Stopped by the administration office , asked if a plan was in place to fix Super Chief. Was told they they have no plan and will only fix it when it breaks. This lift has been down 5 of the last 6 weekends I have been here. I like this mountain, but it's not fun when you can't get up the hill. Needless to say, I will not be renewing my season pass for next year.Poking around the internet, it looks like Belleayre's lift problems are not only mechanical. It looks like the employees are beginning to revolt.http://catskillmountainnews.com/content/sick-workers-belleayre-cause-skiing-be-delayed-during-busy-holiday-week

As other reviewers have mentioned, this resort has some great runs and, it is not crowded, and when we visited over Presidents Day 2015, the snow was amazing. However, it was nearly impossible to access most of these runs because hardly any of the lifts were functioning! We started our day by skiing down to the base of a chairlift only to hear the lift attendant tell us that it would take a "long time" to get it running again, so us, along with everyone else in the lift line, had to take our skiis off and walk uphill to get to the beginners lift (where, at the top of that, we had to walk uphill again to get to a lift servicing the top of the mountain).After finally finding some great runs off the "Tomahawk" lift, we were told that this lift was closing at 2:00, so we needed to ski back to the only remaining lift that was open at this time (lift 7), which had long lines, as it was the only operating lift on the mountain.To add insult to injury, the staff members acted more like prison guards than service providers-- I received more than one needless glare while someone was scanning my lift ticket. More importantly, some of the lift attendants seemed to be asleep (or at least not paying attention) at the job... so be careful if you have young kids who aren't used to riding ski lifts! In sum, there are great trails, but be prepared to spend a lot of your day (a) stuck freezing on malfunctioning lifts and (b) taking your skiis off and walking uphill in order to access the trails!

Snow was wonderful! Not too powdery not too icy. runs were long and lots of different trails for all levels. Staff was also very nice. Just make sure to keep hotel/inn/motel receipts for stay and ski voucher.

Skied here 2 days last week - conditions were excellent. The terrain is very nice, wide trails, nicely groomed. Not all was open but most of the trails were open. Unfortunately, it was bitter cold - can't do much about that - but the lift seats are hard plastic and the back is metal....like sitting on an ice cube! Wish they had foam covering on the seats at least. Lodge has nice fireplaces, but the bar area could use some improving. Overall very nice!

I should probably just cut and paste Luke 231's review. I learned to ski at Belleayre in 1980 and have been going ever since. I also have skied Hunter and been out west so I consider myself a savvy skier. When reading the other posts please use your common sense. C'mon complaining about people reserving tables and the cafeteria food is sub par? Really. You're there to ski, this isn't Aspen. Wile I was reluctant to post this as I too am afraid more skiers will become aware of Belleayre, I also feel the more skiers that come the more revenue for the mountain. This place has everything for everyone. Do yourself a favor and if you rent do so at the place att he bottom of the mountain just off of route 28. Great service and cheaper. Buy your lift tickets the day before online and save nice money .

I went skiing here mid week last week. Had the place to my self, practically. No lines good discount for me, 70+, $20 for a lift ticket. More trails that I could do on that day. Last time I was here I was a boy scout. It seemed closer back then. I guess because I wasn't driving. Nice selection of hills. The old lifts seemed a bit slow but there were no lines so it didn't matter to me. Really enjoyed my time there.

Last time I skied here I was 39 years old! I rented great equipment at the rental shop at the bottom of the access road for $ 27. The lodge has not changed a bit and it feels like the 70's. The bathrooms are still down a long flight of steps.I only went down the intermediate runs, four of them. I'm sure all the runs are exactly the same. The quad chair is new and fast. Skied on New Years Eve and the mountain wasn't crowded, no lift lines. A few kids wizzing by but not as bad as I thought it would be. No natural snow yet so only the main trails were open with plenty of groomed snow that iced up a bit in the afternoon. The high for the day was about 20 degrees.Adult pass was $ 65 but I think it would have been less if it wasn't a holiday week. Seniors over 70 ski free, I was told. At 63 I hope I live long enough to take advantage. Ha!Not as big as other mountains but still plenty of challenge for the average skier, young or old. Had a blast!

We were there last week and the snow gods had not really blessed the mountain with much natural snow, but they were doing a great job with what they had made. Trails were fun and had pretty good coverage. Parking was super easy, the lodge & bathrooms clean. There was plenty of storage space for shoes and bags. Employees were friendly. Cafeteria food was pricey as at all ski resorts. The bar food was a better bang for your buck with a good beer selection. I would go back again when there is more snow.

This was my first time visiting this ski center. The staff were friendly and made our ski/boarding day very easy and enjoyable. Everyone was very helpful when it came to directing us where to go to rent our skis and snowboards. We decided to try snowboarding for the first time that day, they allowed us to rent the gear and when one of my friends decided it was too difficult for them they allowed him to trade in the snow board for skis without charging him again. The prices were reasonable and the slopes were all maintained very nicely. We are already planning another ski/boarding weekend.

Great snow conditions with a large variety of slopes and areas. Little if no lines, means you don't waste time and not overly crowded like Hunter. Great for families, dedicated beginner area. Homey lodge. Also cross country. In summer there are concerts sky rides and pine hill beach.

This is a nice mountain for families as the terrain is nice and flat throughout. The layout is such that the advanced trail which is only a small part of the trail is at the top and it slowly turns to intermediate.This mountain is state-owned and so a lot of work has been done to preserve the trees and wildlife and you may notice it looks better than most mountains. Also, there are special discount days and on some days you can get in for as low as $10/lift ticket.The only downside is the drive is very long since once you get off 87 thruway, there are many small roads. The lifts are also old and very slow.

I love Belleayre! This is the place where I learned to ski two years ago after few unsuccessful attempts at other mountain resorts. I only wonder why it is so underestimated / underrated while compared to other resorts. Below is the quick summary of some pro and cons about this place. And by the way - if you want a more visual representation of how this place looks like you can! Just search "Skiing in New York - Ski Belleayre cyganik" in you tube search bar. I recorded this video in January 2014.PRO - What's great?- Mountain: Divided into two sections - lower is mostly for beginners and upper for intermediate and advanced. Great and safe solution- Internal Infrastructure: All you need is there. Ski rentals, lounges, (suprisingly!) good food, beer, bar, fireplaces. During lunchtime it's super crowded but that's expected.- Customer Service / Instructors: Did I mention I learned to ski here after loosing hope at other places? Always respectful, professional, helpful staff. CONS:- External Infrastructure: If you ski on the weekend and need a place to sleep you will probably end up in Kingston which is at least 40 minutes away. This is 1) far 2) time consuming 3) waste of money on gas. There is really no existing infrastructure in the near proximity except for super expensive Emerson resort.