Poughkeepsie is barely mid state

upstate = strap in because you are going to Whiteface

yeah im from western ny so it’s one of the best resorts for a reasonable distance that i know :)

and yes, i thought the friendliness to beginner and intermediate skiers would be a good suggestion since op mentioned it!!

to start.....how do you define upstate NY? serious question because some people consider the catskills as upstate, while others consider half the adirondacks as upstate.

i grew up skiing Gore Mountain. dont live in ny anymore but i still enjoy that place, has a lot of variety for everyone. mid december is going to be tough unless it gets cold early and it snows. Killington, VT is your best bet for conditions that early. but even then, if it doesnt get cold or snow, mid december is a bit a coin toss on what you will get.

r/icecoast will have local reviews for NY resorts.

Second Gore. It's got tons of fun terrain for skiers of all ability levels. My friends and I had a blast there this winter, plenty of challenges for the experts and a ton of intermediate trails for the less experienced. I'm a solidly "good not great" skier lol and I found the blue runs extremely fun and even challenging in spots.

If you'd rather stay in the Catskills, I've never had a bad day at Belleayre. Plus they're so on top of snowmaking that you could conceivably have good skiing there in late December. By January, definitely. Plattekill is a cool mountain too and very close to Belleayre so you could even do a day at each.

I'm less fond of Hunter - it's way overpriced for the size of the mountain imo, even worse now that it's a Vail property. And of course it's got the reputation of drunk aggro skiers. I haven't really experienced that there but it's probably not totally false.

Windham, eh.

Then of course if you're up for the trip, there's Whiteface, which is the biggest and supposedly best (never been but hoping to go next winter).

If you want to go really upstate, check out Whiteface. It really does have some killer terrain, and if you wait until January the famous Slides may be open. As for staying, Lake Placid is one of the coolest little ski towns in the country with a lot to offer. It’s definitely a lot further out of the way, but was always my favorite place to go when I lived in the area

Definitely second Holiday Valley. Not the most vertical, but a lot of fun terrain with a good atmosphere. Great town area too. I’m from CNY and we always try to do a weekend out there every year.

Go to Vermont instead

Elk Mountain is PA's dirty little secret. Best terrain by far and usually best snow, though I'm not sure what conditions are like right now this early in the season. It's got as much vertical as Blue for half the price and half the crowds, and only maybe a half hour more from NYC.

What about Massachusetts? Berkshire East is awesome and affordable. I haven't been to Catamount, but it's the same ownership and closer to NY.

I haven’t ridden, but lots of folks recommend Belleayre. Less crowded than hunter and I believe competitive rates. Longer drive can get you up to VT/NH.

if budget is an issue rent off mountain. There will be local ski shops that will offer competitive rates.

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then look for deals on lift tickets here: https://www.liftopia.com/

huh... looks like liftopia is pretty much dead... vail? used to be able to save a few bucks.

I keep seeing this..I have to hit this resort this season

Hopefully we get some snow this weekend to open it up!

Magic is very laid back. If you bring your kids, they can run around and the learning center is off to the side. They also have a great stage and attract some well-known bands and have a pretty rowdy nightlife scene at the base tavern.

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When there's good coverage, the East Side is one of the most fun spots out there.

Cannon has a family area, but I don’t consider that a mountain for families. I think I would put Wildcat in the same boat. Breton woods and Sunday River are more family oriented

If your looking for other single 20s / apres / nightlife killington or tremblant are what I’ve found to be the best for that. That’s not to say those mountains are not family friendly though, your still going to find a lot of families and beginners on the mountain.

Mad river glen in vt is super basic and has some easier trails but it's definitely a great spot for harder rides and tree skiing. There are families there, but I find it's less bananas than other skis lopes . Partially the single chair limits newer younger skiers from riding .

If you're open to the expert only very much NOT new skier or skier friendly, check out Michigan's Mount Bohemia

1. FWIW, Mt Bohemia is Midwest, not Icecoast. If we're going out of Icecoast, plenty of places qualify. Bridger Bowl in Montana and Mt Cain on Vancouver Island quickly come to mind.
2. Boho sucks anyway. Don't come here.

Got it yellowstone is off the list. Colorado cant be the only family friendly / budget friendly option. The wife thinks Vermont is a good alternative. I'm thinking maybe Hawaii and some choice waves are sounding better. Seems the only useful help here is Jackson Hole and no skiing in yeller

> ost of the national park itself is closed in the dead of winter.

We are really looking at Dec 17th weekend. I'll check those 3 out thanks!

Hold the phone there, pardner. Unless Vail just blew a resort out of their ass in the last 2 weeks, there’s zero skiing in Yellowstone NP. Plus the Rockefeller is likely closed/snowed in just past Colter Bay in GTNP. Do yourself a favor and head to Colorado and get a mountainside cottage in keystone or steamboat springs. They have wonderful night skiing. If you think you want to go to snow king in JH, bang your head against the wall until that thought has vacated your noggin. Good luck my friend

Skiing is expensive, especially at big time resorts with good terrain. You dont need that. 3 and 4 its a waste, and if the older ones havent skied same for them.

Steamboat is super family friendly, and has the correct terrain, but is moderately pricey. Air bnb will be cheaper than resort lodging and most hotels.

Salt lake city and driving is your highest quality cheap option.

Also look at Tahoe. Heavenly is usually pretty reasonable, especially if the wife likes to pull slots or poach tourists at card tables.

Just remember, Yellowstone is a National Park not a state. Wyoming and Montana have great skiing, as do Colorado and Utah and California. I have been enjoying the Jackson Hole area for years in both winter and summer. If you do decide to visit the greater Yellowstone region (Teton Wilderness, etc.) you won’t regret it.

Hunter Mountain is regularly recommended for newer skiers. Best places to ski within driving distance of NYC? from 5 days ago recommends Catamount and Hunter among others. Weekend Ski Trips near NYC for Beginners from 1 month before that recommends Hunter and Mount Peter among others. Where to go skiing for the first time? from 12 days before that recommends hunter mountain and Windham mountains among others.

For their first time up on skis, I would look into Thunder Ridge of it is open. Has a very good ski school for kids, less crowded than anywhere bigger near by, and a lot closer than Hunter. Not worth going to otherwise but it is a great place for first few days up on skis.

Not sure on the two year olds though (might need to be 3 or older), so I'd call about that part.

Hunter. It has a separate beginner mountain with a separate lift and 3 different feeder trails onto two large bunny hills. Bunny hills are serviced by a long magic carpet.

Finally the hunter ski school for penguins is great.

What's packed? The beginner mountain at hunter? Compared to what? The single mountain in other places within a two hour drive from NYC?

If you can afford it, pay for lessons from instructors. They know how to teach and can handle any push back or challenges, and then your kids can have fun showing off their new skills to you. I also remember long days of family skiing being really tiring when I was a kid, so you might schedule half days to start.

Hunter or Jiminy Peak are probably the two I'd most recommend.

Hey, I’m from NYC/NJ area. Unfortunately there’s not many options around us besides the ones you already named. Shawnee mountain is small but it’s very friendly. Blue mountain is another option, but with the weather we’ve been having I’m not sure how conditions will be this season. If you’re looking to make friends and improve your skills, you can try Big Snow in American Dream Mall. People there are super friendly and it gives you a chance to improve skills in the meantime, until we get a decent amount of snow.

Hey man, I live in PA/NJ/NY tri state area. Mount Peter in Warwick is a good beginner mountain. I'll be going there to warm up some. Also, MT creek is having a deal on their triple play card right now if you buy before Monday. Mt Shawnee is near me in PA, Big Bear is in PA as well. I'm only in my second season of boarding so I'm new as well. Feel free to be my friend

Montage has $40 midweek lift tickets with rental. For season pass holders this year, you can join any open lessons for no additional charge on Tuesdays. Can’t beat that.

There's always the indoor place in the American Dream mall - bigsnowamericandream.com

The answer to this is Campgaw. It’s a giant bunny hill with very cheap lift tickets. It’s in Mahwah.

Another option is Mount Peters bear Warwick NY. It’s like 15 minutes from Mountain Creek.

Both are small (Mount Peter is bigger) but a good way to get better for cheap so it’ll save you money. Then you can go to those mountains you listed. Hope this helps

With the astoundingly little amount of helpful info provided and the seemingly astoundingly broad criteria my official suggestion is:

Big Snow - East Rutherford NJ

Best part about NYE at a ski resort is skiing early on New Years Day. Typically a ghost town until noon.

Aspen over Christmas week is a pretty special place. Not very budget friendly however.

Heavenly Lake Tahoe, party in the casino for NYE and then hit the slopes across the street.

Japan. Send it. If you want to have the most wicked ski trip of your life, fucking pull the trigger.

I've enjoyed Sun Valley, Idaho on past NYE's. Ketchum is a fun town. Sun Valley has great snow making, which might be helpful, because conditions can be hit-or-miss at many resorts at that time of year. Telluride would also be a good one.

One thing to pay attention to, when planning your trip, is that Vail Resorts, and others, have blackout dates from 12/26-12/31. Living next to a Vail-owned resort, Heavenly, I am happy for the blackout, because otherwise it is totally overcrowded and not very much fun to be at the resort. The blackout period around the holidays could add some cost to your trip, depending on where you go and what specific dates you will be skiing. Just something to keep in mind as you plan it out. Good luck!!!

With kids that young I’d personally consider figuring out your childcare situation first or consider going to a smaller cheaper and friendlier resort with decent lodging options (I assume there are some around Tahoe).

The kids will have fun either way. But my reasoning is that if the kids are with you, neither of you will get much of the skiing experience that a big place has to offer, and they may be too young for full day ski schools anyway. If you’re putting them in childcare for the full day different story. Or if you take turns and each of you skis a different day. But that assumes the kids are not more attached to one of the parents

I would also propose looking into beaver creek if you have epic. It’s costlier but felt to me friendlier than PC

Deer valley. Park city

Do you plan on being with them the whole time? If not, look for the best on mountain ski school/kid care program. I imagine both PC and Deer Valley are pretty good. Bonus idea: spend a day together at Woodward Park City. Ski and ride tubes outside, jump on trampolines and foam pits inside.

Park city is an easier destination with slc airport nearby. Either deer valley or PCMR would be great for kids. Dv ski school for the youngers is more like babysitting with only a couple of hours of ski instruction, whereas PCMR has them out all day.

December is still a somewhat iffy snow month for Utah. They will definitely have plenty for the kids, but the biggest snow months are Jan/Feb here.

Try wertu.ai's ski trip planner, it's great for finding family-friendly ski resorts

Loveland - great learning terrain, family-friendly atmosphere.

Also Ski Cooper (Not Copper)

Keystone or Winter Park if you don't want to break the bank. Beaver Creek or Snowmass if you want higher end. All four places are great and very kid friendly. If you need snowboarding as an option your best bet in Utah is Park City but like Vail the resort is massive and could be overwhelming for your first trip out west. I would stick with one of the Colorado resorts that I've mentioned above with Beaver Creek then Keystone being my top choices especially if you stay in or near their villages.

You can stay at either Bend or Sunriver. Both cities have the famous Deschutes River running thru. Hiking and biking are also abundant. Sunriver is a vacation community, while Bend is a “normal” city. You will enjoy either one. Mt Bachelor is the best ski resort in Oregon and the 6th largest ski resort in the USA. Mt Hood is a distant second.

Edit: One other thought is Brundage Idaho. A complete family resort, old school lodge and terrain for every ability.

Mt bachelor in Oregon has something for everyone. Though it’s not really a resort (no ski in ski out), there are plenty of places not too far away with great amenities. I grew up going to Sunriver and have nothing but the best memories of the place. I ski there occasionally now and still love it. If you’re lucky enough to catch a view, it’s pretty damn spectacular.

Keystone has a pretty good bus system going around the nearby neighborhoods so you don’t need to be in the river run village.

I saw in another comment that you were looking at an April trip, and Bachelor is a great choice for spring skiing. They have a really long season, and I skied fresh pow on closing day this year (May 29th). They stay open through the end of May most years.

Yeah exactly. Most places will come with access to the aquatic center, etc. the little village has an ice rink and a bunch of restaurants/toy stores/boutiques. Weather is the biggest issue with skiing in Oregon, although Bachelor is about the highest resort in the state (the highest being Timberline, but that place is strictly a summer spot for me.) It’s almost always more consistent in March/April than December/January. I’ll add also, it’s about a half hour drive from the Redmond airport to SR, and I’d assume there is a shuttle, or a 3 hr drive from PDX. This could be great to go see some other Oregon sites, or you could get involved in mountain passes in the winter. Just a heads up. To me that’s much more appealing than going to any ski resort from Denver 😅

Steamboat has great ski school, Grad Targhee has a great learning area and a convenient layout.

Keystone is the most family friendly I’m aware of. Lots of activities, restaurants are great for families. They have a wide variety of skiing they tend to favor intermediates.