Day Ski Trips From NYC

Situated in Vernon Township over in New Jersey, Mountain Creek Resort is easily one of the best ski resorts in the surrounding NYC area. You can drive to Mountain Creek from Downtown Manhattan in about an hour and a half, as the resort is only about 50 miles away and very easy to reach by following NJ-23.

You can also hop on board the NYC Snow Bus, which takes ski enthusiasts straight from various locations around NYC like Union Square and Times Square to Mountain Creek and other ski resort locations. Once you get to Mountain Creek, you'll be greeted with over 160 acres of skiable area across four different mountains. Both skiing and snowboarding are popular here, and there are 46 different runs in total, as well as nine different lifts spread out around the resort.

Situated in Patterson, Putnam County, Thunder Ridge Ski Area is one of the top ski locations for a day trip from NYC. You don't even need to leave the state to get to Thunder Ridge Ski Area, and a lot of skiers and snowboarders travel here from NYC all through the year. Thunder Ridge Ski Area is about 67 miles outside of Downtown Manhattan, so you can make the drive in around 90 minutes, or a little less depending on traffic, by following the I-87 N.

Those who choose to make the trip to the Thunder Ridge Ski Area will discover 90 acres of skiable area set across a very scenic space, with a lot of forests and amazing views all around. There are 21 trails in total at Thunder Ridge, with around half of these trails being rated as green circle (easy), so it's a good spot for families and beginners looking for some casual, relaxing skiing on a day trip from New York. More experienced skiers, meanwhile, can tackle some of the black diamond trails like Eagle's Lair or Blackberry Pass.

Hunter Mountain is a longer drive out of New York City than the likes of Thunder Ridge and Mountain Creek, but many skiers will argue that it's worth the extra time you spend in the car or bus to get there. This New York ski resort features an incredible 1,600 foot vertical drop.

Visitors to Hunter Mountain can enjoy snow tubing along with skiing, and there are over 300 acres of skiable land here, with 67 runs in total and 13 chairlifts. Hunter Mountain is a super spot to admire the Catskills and enjoy some super skiing, and various buses can take you direct to the resort out of NYC. You can also choose to drive to Hunter Mountain, and the journey will take between two and a half and three hours, depending on traffic.

Also located in Upstate New York, not much further than Hunter Mountain, Windham Mountain is another of NY's top ski resorts and can be visited for a day trip direct from NYC. This resort offers 285 acres of skiable area, 54 runs, seven chairlifts, five surface lifts, and five spacious terrain parks too, so there's plenty to do here. Windham Mountain has proven very popular with families and groups of friends over the years due to its variety and quality facilities, including some great dining options.

The NYC Snow Bus heads straight to Windham Mountain out of Downtown New York, or you could make the drive up via I-87. It'll take close to three hours to get to Windham Mountain from NYC, but if you set off early in the morning and head home after dark, you'll be able to get more or less a full day on the slopes.