New York City is in the midst of one of it’s snowiest and coldest winters in recent memory, and we can’t stop thinking about a winter getaway from the city. We’re talking cozy cabins and solid ski slopes that all are nestled into Upstate New York’s iconic mountain landscape.
These quaint mountain towns have plenty to offer, from plentiful winter hiking trails to incredible museum and history. We’ve rounded up our favorite mountain towns near NYC to visit this winter…for travelers, skiers, and everyone in between!
Woodstock, NY
Woodstock, NY’s charm goes way back, and expands beyond the namesake ’60s music festival when it comes to a dream mountainous destination. The artistic vibe and natural beauty of the Catskills town is evident, with plenty of art galleries (Woodstock Artists Association and Museum and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild) and exhibitions (The Center for Photography at Woodstock) offering a sense of charm.
Of course the town’s mountains offer plenty of outdoor activities too, with some of our favorite being the Overlook Mountain Trail in the Catskill Forest Preserve, the Comeau Property nature reserve, and the beautiful Ashokan Rail Trail which offers views of the Hudson River and Ashokan Reservoir.
Round it out with Tinker Street’s lovely strip of shops and restaurants and you’ll be in for a treat.
📍 Woodstock, NY
🚗 2 hour drive
Hunter, NY
Hunter, NY is one of the best Upstate towns for skiing, as much of its tourism is centered around the pristine Hunter Mountain Resort and other natural beauties.
After a couple hour’s outside of NYC, you’ll land at the premier skiing resort which offers skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in the winter, a scenic sky ride up 3200′ of Catskills summit in the summer, and so much more.
We highly recommend staying at the resort (which has everything you need) so you can enjoy the amenities while also exploring other marvels like the 2.6 mile Kaaterskill Falls waterfall and popular North-South Lake.
It’s the dream winter getaway for any skier or snowboarder, really.
📍 Hunter, NY
🚗 2.5 hour drive
Phoenicia, NY
While you may think of the popular Phoenicia Diner when this town comes to mind (thanks again for the reminder Severance), Phoenicia, NY goes way beyond its historic and iconic diner.
The town is a popular summer mountain town, chalk full of hiking trails throughout the Phoenicia-Mt. Tobias Wild Forest. Depending on how vigorous of exercise you’re looking for, trails can range from 5 – 40 miles long…meandering through the likes of Panther Mountain and Tremper Mountain. Not to mention other activities like water tubing down the Esopus Creek and riding down the historic Ulster & Delaware Railroad line.
Don’t forget to dive deeper into the town’s art and cultural roots too, like the Empire State Railway Museum and the World’s Largest Kaleidoscope.
📍 Phoenicia, NY
🚗 2.5 hour drive
Lake Placid, NY
There’s a reason Lake Placid, NY was named one of the best mountain towns in the country, and it’s because the mountains are truly the heartbeat of the whole town. Starting with Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy, which hosted a pair of Winter Games (1932 & 1980) including the famous “Miracle on Ice” victory for US Hockey Team all those decades ago.
Even today, that “Olympic village” ambiance rings true, from the blustery mountainsides that entrap the town to the memorabilia that lines the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Lake Placid Olympic Center, and Olympic Jumping Complex.
Beyond the famous winter games, experiencing the outdoor activities yourself is something to check off your bucket list. Some of our favorite things to do are hiking up Mount Jo, renting a kayak on Mirror Lake, and riding the scenic gondola up Whiteface Mountain. And if you’re brave enough…ski Whiteface Mountain and visit the attached resort.
It’s everything you can dream of in an Upstate fairytale…combining sporting heritage with mountains as far as the eye can see!
📍 Lake Placid, NY
🚗 5 hour drive
Cooperstown, NY
Cooperstown, NY sits right in between both the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains, making it…the best of both worlds?! Add in the fact that it’s on the southern shore of Otsego Lake, and you get about everything you could want from an Upstate mountain town.
It’s best visited in the summer time when you can hike through Glimmerglass State Park, specifically the 2.5 mile Sleeping Lion trail that offers an aerial view of the town from the mountain. Swimming, boating, and fishing in the lake is also highly popular in the warmer weather and even during the winter there’s plenty of spots to cross-country ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile.
Cooperstown’s heritage extends culturally too thanks to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and appropriately placed The Farmers’ Museum.
📍 Cooperstown, NY
🚗 4 hour drive
Windham, NY
Windham, NY is similar to Hunter, NY in that it’s somewhere you want to go in the winter. The mountain town is headlined by the world-class Windham Mountain Resort which offers 1,600 feet of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing, and so much more.
Everywhere you go in town you’ll be able to catch glimpses of Windham Mountain, whether it be on the popular Escarpment Trail on Windham High Peak or at The Five State Lookout where you can see panoramic views across five states. In the summer, bookmark the 2-mile Windham Path to bike around and Catskill Park for hikes.
📍 Windham, NY
🚗 3 hour drive
Lake George, NY
Named after the “Queen of American Lakes,” this gorgeous mountain town borders the 32-mile long lake that is truly one of New York State’s most incredible natural wonders. It’s been visited in the summertime when you can take advantage of that very lake, partaking in swimming, boating, fishing, and paddling.
Other picturesque activities we recommend include hiking up Prospect Mountain and Buck Mountain, ice fishing in the winter, parasailing in the summer, and taking a scenic boat tour in the fall.
📍 Windham, NY
🚗 4 hour drive