Bellayre Mountain is one of those places that no one ever seems to have heard of. However, if you have skied there, then you will always remember it.

Bellayre is in New York’s Forest Preserve and is therefore a bit less commercially developed than most ski areas in the Catskills and in the rest of New York. There are not any condos along the slopes and no strip development up to the base lodge. That lagging development has been a great asset for the mountain, there are few crowds and the main attraction is skiing. However, if you are looking for exciting night life, this is probably not the place to be.

Bellayre has two lodges, one at the very bottom of the mountain and then a mid-lodge. Both are fairly good sized and have plenty of space for changing and storing gear (lift-tickets can be purchased at either lodge). Food prices are the average prices you would expect to pay at a ski area. There are restaurants and bars in both lodges.

Bellayre has snowmaking capabilities that can cover most of the mountain in white fluffy stuff overnight. They just recently upgraded their snowmaking system to provide even more coverage. Their lift system is top notch, also being recently upgraded. I have never seen a line waiting for the lifts that is more than maybe 3 minutes at the most.

The mountain also has a top notch Ski School with very encompassing programs. This is a great mountain if you want to learn how to ski, improve your technique, or want to help someone else learn.

The lower mountain (between the Lower and Upper Lodges) has most of the beginners and low intermediate trails. These are wide open trails that are very good for the beginner. None of these trails are all that intimidating and provide ample space to practice without fear of hitting someone else, or someone else hitting you.

The upper mountain has the upper-intermediate and expert trails. Several of the trails off the summit ridge are incredibly steep, you should definitly look down before you try it. There are intermediate trails from the summit so you are not stuck running one of these double-diamond trails.

The state also keeps open several kilometers of cross-country ski trails. These trails are located below the lower lodge and they have their own parking area. Last time I skied at Bellayre, there was no fee to use the cross-country trails. These trails run the gambit from easy to expert, with several very nice loops to choose from.

Bellayre is a great mountain because there are few crowds (as a result of it being less commercially developed) and there almost always a good base of snow, whether it be man-made or natural (of which there is plenty this winter!). Go there to ski!

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