STEP BACK IN TIME AT THIS NORTHERN NEW YORK SKI AREA
Whiteface Mountain, which is located in northern New York, has the greatest vertical of any ski area in the east.
Beartown Ski Area, which is also located in northern New York, has the greatest vertical of ANY ski area in Clinton County, New York.
Northern New York is home to Whiteface Mountain, which offers the greatest vertical of any ski area in eastern North America — but it’s also home to another great: Beartown Ski Area. While Beartown may not rise to the heights of Whiteface, it is the greatest vertical ski area in Clinton County, New York, with a vertical of 150 ft., which is serviced by two surface lifts providing access to four runs.
Looking down a run at Beartown.
You may see that vertical and think this place is just a hill and make no mistake: It is. There are actual mountains in Clinton County, but none of them have been developed into a ski area. Beartown stands alone, towering over nearby Lake Champlain, while nearby Lyon Mountain, which is in Clinton County and was nearly developed into a major ski resort in the 1960s, looms in the background behind it.
Beartown Ski Area’s lodge.
But what this place lacks in vertical and size, it makes up for in charm and character. Beartown is a mostly volunteer-run nonprofit ski area. Being a small ski area, a lot of kids, and even adults, have learned to ski here every winter since it opened in 1958. At a time when skiing is increasingly more corporate and expensive, Beartown offers a breath of fresh air and a step back in time. Everyone who works there is friendly. The lifts are old. The lodge is vintage and nostalgic. Lift tickets are cheap, as is the food. I mean, where else can you get a bowl of chili with love and attitude for $3? Or a burger for $4? There are very few ski areas that can compete with those prices.
Are you getting the chili with love and attitude?
You won’t see prices like this at the major resorts. Taken in December of 2024.
The skiing is pretty good, too. Given its vertical and size, I know some of you just rolled your eyes reading that, but it’s the truth. As with most everything in life, don’t knock it until your try it. The terrain at Beartown would be beginner runs anywhere else and while they’re short, you can get a decent amount of speed going by the time you reach the bottom, before you hop right back on the T-Bar or Poma.
Fresh corduroy in the afternoon at Beartown.
Mount Mansfield seen from Beartown Ski Area.
Powder day at Beartown.
Powder night at Beartown.
While they do make it, Beartown can get its fair share of natural snow and I’ve enjoyed a few awesome powder nights and days there. With an elevation of around 900 ft. in the Champlain Valley, the mountain also has a view of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains in Vermont. On a nice day, you can see Mount Mansfield and, at night, you can see Vermont towns and even Bolton Valley, which has night skiing, all lit up.
Riding the T-bar on a powder night.
A sign in the lodge.
Beartown is the kind of place where it feels like you know everyone and yet you actually know no one. It’s friendly, inviting and it’s got soul. Next time you find yourself just south of the US/Canada border in the winter, stop by and get a few laps in. Go for the skiing and stay for the chili.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln