Major Improvements Coming to Belleayre Mountain Ski Center

A new plan has been announced that will make modernize Belleayre Mountain and attract more skiers to the Catskill region.

On Monday the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Olympic Authority unveiled the final Unit Management Plan that will bring Belleayre Mountain into the 21st century. Originally opened in 1949, Belleayre Mountain in Ulster County boasted the very first chair lift in New York State. Over the years, the ski area became extremely popular with locals and visitors from New York City. By the 1950s the mountain had expanded from five trails to 17 and opened a new base lodge, replacing the original dirt-floor cafeteria.

Over the next few decades, the mountain continued to add improvements including snowmaking technology, upgraded chair lifts and a gondola, expanded medical facilities and larger parking areas. In 2012 operation of the resort was handed over from the DEC to the Olympic Authority which also operates Whiteface and Gore.

Now, an ambitious plan is being made to upgrade Belleayre Mountain even more. Improvements proposed by the Olympic Authority include the construction of a brand-new gondola, the creation of a new beginner ski area, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and a new pedestrian staircase to connect the parking areas.

In addition to the new construction, the plan also calls for the maintenance of an existing chair lift, expanding the Longhouse Lodge and administration building and changes to the Nordic and Alpine ski trails. For non-skiers, the mountain is also planning to create new hiking and mountain biking trails for the year-round enjoyment of Belleayre Mountain.