West Mountain, NY, Report: An Underdog With Aspirations of Becoming a Year-Round Resort Destination

West Mountain Base Area — Conditions were stellar, but I think I was able to count the number of cars in the lot on only two hands. | Credit: Liam Abbott

Report from Wednesday, March 26, 2025

While the state of New York may have more ski resorts than any other state, the region is certainly not known for its destination mountains. Sure, you have Whiteface, Windham, and Hunter, but all of them have their flaws that keep the majority of skiers and riders in the Northeast looking towards Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine for their next ski vacation.

West Mountain, located in Queensbury, New York, certainly doesn’t fall into the destination ski resort category either. In fact, we should be thankful this ski resort even still operates after its previous owners filled for bankruptcy back in 2013. Yet, since that low point in its 64 years of operations, West Mountain has bounced back to become a thriving local ski area that has ambitions to do something its nearby big neighbours could never consider doing: becoming not just a ski area but a ski resort.

West Mountain Base. While natural snowfall may have been long gone, West Mountain has done a remarkable job at keeping its trails rock and dirt-free. | Credit: Liam Abbott

Quick Facts & History

Date Opened: 1961
Multi-Destination Pass: Indy Pass
Number of Trails: 35
Skiable Acres: 130
Vertical Drop: 1,010′
Base Elevation: 460′
Summit Elevation: 1,470′
Average Annual Snowfall: 70″
Terrain Breakdown:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 30%
Number of Lifts: 6
Night Skiing: Yes
Other Activities:
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Tubing
- Mountain Biking (summer)

One of the biggest limiting factors of the state-run Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain is their inability to offer slope side accommodations to guests. Yes, Whiteface has the idyllic nearby town of Lake Placid, which outweighs this drawback in many ways, but that factor alone is a dealbreaker for many ski vacationers.

West Mountain knows this and wants to tap into the current gap in the market, sitting right at the entrance to the Adirondacks. The resort recently submitted an application to the town of Queensbury that proposes the development of ‘The Woods at West Mountain.’ This self-described “alpine village” would be a hub of year-round recreational activities and be located where the current Northwest Lodge sits.

While West Mountain has already developed and sold a couple of slopeside properties, ‘The Woods at West Mountain’ would be much more expansive. The plan submitted to the city includes 252 apartment units, 64 condo units, 65 single-family homes, plus an 80-room hotel. If this project were to come to fruition, West Mountain, although much smaller than Gore and Whiteface, may become a much more attractive upstate New York ski vacation destination, especially for families.

West Mountain Apex Chair Bottom — At the bottom of West Mountain’s Apex Chair would be the site of the proposed “The Woods at West Mountain.” | Credit: Liam Abbott

When I visited West Mountain this week, locals and employees alike expressed the significance of a development like this at West Mountain. In their eyes, Whiteface, Gore, and Bellayre all have the unfair advantage of not only being the biggest ski areas in the state but also not having to pay taxes while receiving heavy investment from the state that owns and operates them. A development like this would help level the playing field while differentiating the ski area.

Related: Judge Rules Central New York Ski Resort Owner Broke Antitrust Laws by Shutting Down Rival

Besides the future aspirations this small independently owned and operated ski resort has, what they have already achieved is nothing short of remarkable. The day I visited West Mountain, it should have been closed. For the season. Yet to my surprise (I was so surprised I had to call and ask just to make sure they were really open), West Mountain still had a plethora of trails open across the entire mountain that completely contrasted the dirt-streaked ski trails many other East Coast ski areas had at the same time.

West Mountain Midway. Although this trail under the Apex Chairlift is only a green, its consistent fall line pitch made for a great run to rip. | Credit: Liam Abbott

With the mountain operating from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., I arrived at 2:00 p.m., yet it skied like it was only 11:00 a.m. The snow was great for the spring time, and I had no hesitations bringing my precious new Blizzard carving skis onto the slopes instead of my beat-up Line rock skis I was almost certain I would be skiing on the entire weekend.

West Mountain Alley. Alley was my favorite trail of the day. This narrow, out-of-sight trail had barely been touched and made you feel like you were flying through the trees. | Credit: Liam Abbott

Although when I stepped out of my car, the temperature gauge read 42ºF, by the end of the day, I was left the mountain after experiencing several sporadic bursts of snow squalls, which instantly put me in a better mood. As much as I love spring skiing in the sun, nothing beats a little bit of snow.

West Mountain Heavy Snowfall — Mother Nature reminded us that the ski season is not done with some sporadic snowfall throughout the afternoon. | Credit: Liam Abbott

I had driven by West Mountain countless times on ski trips up from New York City to the Adirondacks, Quebec, and Vermont. Each time I saw West Mountain in the distance off I-87 and remembered it was on my Indy Pass, I knew I should stop to visit, yet I didn’t have the time at that moment to stop. This time, I made a concerted effort to visit, and I have no regrets. This mountain served as the perfect warm-up to an epic ski weekend further north ahead and a reminder of the importance and charm that small, locally owned and operated ski areas give.

I’ll be back to West Mountain and I’ll be preaching to all to not overlook this small but fun mountain on a trip up north.