The must-know trivia about Mount Peter Ski Area is that it was founded over 76 years ago by Macy's Department Store to provide a real showcase for the ski apparel they sold! Today it is family operated and has become one of New York State's favorite ski destinations for families and beginners alike.
Only an hour's drive from New York City in the beautiful Hudson River Valley, Mount Peter is a perfect little ski area for beginners and families. Although it has a 450 feet vertical drop, when you approach it the view is decidedly flat. Which is good news for shaky beginners! This is an easy widely spread out skiing surface rather than a mountain with up and down trails. No one should fear trying to learn how to ski here.
More good news for beginners is that Mount Peter offers free beginner ski lessons and beginner snowboard lessons!
There are 69 acres to ski on and 4 lifts to take you to the 11 trails which have been equally divided between beginner, intermediate and advanced. Advanced to expert skiers will enjoy a quick run but not encounter any challenges or steep pitches. Mount Peter has an average snowfall of 50 inches a year and there is good grooming on the trails.
Experienced snowboarders will have two terrain parks to go down plus four expert trails. The terrain parks have jumps and ledges. For more challenge, there is the Wild West Trail that you can reach from the Hailey's Comet Chair Lift. If you have just learned how to snowboard, try the Snowfields or Deer Run trails.
There are picnic tables and benches on an outside patio to picnic on or to sit and watch the skiing so you can bring food with you as there is no restaurant at Mount Peter. You can pick up picnic food on the way as there are several easy places to stop before getting to the mountain.
After or before skiing, you cannot miss the chance of stopping at the Bellvale Creamery for their famous homemade award winning ice cream. Try the cheesecake flavor with swirls of graham cracker crust, pumpkin, brownies and peanut butter, and their pralines and cream flavor for some taste bud excitement.
Mount Peter is in historic Warwick, New York which has accommodations ranging from the lovely old Inn at Stony Creek all the way down to inns and quaint B&Bs.
If you have time you can visit the Warwick Valley Winery for a tour, wine tastings, and a reasonably priced lunch. Try their hard cider that they flavor with natural fruits including raspberry and pear.
For dinner, try the very cozy pub called Yesterday's for grilled steaks, burgers, pasta and beer on draught. There is also La Petite Cuisine across from the train station for breakfast, brunch or lunch. And Trattoria Viviano serves a fusion of northern and southern Italian cuisine. After dinner, take a walking tour of the historic village of Warwick before tucking in for the night. It is a quintessential New England town with restored colonial houses and well laid out streets.
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