Skiing, snowshoeing and winter sports

This guide is for Central New York families and weekend skiers sorting out the 2026-27 winter: which downhill areas are open, where to cross-country ski or snowshoe for a few dollars, how snowmobile permits work around Old Forge and the Tug Hill Plateau, and where to skate. Season pass sales are under way now, and several early-bird deadlines fall in October.

Each ski area below operated in the 2025-26 season, and most had 2026-27 season passes on sale in early October 2026. Areas that have closed are not included.

Downhill south of Syracuse

Two hills on one pass in Tully and Truxton

Two ski areas in the hills south of Syracuse are sold together as SkiCNY, with one season pass good at both. Song Mountain is at 1 Song Mountain Rd. in Tully, with a restaurant and bar at the base; the main number is (315) 696-5711. In neighboring Cortland County, Labrador Mountain is at 6935 Route 91 in Truxton, with more than 20 trails, 15-plus of them lit for night skiing, and a pub-fare restaurant; call (607) 842-6204.

The 2026-27 individual season pass, covering both mountains, is listed at $679 with a 20 percent early-bird discount through Monday, October 12, 2026. The discount drops to 10 percent from October 13 through December 1, and full price applies after that. SkiCNY points out that the company still runs ticket windows, answers the phone and takes cash.

A full resort on Route 392 in Virgil

In the Town of Virgil, Greek Peak Mountain Resort at 2000 NYS Route 392 (Cortland mailing address) pairs skiing and snowboarding with snow tubing, the Hope Lake Lodge hotel and the Cascades Indoor Waterpark. The resort’s Nordic Center at the Adventure Center, 1856 NYS Route 392, has more than 15 kilometers of cross-country and snowshoe trails behind Hope Lake Lodge and into the Town of Virgil’s Hope Lake Park, open when natural snow allows. Season passes for 2026-27 are on sale; the resort’s posted price from October 1 through the end of the season is $999.

Near Utica and Rome

North of Rome, Woods Valley Ski Area at 9100 State Route 46 in Westernville has been running since 1964, when Dave Woods started the ski area with a rope tow, a J-bar and a T-bar. Today the hill has night skiing, three terrain parks, a snow tubing area and a beginner learning zone with conveyor lifts, and the ski area’s website advertises a new quad chairlift “coming summer 2026.” The fall season pass sale is on; call (315) 827-4721.

Inside Utica’s Roscoe Conkling Park, the city-owned Val Bialas Ski Area opened in 1954 and is named for an Olympic speedskater who grew up in Utica. After years of sporadic operation, the hill had a soft reopening on February 13, 2026, following $2 million in state-funded work on snowmaking and the lift, WRVO reported. Opening dates for 2026-27 will depend on the weather, so watch the city’s announcements.

North into the snow belt

Lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario piles up on the Tug Hill Plateau and in the western Adirondacks, and the ski areas there count their average snowfall in hundreds of inches.

In Old Forge, McCauley Mountain Ski Center at 300 McCauley Mountain Road has 21 slopes and trails on a 633-foot vertical drop and lists average snowfall of 281 inches. The mountain now runs a triple chairlift to the summit, a used lift donated with help from the state’s Olympic Regional Development Authority, which replaced a 1970s double chair. The mountain also grooms cross-country trails. Last season McCauley was open daily except Tuesdays outside holiday weeks; 2026-27 prices had not been posted in early October.

On the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County, Snow Ridge Ski Resort at 4173 West Road in Turin lists 31 trails, five lifts, a 500-foot vertical drop and average snowfall of 230 inches, with night skiing Thursdays and Fridays in peak season. The resort’s 2026-27 season pass sale ends October 15.

Closer to Fort Drum, Dry Hill Ski Area at 18160 Alpine Ridge Rd., just south of Watertown, has skiing, night skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, and has 2026-27 passes on sale.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

Several public parks groom trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and some rent gear for a few dollars.

• Fabius: Onondaga County’s Highland Forest County Park at 1254 Highland Park Road has 40 miles of cross-country trails, 20 of them groomed and track-set, plus three skate-ski loops. A day pass is $10, or $5 for ages 15 and under. Ski and snowshoe rentals are available, snowshoes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily when conditions allow, and there is an unsupervised 300-foot sledding hill and weekend horse-drawn sleigh rides by reservation.
• Baldwinsville: Beaver Lake Nature Center at 8477 East Mud Lake Road opens designated snowshoe and ski trails on the center’s 670 acres as conditions allow. Snowshoes can be rented at the visitor center; cross-country skis cannot.
• Fayetteville: Green Lakes State Park at 7900 Green Lakes Road has 15 miles of trails open to cross-country skiers and allows snowshoeing.
• Inlet: The Town of Inlet’s free Fern Park and nearby Limekiln State Campground have more than 22 kilometers of groomed trails between them, with a lighted section open for night skiing until 10 p.m.

Snowmobiling around Old Forge and Tug Hill

Every snowmobile ridden in New York has to be registered with the DMV. According to State Parks, registration costs $135, or $65 with proof of membership in a snowmobile club affiliated with the statewide snowmobile association, and riders must carry liability insurance. Riders ages 10 to 13 who complete a state-recognized safety course may ride only within 500 feet of an adult 18 or older; ages 14 to 17 with the course may ride on their own.

Old Forge calls itself the Snowmobile Capital of the East, and riding the Towns of Webb and Inlet trail system takes a local trail permit on top of state registration. The 2026-27 permit is $80 if paid by November 15, 2026, and $100 after that; the shortest option is a seven-day permit for $55. The town’s snowmobile FAQ lists trails as scheduled to open December 7, conditions permitting, with the Snodeo kickoff on December 11 and 12.

Statewide, the snowmobile trail system covers more than 10,500 miles in 46 counties and is managed by more than 200 local groups, with registration fees funding trail grants. West of Old Forge, riders on the Tug Hill Plateau deal with heavy lake-effect snow; a Fort Drum safety official said in a 2019 garrison article that Tug Hill and Pulaski average about 300 inches a winter.

Where to skate

Downtown Syracuse’s Clinton Square Ice Rink has opened in late November or early December in recent seasons; the square hosted a roller rink pop-up in summer 2026, so check the city’s announcements for the ice opening. In Old Forge, the town’s free outdoor rink at 364 Joy Tract is open from sunrise to 10 p.m. under lights; the ice is not refrigerated, so skating depends on the weather. Inlet’s Fern Park pavilion has an indoor rink with a warming room.

Good to know

These deadlines and details were checked on October 2, 2026:

• SkiCNY’s 20 percent early-bird pass price for Song and Labrador ends October 12; Snow Ridge’s pass sale ends October 15.
• The Webb-Inlet snowmobile permit price rises from $80 to $100 after November 15.
• Highland Forest’s sleigh rides ran weekends from December 20 to March 8 last winter; the 2026-27 schedule had not been posted.
• Ski areas set opening day by snow and temperature, not the calendar. Call or check each area’s snow report before driving, especially for natural-snow trails at Greek Peak, Fern Park and the county parks.

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