Whiteface

This Olympic mountain has the highest vertical drop of any ski hill in the East

Whiteface is big, family-friendly, and home of some of the most challenging skiing and riding in the East. The host of the 1980 Winter Olympics, you can carve down the same trails that world-class athletes did in those games. But even though a third of the terrain is rated for experts, there are plenty of trails for beginners and intermediates to hone their skills. The 2.1-mile-long Wilmington trail, the mountain’s longest, is a classic blue cruiser, and younger skiers have an area all to themselves, Bear-Den Mountain. Once the snow melts, Whiteface doesn’t rest: In summers, mountain bikers rattle their way down the hill until the leaves fall. Also, enjoy the many festivals and events held at Whiteface year round.

At a glance

Two-time Olympic medalist Andrew Weibrecht, a Lake Placid native, cut his teeth at Whiteface.
Prefer a round-trip ticket on the lift rather than skiing down? You can ride the gondola to an observation deck almost year-round.
If you’ve got the chops and they’re open, check out the Slides – seriously steep double-black diamond chutes a short hike from the summit quad.