Love the gandolas! I absolutely hate chair lifts so their gandolas are just perfect for me. This was probably one of my favorite mountains that I ever went to in the East Coast. A good handful of trails were open in the first week of January. Rental is expensive so it is better to get them somewhere else. read more

My husband I have skied at Whiteface for 15 years. We drive 10 hours to come here for our annual ski trip with our kids! The mountain has a wide variety of runs for skiers of all abilities. Our kids enjoy the Bear's Den Lodge, where they get lessons and can hang out in a cozy lodge with toys. The food selection is great - my husband and I look forward to lunches at the mid-mountain lodge. Perfect ski food! I recommend the chowder or chili with corn bread. My 9 year old daughter prefers the hot dogs :) The summit can be very icy, so ski conditions aren't always perfect. They do make snow all the time, so most tracks are fine. And - if you're lucky enough to come here during an Olympics winter - you may get to see trials at the mountain! read more

This review is for the gondola ride in the summer. We came here on 4th of July. Overall, a good experience but the $20 per person that we paid to get to the top was met with some slight disappointment. The gondola ride itself to the top took about 10 minutes. The gondola takes you up to the mini summit of Whiteface (NOT the peak of Whiteface) It presented us with a gorgeous view of the Adirondacks. However, when we got to the top, we found the immediate area to be under construction. There is one viewing deck to see Lake Placid out in the distance but that was about it. We walked around a bit taking in the views but unless you have a mountain bike or a pack of hiking supplies with you, you're just going standing around snapping pictures for no more than a half an hour. Unlike in the winter, the trails are not maintained and its dangerous to attempt hiking back down to the base. We would probably not do this again if we came back. read more

To me, despite the 5h30 drive from NYC, it is the best ski resort in all NY state. i have tried Bellayre, Hunter, WIndham and this one suffers no comparison. It is high, has many tracks, somewhat new lifts, not too crowded, good apres ski stuff at Lake Placid, pine trees, descent gear to rent, altitude lounge-restaurant, nice views, bref a lot more than other resorts in the state. i highly recommend it to whoever has time to drive there, We have done it over a regular weekend and I will recommend taking at least your friday off to come there. 5h30 of driving is long. if you choose to do it, you wont be disappointed, it truly feels like you are in a mountain country! read more

This mountain is bigger than Tremblant. It's bigger than Jay's Peak. How do I know. Going up the Summit Quad lifts tells me so! This resort is really good. It's quite big that you don't feel like you are waiting for lifts too long. The only one with a larger wait time is the gondola that brings you from the base up to The Little Whiteface at 3676'. A tip for those afraid of heights, the Little Whiteface lift from middle of mountain to the Little Whiteface peak is kinda scary that it has mountain on your right and just drop on the left. There is also this deceiving drop off midway that you think you get off but no! It keeps going up! When at top of Little Whiteface peak if you want to take Excelsior blue run, you gotta go straight and fast (if on snowboard). If you try to go slow, you will be taking the black run Essex cause that's just how the mountain slopes. On the other side is the Wilmington Trail, it's nice and long but it also has a steep drop on your left and a little narrow straightaway. No worries, it's still quite fun. The top of the mountain at Whiteface summit, taller than all those mountains mentioned is at 4867'. The run is quite fun when there isn't ice at the top. What's the best thing of this mountain, it's the waffle fries at the base lodge or at the Boule's bistro. Do not slather them in gravy/cheese (poutine), you get less and it ruins the crispiness of the fries. They are perfect delicious without anything! So you wanna be an Olympic skier? Try going down Cloudspin (black) to Broadway (black) to Lower Valley (blue) and you've just gone down the Men's 1980 Winter Games Downhill run! So why the deduction of 1 star? It think it's a bit expensive for a Canadian at current rate. It's fun, but to stop at like 330p for $100, a bit expensive. I also wish after doing all the blues and greens that there were a few more. Can't do too much obviously, there are only so many trails. But if you are committed, you can do them all in one day, and we got there late. read more

If you don't like the snow, visit Whiteface during their Oktoberfest! This year it was held on October 4-5. Admission price for adults was $14, juniors and seniors $7. And $8 for a gondola ride up the mountain for scenic views of the beautiful fall foliage. It's great fun for the whole family... there was funnel cake, french fries, Bavarian food, music and beer! You can even go shopping and buy some alpaca yarn or an adirondack chair made out of recycled skis! It was weird seeing this place without snow but it was just as beautiful! read more

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Well, it's a mountain of extremes. The trails are wonderful, really terrific. And the fact that the have terrific events years round is great (love Octoberfest and the Gondola to the to of the mountain and hiking in the Summer). Really good lodge facilities, if not right at the base of the mountain. It's also nice that there are other activities nearby (Village of Lake Placid, area restaurants, High Falls Gorge). On the down side, you're going to PAY for the snow. In more ways than one. First, it is super cold here. I mean, serious cold. And that generally also means ice here and there. Also, it is pretty expensive. There are no hotels or lodges on site. Most of the immediate local lodging choices are more Euro family style, motels, or rustic. We like that kind of thing, so that's good for us. If you want a Hilton-style hotel, you'll have to drive 20 minutes to Lake Placid. (Contrary to popular belief, Whiteface is not in Lake Placid - it's in Wilmington.) In bad weather, the drive back to Lake Placid can be treacherous. read more

I'm an experienced snowboarder and was slightly disappointed by Whiteface. Not to say it's a bad mountain, because it's not, but I had really high hopes before riding it. Maybe my expectations were a little overblown, I dunno. Anyway, I got a house and did a weekend there with a bunch of friends, all different levels of riders. Trails were a lot of fun and had a lot to offer. Mornings were fantastic. Awesome in fact. After lunch though, it was a totally different story. Everything was skied out. Wind and ice like whoa. I felt any time I got to a really steep part I just had to ride it out because carving was pretty impossible on the ice. Intermediate riders are really going to find it quite treacherous. The ice even makes getting off the lifts turn into a gong show, people falling left and right and it just gets frustrating having to avoid human landmines every time getting off the lift. But in the end, we all made the best of it and still had fun because it is a pretty solid mountain. It's a 3.5 and if the conditions were better when I was there I would have been more satisfied. read more

I would give the mountain a 4 stars for physical plant and terrain. The grooming could have been a bit better and the same goes for the dining options. Cloud spin I would give a one star. Food was lousy and service was worse. Building is nice and new but under furnished and over crowded.. read more

I would recommend going here during their Oktoberfest which will be held Oct. 3-4 this year. Pay the extra fee for the Gondola ride; you won't regret it. There is usually a long, long line for it so time it when you can wait. The ride up the mountain with the view of autumn colors in all its glory is fantastic. Once your gondola arrives to the top, get off and spend how much you like taking in the splendor of nature's beauty. Other highlights of the festival include bona fide Bavarian music and dancing; free rides and activities for children of all ages (pony rides, hay mazes, inflatables, Eurobungy, to name a few); vendors; food and lots of beer, of course! read more

Had an awesome time on the gondola ride up Whiteface Mountain. The view from the top is not to be missed!! Visiting in the fall is stunning and the foliage was simply spectacular. Our pics just don't do it justice. read more

Whiteface Mountain - Here's the view on the way up the mountain from inside the gondola. - Ski Resorts Near Me - Wilmington, New York

Nice place to go to if your looking for some nice snow on a great day! I love going to whiteface because I have a Ski3 pass so I can go to Gore, Whiteface, and Bellair! Whiteface has a gondola and lots of chairlifts. They have restaraunts and shops inside the lodge. Overall, a great place. Totally recommend. read more

Lift operators are rude when you ask why they are 15 minutes late to open lift today. Other lifts were up and running, but no announcement, explanation or expected delay on the one im waiting for. Called mountain customer service for the detail operator wasnt giving, they were even more rude, offered no explanation and hung up on me when i asked for some kind of compensation. Still a good mountain, just could be more considerate of the few customers they do have.. read more

This is a great hiking spot/viewpoint in the Adirondacks, and not too far of a drive from Lake Placid. We only did the mini hike to the tip top of Whiteface, due to threatening weather conditions to downpour while we were outdoors (it was mid May). The view at the top was breathtaking, with stunning views of the mountains, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and trees and nature in the area. Parking is difficult here and it's a short but steep stair-filled ascent, but well worth the drive and the stairs!! read more

Drove whiteface highway to top of mountain. After that about a half hour hike to top of rocky mountain top. Awesome views all around if sky is clear like it was this day. Did same hike 2 years ago and couldn't see a thing due to cloud coverage. read more

Whiteface Mountain - Ski Resorts Near Me - Wilmington, New York

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I really enjoyed my trip to Whiteface. Friendly service, varied terrain, Excellent services. We plan a trip to a ski resort every year. It is always a local trip (Driving distance). We look for good skiing and things to do after we ski. For a long time I heard about Whiteface and decided to go this year. We booked a hotel in Lake Placid (10 miles away). The mountain was fun. Lots of advanced terrain at the top of the mountain. It was a little icy the first day (but what do you expect in the northeast). It snowed that night and the day after. The ice was less of a pain then. When we were riding the lifts up everyone keeps raving about the glades. I personally don't ski glades but it looked incredible from the lift. The people working here were super friendly. From the people getting us lift tickets to checking our skis. Lift tickets were not that expensive compared to other large ski resorts. For three days it was $140 on liftopia I believe. There was tons of snow, even natural snow in the spring. Windy at the top, and cold but that is good when it comes to sating snowy. The apre-ski in Lake Placid was awesome. IT reminded me of saratoga a little. Small shops great restaurants, bars etc.. Everything within walking distance. There were even non-ski activities. We saw a hockey game in the olympic arena. You could take tours of the Olympic areas. dog sled rides, tubing etc.. Even though Killington is bigger, this was a better overall experience. Activities for everyone. I am going back next year. Thx ORDA! read more

Being from Montreal, this was a fantastic mountain to go ski compared to Montreal's surrinding mountains. This mountain is huge and had good skiing conditions. The price was fair. We went there 6 persons and each of us enjoyed. We already are planning another trip. read more

I have skied here about a half dozen times - most recently on President's Day weekend 2011. I love the location and the staff. The mountain is big with modern lifts with trails for every skier. The views from the summit are amazing. I have found the best time to ski Whiteface is on weekdays in the morning. The conditions are best in the first 4 hours of operation and the crowds are small. In the early afternoon, icy conditions from the ski off appear and you understand why the mountain earned the nickname "Iceface". I prefer not to ski on ice. On my most recent visit, a wind advisory shut down the top part of the mountain in the AM. The crowds were horrible - the lift lines resembled long theme park ride lines. The lines were better in the PM with the opening of all the lifts. Guest services did issue a $25 voucher if you wanted to ski the next day, but you had to ask for it and it was not advertised. Our little guy stayed in the Bears Den nursery. This is the first time we used this service. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the staff and the safe environment. A beeper was issued to the parents in the event of an emergency. I originally thought the $85.00/day rate was high but it turned out to be a decent value. read more

Spent a very enjoyable ski week at Whiteface. We had varying weather from cold & sunny to rainy and warm. Kudos to the Whiteface mountain grooming staff for keeping the mountain nicely groomed and maintained. We experienced very little ice until the later afternoon and I had an enjoyable 1/2 days of skiing during my ski rehab week. They have a nice food court, J. Lohr wine bar and the Cloudspin lounge. Plenty of food and beverage options. Of course, I'm a sucker to ski anywhere that hosted an Olympics or two. i love being able to ski down the men's & Women's downhill courses. Excellent views from the Gondola. read more

If you're a skier, avoid Whiteface! Not worth the effort... on Jan 20th they received a bounty of snow! On my second run, I was already into the ice layer that was frustrating me the previous days because the mountain failed to groom. The upper mountain lift is supposed to open at 9 am. I was excited to get some fresh tracks!! The ski patrol slowly boarded up at 8:50 and of course they had not completed their clearing runs by 9 am. Eventually, around 10:15, it appeared the long line was starting to load up, as I opted to ski the lower mountain. Speaking of the lower mountain, again, no evidence of grooming! The high traffic areas were getting deeply grooved and bumped out near the base lifts on my second run. Novices and Intermediate skiers were having difficulty navigating uneven ground, and exposed patchy ice, even after more than 6-inches of snow had fallen before the lifts opened. I was perplexed while I waited, before making the first run, that I did not see ANY signs of the resort staff working the runs (grooming equipment) to preserve this precious snow fall.... what a waste. I'm certainly not bothering to return to Whiteface, but there are a ton of loyal pass holders that I'm sure will, so I think this place will never be more than a C- ski area, regardless of my review. read more

Drove 6 hours to ski on Dasani Wednesday got there and before I even got one ride down the ski lifts brake down. Their "policy" was to only give a $48 credit towards my next lift ticket not a refund on my $48. So basically I drove 6 hours to get a half off ticket for the next time I drive 6 hours. The guest services were super rude as well. read more

Address: Intersection of Route 431 & Route 86, Wilmington, NY 12997 (You will see road signs all around the area) Route 431 is also called (Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway). - There is a toll booth on 431 if you are planning to go up the White-face summit ($10 for Car and $7 for each individual over 6 - in Sep 2014.. Oo boy!! expensive). Toll is valid for one visit only. - Overall, I would give 4 to 4.5 ratings for a "paid" attraction. This is a Nice spot in the Adirondack region. Views are reasonable to good on the road leading up to the parking lot. Views are very good from top of the mountain. You can also stop by the side of the road at designated spots. Lake Placid View: - Memorial Highway will lead you to a parking lot (with a cafeteria and rest room). You have to take either a rocky stair-way up to the summit or you can take the only elevator . -- Only one elevator and can get crowded during the holidays -- Expect lines on the way leading up to the elevator. -- Stair-way trail can also be challenging with kids and seniors - specially going up. Views are good from the summit with Lake Placid view (looking south) with distant mountains is the most popular. One guide told me that you can see Montreal peaks (yes Canada) with the telescope from here. It's mostly hazy around the area and very rarely you get a clear view (at-least three times I tried) https://flic.kr/p/oHQBe6 Nice to spend a few hours if you are around the Lake Placid region. read more

I started snowboarding at Whiteface about 15 years ago and loved it. I took a long break from boarding until last year. I can happily say that I'm still able to board, and Whiteface remains one of the best resorts I've been to. There's a really good variety of terrain for everyone. I have 11- and 13-year-old kids, who are skiing for their third season. They are confident on blue trails. They both love this mountain. The gondola is priceless on the really cold days, and the high-speed quad is fast. We went during the Presidents Day Weekend and were very impressed that the resort handled the massive crowds well. If you love skiing or boarding (more than sitting around a fancy lodge) I'd highly recommend you go to Whiteface. read more

Let's just do this the easy way. Positives about Whiteface: -FANTASTIC trails--variety of terrain -plenty of expert trails -excellent lodge facilities -small lift lines -cheap tickets -mostly real snow -Gondola -near Lake Placid, NY,which is a wonderful place -uncrowded -great for individuals, or families -GREAT activities when it's not winter. I've hiked Whiteface in August. Neutrals: -Owned by the State of New York, which is good and bad Negatives about Whiteface: -I've checked the temperatures in Siberia, and sometimes it's COLDER here -icy -slow lifts -no base-area accomodations I suggest taking a long weekend--like MLK weekend, and come up here. Ski two days and spend one day in town to skate, shop, etc. read more

Took the gondola ride up on July 23 after the Ironman. Lovely views and great staff at the top. Mean staff at the ticket counter and at the bottom of the gondolas. We came right before the last ride up and they definitely let us know they wished we weren't there. However, once we got to the top, we couldn't have met friendlier people. Strange. read more

The mountain itself is great (when they have snow) The terrain is varied and fun to ride. They are prone to ice (it is New England) and the winds can make the mountain feel FREEZING. All in all, still a great place to ride when the conditions are nice. To me, the down side of this mountain are the services. The lodge at the base is not built for the size crowds that they get. We stopped in the bar for lunch on a regular Saturday and was told that it was an hour wait to get any food out of the kitchen...Really? An hour to get fries?? We tried the lodge at mid mountain the next day and they don't have bar service, just overpriced and small selection of bottled beer. Great runs, but go somewhere else to get your food and drink fix. read more

Sucks in the summer ..... My day at Whiteface ... Took my family of 5 to the gondola rides on advertised opening day. Place is deserted, no signage. Find a guy working in the main building in the equipment area that we asked about the gondola rides. He abruptly tells us "Tomorrow" and walks away. Onto the luge track ... We had been calling since the day before to make reservations for the luge was told the day before to just show up. Call the day of and get told that the computer booking system is down and to just show up at the complex at 12:30 pm. We get there and get told by surly counter attendant that the 1 pm session is full ... What surprises me is that for a community that relies on tourism $ that a business would throw away over $350 in one day due to POOR organization and RUDE staff. read more

I give it 5 stars for being the best mountain on the East Coast for snowboarding/skiing. Well worth the 9 or so hour drive from DC. The highest skiable terrain is located 4,650 feet up in the Slides. I do not think I have ever waited more than 5 minutes in a lift line and that is rare that I even wait that long. Mountain is never crowed cause its so damn big. Great snowboard park every year; at least 3-4 big kickers and about 6-7 different styles of rails plus a bunch of other goodies for me to get jacked up on. I do agree with Andrea below, one of the biggest issues is that it can get really cold; I think at one point a few weeks ago it was -10. Other than that this is the place to snowboard if your staying on the East Coast. read more

We love this mountain! There is a trail for everyone at every level. We had such an amazing experience recently that I thought we should share it. We started SEVEN beginners from the age of 4 to 34 all on the same day. Rental staff, ski school staff and instructors were all fabulous. They were patient, and kind and beyond helpful. The instructor for the little ones rode the bus with them to the kids campus. Eric was so well tuned in to our little ones and so considerate. Even though they were afraid within minutes they were excited and by the end of the day were skiing down the mountain safely. When one of the adults was having great difficulty due to a physical limitation they immediately realized that and brought in another instructor - and this on a very busy day and at no additional expense to us. All SEVEN want to continue skiing which is the mark of a real success. read more

Rode the gondola up and really enjoyed the view, can't wait to hike this mountain. Get the passport for 35 bucks a pop, free for kids 6 and under and worth it if you go to any of the other Olympic sites. read more

Incredible views, horrible guest service (at ticket counter anyway). I approached the ticket counter today where two employees (a pregnant woman and an older blonde woman) were speaking to each other. They proceeded to ignore me and my friend while they continued their conversation for a solid two minutes. Once we got our tickets, they didn't even tell us where to go or any other information about the ride. The rest of the employees outside were lovely, but these two should really go. Other than that, the views were incredible. The price ($22) is a bit steep and it would be nice if they offered a student discount, but if you can't climb the mountain, it's still worth the price for the stunning views. read more

Great mountain the runs were very fun but it was very icy.great lifts...great views...food was ok

Spectacular views for miles around. The gondola ride was fast. The skiing at the top blacks was a bit icy but that's east coast skiing. Snowmaking was ramped up all day and not very crowded for a Sat at 92.00 all day adult. By 3:30 My quads were fried. The longest runs on the East coast. Still remnants of the 80's olympics all around. Took a drive into lake Placid as we left Whiteface which is 10 mins away. Quaint town is a must see. Oh. As we drove in people were rock climbing on the ice face. Awesome sport. Get there !! read more

Headed up here for a week of skiing in early February 2016. The conditions on day 1 were challenging with little open terrain, temperatures in the 40's, and the gondola closed due to winds. I cannot ding them for the weather! The second day was much much better with cold temperatures and tons more terrain open, including the gondola and summit lift. They were blowing snow pretty much all over the mountain. So I got to sample some great long runs and super conditions due to the cold temps. The runs are really long which makes for super skiing and I found the trails well marked as to difficulty. I'm a pretty strong intermediate skier and had no issues getting down some nice blacks from the summit. (There were some blacks off to the side which I might not have tried.) Finally on the third day the temps were in the 40's and it was raining hard. The gondola was closed again so at this point I bagged the trip and headed home because the forecast was for more of the same. So take my comments for the limited opportunity I had to actually ski Whiteface. But with the good also comes the bad. The grooming is not great with large crud between grooming runs and some areas seemingly skipped for no reason. I had a hard time trying to figure out what runs were actually groomed. Due to the lack of snow this year, grooming becomes really critical to spread the wealth. When the groomers don't do a great job the results are thin spots and even some bare rock. I also found the layout of the base lodge to be mystifying with lots of locked doors. I never did figure out why they lock so many doors. As to the lodge itself it's fine with typical cafeteria fare and one upscale restaurant with some nice offerings. Prices are typical of a ski area, which means it's not cheap. My visit was mid week in pretty crappy weather so as expected there were zero crowds and absolutely no waiting at any lift. I also found the staff to be pretty variable. Some were super friendly and helpful (customer service desk inside you know who you are) while some were downright curt and seemed to not care whether I was there or not (lift operator you too know who you are). So I'm dinging them but I will likely come back if it gets cold and they open more of the mountain. I'd like to give them another try and will upgrade my report if I do. Buyer beware; the web cams don't show much and the snow report is mostly a wish list of what they hope it will be at 8:30 when the lifts start turning. read more

Great skiing! It gets windy at the summit so if its open take your runs early before all of the new snow gets blown off and the conditions return to ice. There are runs for every skill level and if you can ... Take the Gondola up and then follow it with a run on the Facelift Quad... You will not be disappointed. read more

Opens late, closes early than other places. Some of the lifts are far apart. I walked it once and now I'm waiting for the bus to take me. It makes it difficult to try and go up different lifts. I've been to better lodges. I've been waiting for the bus a while. Definitely check out the map before agreeing to come here. One of the lofts didn't even have an operator. Getting help for simple questions is tough if you can't find an employee. read more

Greatest hill in the east. Plus they have magic hat #9 and excellent chowders and burgers.

I have been a few time, went this past weekend, and "had" planned to put together a large group for Feb. The hill is good but icy - and the town is great - but the management at the hill is lacking in professionalism & senior management is quite simply POOR! For this past weekend I ended up paying substantially more then I needed to. I did this simply because they were having problems with their internet, and the recommendations given by staff were inaccurate. when I brought it to the attention of management --- they told me I was out of luck, even thought the extra cost was due to their err. I suggested a couple of options that would cost them all but nothing, or nothing at all. In response ---- I did not even get a response. As I do ski a lot, and organise many group trips, and have always been treated so very much better by the rest, I am not impressed. Customer service is king ---- so with that said; I would not recommend going to Whiteface! ***** update - management at the mountain has now, on further prompting, contacted me with an acceptable suggestion. I will update and upgrade further if all goes well ***** solution is acceptable, as problems can indeed happen. Having said all of the above I will give it a 3 star, but would only make it a 2 if not for the nice village. read more

This is to John O from Randolph, MA, whom posted the following: They are prone to ice (it is New England) and the winds can make the mountain feel FREEZING. John, I'm sorry - I've lived in New York State all of my life and have frequented the Adirondack region several times, including Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain. Whiteface Mountain is not considered any part of New England. Geography Lesson here. http://www.discovernewengland.org/about-new-england-usa/the-six-states-of-new-england/ Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont are the six states that make up New England. Also, maybe something was wrong with their fryers the day you wanted French Fries, we've been several times and the place is swarming with people to the point it is difficult to find a parking spot. While we may have to wait a bit in line and for the food to be cooked, it usually does not take that long or one hour as you stated. read more

Highly recommend the Cloudsplitter Club for families looking for their kids to ski with other kids and to improve their technique from coaching by the mountain's staff. Our son's ski technique and ability increased greatly by having the opportunity to ski in this group with other kids his age. Great experience, great coaches, very happy with the program! read more