We lucked out this past February while winter hiking in the Catskills. The weather was unseasonably warm and we managed a double adventure of skiing and hiking in one day on Hunter Mountain. Read more about stashing skis, dodging ice and the coolest tiny house Airbnb in the Catskills!
Best Ski Resort for Couples that Love Adventure!
One of the best ski resorts for couples that love a little adventure is Hunter Mountain in the Catskills of New York.
HOT TIP: Buy an Epic Ski Pass as the value is incredible and includes Hunter Mountain
We were lucky to be in the Catskills for Valentines Day in a super cute tiny house found via Airbnb. In addition to a another stellar adventure, this vacation was very much about celebrating our mutual love for the good life.
Hunter Mountain Skiing Review
My own Hunter Mountain skiing review would place this resort as best for intermediate skiers. This is based on my epic adventures skiing big mountains in the west of Canada.
Read a quick synopsis on my experience doing the Saudan Couloir Race Extreme in Whistler
Here is an overview of Hunter Mountain Ski Resort:
- 1600′ vertical drop
- 3200′ summit
- 13 lifts
- Beginner terrain: 25%
- Intermediate terrain: 30%
- Advanced terrain: 30%
- Expert terrain: 15%
Winter Hiking in the Catskills: Stashing Skis to Hike
Winter hiking in the Catskills is possible on Hunter Mountain. In fact, my husband and I upped our adventure by combining a ski with a hike. The weather in February was incredible and we felt that a peak would be doable in these conditions.
We looked at a map to determine what the best hill was to access the trail up to Hunter. After deciding we would ski until noon, we headed up the main chair, Kaatskill Flyer to the top. We weren’t sure where exactly we should head as warm weather also meant hill closures with areas cordoned off (and warnings of losing your ski pass if you disobeyed!)
As we ducked under caution tape and made our way to the trail we were carefully being watched by ski patrol. I skied back down to let them know we were hiking to the summit.
The trail becomes obvious as soon as you hit the trees. There were blocks of ice on parts of the trail but we did a little cross country on our skis until it dried up and became mud. Now it was time to stash our skis in the bushes!
Winter Hiking in the Catskills: Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
This hike is called the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower Hike because you arrive at a fire tower at the top. It’s a gradual incline with a few rock patches on the way. It’s only about an hour-and-a-half of hiking uphill from the Kaatskill Flyer Chair.
The hike down was a bit crazy as rain had started to softly fall in the forest. It was warm so that wasn’t an issue but it made the decent on the rock patches slippery. With the peak sitting at just over 4000′ and the path down shaded by the trees, ice made our journey a bit crazy! We ran where we could and slid down a few paths where there weren’t options for anything else.
While this hike or the skiing wasn’t super hardcore, I feel like it was a notch in my crazy adventure belt and my quad muscles certainly burned after several days of skiing and hiking! I took a bit of a rest on our very last run of the day:
Hunter Mountain vs Seven Springs Ski Resort
We skied Seven Spring Ski Resort in January. Here’s our comparison of the two resorts:
| Hunter Mountain | Seven Springs |
| More challenging terrain | Better for beginners |
| Longer runs | Shorter run |
| Great patio for sun tanning | Better apres-ski scene |
| Great option for ski/hike | In all fairness, we didn’t check out any hikes but the hills are short |
| More cool small towns in the Catskills | Close to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters House (ummm…this house is UBER cool and a must-see!) |
Tiny House in the Catskills: A Stargazing Gem
Our big adventure was balanced out by our stay at a tiny house in the Catskills. Not only is this Airbnb a great price, it’s an amazing place with a really unique offering. In addition to the loft-style tiny home, there is a star gazing cabin.
We slept a few nights in the cabin under big warm blankets and it was magical! I think that when we travel we want an experience that we don’t have at home and stargazing did this for us.
Winter Hiking in the Catskills: Overlook Mountain
To top off our adventure in the Catskills, we did the Overlook Mountain Hike. While we’ve done this hike before, it’s one of those hikes you can do over and over again. Here are the top five reasons we love this hike:
- It’s only a couple of hours to the top
- You park right across from the Buddhist Temple Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
- Most of the trail is as wide as a road
- The ruins of Overlook Mountain House near the top are stunning! Take the time to investigate these ruins. We once heard someone playing classical music at the ruins and it was eerily beautiful
- If you love mountain running, the dirt road down is AMAZING to let your legs loose and get a good downhill run in!
Of course the tabletop of Overlook Mountain is breathtaking!
Beyond Adventure in the Catskills
While the Catskill region had its heyday in the 1960s, there is still lots to do beyond adventure activities. The winter is a little more challenging with limited hours of shops and restaurants. In the infamous Woodstock don’t expect to find a coffee shop open after 5 p.m.
We’ve been coming to run races, visit friends or just hang out in the Catskills for the past twenty years. We tend to go back to the same restaurants each time. Our number one pick that is a must-do in the Catskills is Maggie’s Krooked Cafe in Tannersville. Every year I get the SAME dish – buckwheat, seed and oat pancakes loaded with toppings. A cup of Maggie’s coffee is a given.
The cafe is as laid back as Maggie herself. She is the type of person that has a conversation with each of her customers and tells wild stories. She also knows everyone in the area!
Last Chance Restaurant
Having a Sunday night dinner at the Last Chance Restaurant is somewhat of a tradition after the Escarpment Trail Race. The food is fabulous. We recommend the Potato Knish and Cheddar as a starter. After your meal mosey on over to their fun store and indulge in treats!
Shops of Woodstock
Yes this is the infamous Woodstock of the hippy power days in the sixties. The town is incredibly quaint. Plan to spend a day strolling along the pretty streets and popping in and out of the shops.
Peace out in Phoenicia
I’ve always felt that Phoenicia is the place to peace out in the Catskills. We usually book a trailer park right by the river and ride our bikes into the quaint little town. Phoenicia Diner along the highway is a must-stop location for brunch. You can also rent tubes and float down the meandering river.
Getting to the Catskills
The Catskills are located about one-hundred miles north of New York City. From Niagara Falls it’s a six hour drive east.
The Catskills are not part of the Adirondacks. In fact, did you know that:
The Catskills are in fact not mountains at all. They are considered a dissected plateau
We once did a “double” race starting with a 5-miler on Peaks Island Maine
Winter Hiking in the Catskills: More Badass Adventures
If you’re not up for winter hiking in the Catskills, but love a good adventure, here are some ideas to raise a riot in the east:
- Do the arduous Escarpment Trail Race in late July
- Do the even longer and harder 54 mile Manitou’s Revenge in late June
- Set out to climb all 33 peaks above 3500′ in the Catskills
For more hiking challenges, see my article on the topic or check out my hiking guide
Check out this hiking adventure west of the Catskills