Gore Mountain is in North Creek, in New York’s southern Adirondacks. Its terrain spreads over four peaks: Gore itself at 3,600 feet, Bear Mountain at 3,200, Burnt Ridge at 2,735 and Little Gore at 1,900. The main base is 1,500 feet, and the North Creek Ski Bowl, a second base at the foot of Little Gore, is 998 feet. Gore lists 2,537 feet of vertical, 453 skiable acres and 109 alpine trails over 43 miles, including 27 glades, and says that’s the most terrain in New York State. Fourteen lifts include the eight-passenger Northwoods Gondola. Gore averages 125 inches of snow a year, snowmaking covers 97% of the terrain with water from the Hudson River, and the season runs from mid-November to mid-April.
Skiing here goes back to 1934, when the first snow train from Schenectady arrived in North Creek. Gore Mountain itself opened in 1964, and in 1967 it got the first gondola in New York State. The Rumor is one of the steepest trails in the East, and the Village Slopes at the Ski Bowl are lit for night skiing.
Base Area shows the main base at 1,500 feet. Summit looks at the top of the mountain, and Bear Mountain shows one of the other peaks, at 3,200 feet. With more than 2,000 feet between the base and the summit, compare the two for wind and visibility before you go.
Gore is at 793 Peaceful Valley Road in North Creek, about 25 minutes from I-87. From the south, take I-87 to exit 23 at Warrensburg, Route 9 for 4 miles, then Route 28 for 16 miles to North Creek and turn left on Peaceful Valley Road. From the north, take exit 26 at Pottersville and follow the signs through Olmstedville to Route 28N. Albany International Airport (ALB) is less than an hour and a half away, and Amtrak stops at Saratoga Springs, just under an hour away.
The New York DMV advises fitting good snow tires before the first storm, and allows studded tires only from October 16 to April 30. 511NY shows road conditions.
Gore Mountain isn’t on the Epic, Ikon or Indy Pass.