Gore

Located in the heart of the Adirondacks, Gore Mountain is New York’s largest ski area. The mountain is one of the few to rival the Vermont resorts in terms of size and distance from major Northeast metropolitan areas, and as such, it may come across as a compelling proposition for those looking to book their next East Coast ski trip. But the Gore Mountain experience is quite a bit different than its Vermont competitors, and some people may value the distinctions, while others may not.

Gore sees respectable East Coast snowfall totals each winter, but the numbers are lower than some might expect. Gore is just west of central Vermont, but it doesn’t receive quite as much natural accumulation as the mountains in that area, and its snowfall totals are much more comparable to the southern Vermont mountains.

Widespread snowmaking does provide a base-level resiliency for the mountain and ensures that at least some terrain will be open, even during off days. However, on-mountain maintenance could use some work. The resort grooms most of its beginner and intermediate runs, but they can get really icy, making it difficult to stay in control. Some trails stay closed for significant portions of the season, and it’s not uncommon for entire mountain pods to remain shuttered if conditions aren’t ideal.

Gore’s 453-acre footprint makes it the largest ski resort in New York State, although it’s still smaller than the largest East Coast destinations. The footprint features varied terrain across several mountain pods, with each zone holding its own distinct character. On a clear day, views into the valley below from upper-mountain areas are quite a sight to behold.

Gore can essentially be broken down into four distinct zones: Bear Mountain, Gore Mountain, Burnt Ridge, and Little Gore. Bear Mountain hosts Gore’s main lower-mountain terrain and is primarily beginner- and intermediate-focused. The Gore Mountain zone hosts the resort’s upper mountain terrain, with much more of an advanced/expert-oriented bent. Burnt Ridge is north of the preceding two zones, primarily hosting advanced glade terrain. And finally, Little Gore is the lowest-elevation and northernmost area of all, hosting terrain for a mix of all abilities.

While one-tenth of Gore’s terrain is designated for beginners, the mountain is not exactly ideal for less-experienced guests. The only green trails exist off Bear Mountain and Little Gore, and the two areas aren’t interconnected by beginner terrain. With the exception of the bunny hills, each lift pod essentially serves only a single green trail—and these green trails are on the hard side, with some modest pitches that would be consistent with intermediate ratings at other competing mountains. At least the resort’s North Creek Ski Bowl and Bear Cub bunny hills get the job done when it comes to terrain for true first-timers.

Gore becomes a more competitive mountain for intermediates, with decent blue terrain in every mountain area. Most runs are typical, groomed cruisers—their experiences vary depending on the quality of the grooming done, but they’re for the most part enjoyable. The Showcase and Twister trails off Bear Mountain are among the longest blue runs on the East Coast, and the new Backwoods trail has been added for the 2022-23 season, allowing intermediate guests to spend time in the Burnt Ridge area without needing to traverse to get back to the lift. The resort has a handful of intermediate glade runs as well, but they’re short.

Gore also boasts an extensive terrain park network, with a whopping seven terrain park zones across the mountain. Features range from small to extra-large, and include a small halfpipe and unique cross course. However, other mountains are better for progression, and feature setups can vary in overall quality depending on the time of year.

Gore boasts a sizable advanced and expert footprint, but it’s less demanding than that of some competitors. Gore’s regular single-black trails are steep, but many are regularly groomed; this makes for some serious bombers, but also results in few mogul runs across the resort. Even some double-black runs see grooming, although these runs are quite steep with daunting pitches, keeping them reasonably difficult. For a genuine challenge, guests should check out Gore’s glade footprint, with long, tree-riddled pitches present across the whole resort, but these runs lack snowmaking and are open on somewhat variable cadences. 

Gore technically offers a 2,602-foot vertical drop, but this is vastly overstated from the practical metric. Engaging in the entire vertical descent means journeying from the top of Gore Mountain to the bottom of North Creek Ski Bowl, and doing this involves prolonged traversing for about a third of the descent, making for a less-than-ideal experience. The trip from the top of Gore to the main base area involves just a 2,100-foot vertical drop, but doing this in a single run is no straightforward feat either—the only way to do so is by taking the Lower Cloud Traverse trail, and missing this run means an additional lift ride up either the Top Ridge Triple or North Quad, both of which are slow.

In fact, Gore’s overall mountain layout can best be described as strange. Resort areas feel disjointed and not very well connected to one another. In many circumstances, getting between mountain pods involves unexpected chairlift rides, bearing through catwalks, or a combination of both. In addition, many runs end with unavoidable flat sections—this can be especially arduous for snowboarders. On the plus side, on-mountain signage is relatively clear, although some might view the trail markings as tacky. 

Gore’s lift infrastructure is decent, with high speed lifts at the main base and at Burnt Ridge. The resort’s flagship gondola provides welcome isolation from the elements on cold and windy days. In addition, the Adirondack Express lift provides a high-speed redundancy at the main base, helping to spread out crowds on busy days. That being said, the mountain lags behind some competitors due to slow, fixed-grip lifts in all other mountain areas, including all mid- and upper-mountain pods and the Little Gore zone.

Gore’s on-mountain facilities are also decent but not up to the standards of the best East Coast ski resorts. A number of mid- and upper-mountain lodges exist, including the Saddle Lodge near the top of the gondola, the Straight Brook Lodge at the resort summit, and a warming hut at the top of Burnt Ridge. However, these lodges are pretty basic, and only the Saddle Lodge offers food service. At least food prices are on the reasonable side as far as ski resorts go.

Unlike most of its Vermont counterparts, Gore offers night skiing until 8pm on select dates during the core season. However, the available night skiing footprint is only a small fraction of Gore’s footprint, only comprising the North Creek Ski Bowl beginner terrain and associated terrain park.

Getting There

One major Gore advantage is that it’s closer to New York City than most Vermont competitors. The resort is approximately four hours from New York, shaving a little less than an hour off the drive compared to a central Vermont trip, and the roads are reasonably easy to drive on. Gore is also just under three hours from Montreal.

Public transportation to Gore is difficult. Amtrak offers train service to the Saratoga Springs station, but it’s still an hour away from the resort, meaning that you’ll have to find some sort of way to get to the mountain from there.

Lodging

As a state-run ski mountain, Gore does not have any lodging directly on site. That said, if you swoop in early, there are a handful of new townhomes a very short drive from the mountain. The nearby town of North Creek is likely your best bet for lodging, with options such as Phoenix (formerly Copperfield Inn) and the Goose Pond Inn that are upscale and charming, and options like Alpine Lodge that are more economical. For true budgeteers, there are several bargain-basement inns just off I-87 in Lake George.

Aprés-ski

Gore is not the place for a vibrant aprés scene. The town of North Creek is very small, with only about four or five bars, and while pleasant, they’re never too lively. The resort and a handful of venues in town do host live music on weekends and holidays, but events at the base rarely last past sundown. There’s typically a bit more going on in the town of Lake George about half an hour south of the resort, but even this area is fairly laid back compared to the best ski towns in the East.

Verdict

Gore is a much better value than the premier Vermont ski resorts, with ticket prices that undercut those mountains by a significant margin. The resort also sees fewer crowds than its more popular competitors, making it a solid choice for peak weekends and holidays.

But Gore delivers a largely rough-around-the-edges experience, with somewhat variable conditions, frustrating resort logistics, and less fancy on-mountain infrastructure than the best East Coast mountains. Gore is a pleasant mountain for intermediate and advanced visitors, but many vacation-goers will find it worth the extra cost to visit a central or northern Vermont resort.