We recently returned from our upstate New York ski trip where we visited Gore Mountain. The kids took private ski lessons there and my husband and I, along with our older son go to take advantage of the great conditions at Gore Mountain and skied a few of the trails together. Gore Mountain Ski Resort is located just outside of Lake George (read our Lake George posts here) in North Creek NY.

Living in New Jersey, we are in a great location to take advantage of some of the best ski resorts near NYC. My husband and I first visited Gore Mountain over a decade ago and have proclaimed it one of our favorite mountain in New York. The ski mountains closest to us in New Jersey are located in the Poconos, PA but they are very small in comparison to the ski mountains in Upstate New York. So, we were eager to head out on our trip to Gore Mountain and even more excited this time because our two children were coming with us!

Snowboarding has been a huge part of our lives and we’ve vowed to take our 2 young children with us and teach them at a young age so they can join us on the ‘big’ mountain. We started both of our children off snowboarding since both my husband and I are snowboarders. Our youngest was 2.5 when he started and to be honest he was pretty good, but there is just something about snowboarding that makes it a lot harder for young children to learn. We decided skiing with kids would be a better way for them to learn and so we switched them to skis. Our oldest (who is 6) took about 4 runs and was ready to hit the big mountain, we couldn’t believe how easily it came to him.

When it was time for our Gore Mountain ski trip we signed both boys up for private ski lessons. Gore Mountain offers a variety of lesson packages for kids which include rentals if needed. Check Facebook marketplace and Craig’s list for used ski gear, I found 3 sets of kids skis for $10! If you aren’t able to find any good deals on used skis the lesson packages are still a great deal. You can purchase the rest of the necessary ski gear like helmets, brand new and very affordably on Amazon.

My husband and I decided to stay out of sight and watch our kids during their ski lessons. Our 6 year old did not want to do the lessons since he was already skiing greens and blues back here on our home mountains, but we told him it would be good for him to learn more skills and practice with a ‘pro’. Well let me tell you, he had an absolute blast at his lesson and was begging us to sign him up for more lessons with his ‘coach’.

The ski instructors at Gore are very experienced and have a way of working with the kids to keep them engaged and having fun while learning. Our 6 year old was super excited to learn how to ski backwards and when we came home to our local mountain he proudly showed this new skill off to everyone. I was very impressed with how the ski instructor handled our 3.5 year old who can be tough to say the least. We did the two hour lessons and this was his first official time skiing. The instructor handled him like a pro and was so incredibly patient with him, despite my son requesting multiple hot chocolate breaks. By the end of the lesson my 3.5 year old was also begging us to continue letting him ski down the mountain. I was so amazed at all that he had learned in such a short amount of time. We hope by this time next year he will be joining the rest of our family up on the big mountain!

On our second day at Gore Mountain we wanted to get in some ‘big mountain’ ski time with our oldest so we signed our 3.5 year old up for the Gore Mountain daycare and I was so impressed with their safety protocols, including being nut free which is very important to us as a food allergy family. After we left him in the daycare we headed up the Northwoods Gondola with our 6 year old and enjoyed some of the green and blue trails. We had an absolute blast. Not only were the conditions amazing, but the view at the top was incredible. On a clear day you can see mountains in Canada! We easily saw a few of the High Peaks near Lake Placid (you can read more about our High Peak hikes here and click here for our Lake Placid travel guide).

You can purchase your Gore Mountain lift tickets online and also check out the conditions before heading to the mountain all on the Gore Mountain website. If you’re not the skiing or snowboarding kind, but the rest of your family is you’ll be happy to know that Gore Mountain has a huge lodge full of dining options as well as a retail store for you to spend your time in. They have one of the best lodge set ups we’ve seen, you can view a large part of the mountain from the lodge making it perfect for anyone who prefers to spend their time in the lodge rather than on the mountain.

For an overnight ski trip you’ll need to find hotels near Gore Mountain. We spent two nights at the Queensbury Hotel and loved it. It’s located just outside of Lake George in Glens Falls, New York. Over the past decade we’ve gone to Lake George countless time and yet we had never explored Glens Falls. It is a charming town full of history and the historic buildings there are stunning! After visiting it on our ski trip we were so mad at ourselves for having never been there before! Glens Falls is located right off of the NY Thruway and about 35 minutes from Gore Mountain.

The Queensbury Hotel is a great choice for your ski trip because they offer a great location (trust me when I say lodging is sparse the closer you get to Gore Mountain) and they have many amenities to cater to travelers of all kinds, single, family, couples etc… The Queensbury offers 125 guest rooms including 11 suites, free Wi-Fi, fitness room, an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, breakfast options and a pub to name a few. It’s also just 10 minutes south of Lake George. I highly recommend staying at the Queensbury when you’re visiting the area. You won’t be disappointed!

I hope you’ve found this guide to be helpful in planning your upstate New York Ski trip. Have you skied at Gore Mountain before? Share your tips in the comments below.