As you watch the snow falling outside, you can daydream about summer or enjoy the winter attractions that our area offers. The fresh snowfall will provide nice, fluffy trails at our local Thunder Ridge Ski area. Even when the snow falters, as it did earlier this winter, the facility manufactures artificial snow and continues to bring delight to its skiing customers.
Thunder Ridge Ski Area is great for beginners of any age, for children and for the faint of heart… like me. If you’re an Alpine skier or slalom skier or black diamond skier or ski jumper (like my husband and brother), this is probably not for you. The hills are not huge, they are fairly wide and do not challenge you with icy moguls. The facility is ideal for children to learn skiing or ski boarding. Unlike at a larger mountain area, it is more manageable even for a one-day visit. For example, when we skied in Vermont with four children during a busy winter break period, we spent half the day waiting in line to sign the children into ski schools and by the time we took a couple of runs, it was time to retrieve them (yes, long lines again!).
Thunder Ridge offers various programs for first-timers and for kids: you can select private lessons, group lessons, half day lessons and so on. There are also seasonal after-school or week-end programs. Equipment can be rented on a daily or seasonal basis as well. Check out the special ladies’ events!
Best part – Thunder Ridge is so close! You can even take a leisurely Metro North train ride from Grand Central to enjoy a day of skiing at Thunder Ridge and be home the same evening. There is a convenient free shuttle that operates between the train station and the mountain; same for other locations in lower Fairfield or Westchester Counties – please see below.
Directions:
Mailing Address: 137 Birch Hill Rd.
Physical address (use for GPS):
50 Thunder Ridge Rd. Patterson, NY 12563
Tel: 845-878-4100
60 min. from N.Y.C.
10 min. from New Fairfield, CT
20 min. from Danbury, CT
35 min. from White Plains, NY
40 min. from Norwalk, CT
45 min. from Greenwich, CT
Ride The Metro-North Ski Train From N.Y.C.
Visit Metro-North and buy your tickets for these great discounted packages!
(some of the above information is from Thunder Ridge Ski Area Website)