Skiing is a popular winter activity, which is both a great way to stay fit and a social experience. Many ski destinations around Rochester offer downhill and cross-country ski rentals as well as snowshoes. Besides, skiing around Rochester is an excellent exercise that helps you maintain your vitamin D levels.
Day Trips Around Rochester, New York
Best of Rochester Award-Winning Book for Best Published Literary Work of 2023.
Going to a resort will provide you with all the amenities you’d expect for the price tag: a shop with rental and repair services, lessons, support for adaptive snow sports, lifts, lodges, food, entertainment, childcare services, and lots and lots of people.
One even has an indoor water park. You also get manicured slopes, making it possible to ski when natural snow may not be on the ground elsewhere.
Taking your cross-country skis to Monroe County Park, New York State Park, or renting them from a nature center is more of a rustic, simple, and inexpensive experience.
Cross-Country Skiing Around Rochester
Ski Rentals Available
- Bryncliff Resort Varysburg
- Podunk Cross Country Ski Center Ithaca
- Reinstein Woods and Nature Preserve Depew
- Cumming Nature Center Naples
Cross-country ski rentals and trails are also available at many of the downhill ski resorts below.
Bring Your Own Skis
- Turning Point Park
- Monroe County Parks
- New York State Parks Within a 2-hour Drive
- Nature Centers, Wildlife Preserves, Management Areas, Refuges, and Observatories
Here’s a little inspiration from the NYS DEC,
“Don’t let snow keep you off New York State’s thousands of trails this winter. Grab a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes and enjoy your favorite trails all winter long. The solitude and all engulfing silence of the wilderness in winter await.
“Many trails are actually easier to traverse in winter as the rocks, roots, and mud are covered over with nothing but smooth, deep snow. You can go to areas otherwise not accessible in summer due to wet conditions and take shortcuts across frozen lakes.
“You may be surprised that a day of exercise and exploring nature in winter could be so much fun!”
Downhill Snowboarding and Skiing Around Rochester
- Swain & Monroe County Parks (Powder Mills and Northampton) are equipped with a gradual ski slope accessed by a single rope tow, an on-site lodge, rental equipment, and experienced ski and snowboard instructors.
- Swain Resort Swain
- Bristol Mountain Bristol
- Hunt Hollow Ski Club Naples
- Brantling Ski & Snowboard Sodus
- Greek Peak Cortland
- Holiday Valley Ellicottville
- Kissing Bridge Glenwood
Explore More
18 Wonderful Winter Walks in Monroe County
These winter walks in Rochester and Monroe County will inspire you to time outside, breathing in cold, fresh air and soaking up a little sun.
11 Best Places to Rent Snowshoes Around Rochester
If you’re looking to spend time outdoors, give snowshoeing a try. There are places around Rochester to rent and learn how to use them.
It’s cold, it’s snowy, it’s dark. It’s wintertime in Rochester! Here are a few suggestions to help embrace our winter season.
21 Ice Skating Rinks Around Rochester
All indoor ice skating rinks, plus a few outdoor rinks, offer skate rentals. For outdoors, we need an extended forecast of sub 32 degrees.
26 Easy Winter Walks Around Rochester
Each destination offers a unique perspective of the Rochester area’s natural beauty, from snow-covered parks to picturesque waterfronts.
Snow Sports: 6 Ways to Stay Active in Winter
Skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, skating, and tubing are fun winter activities that offer exposure to fresh air and sunlight.
Do you have a favorite place to ski or snowboard?
Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.
People often ask me if I get free access to places while exploring. The answer is no unless I’m invited to previews or granted behind-the-scenes access as part of my media role. Generally, I don’t mention my project, Day Trips Around Rochester, NY, because I want the same experience you would have. I create and share content simply because it brings me joy. I would appreciate your support—a cup of coffee or two to help fuel future field trips—if you have found valuable information here that has helped you explore the Rochester area.
Voy para rochester y quiero esquiar montar trineo y pasear en la nieve con dos niños donde puedo ir la direccion
¡Bienvenido! Puede encontrar la información que busca en https://daytrippingroc.com/snow-sports/