A state owned mountain in the Catskills, around two and a half hours from New York City, in a forest preserve protected by the state constitution. That protection is why there is no development around the base and why the surrounding woods look the way they do.

The mountain is arranged with the gentler terrain low down and the steeper runs off the summit, which makes it easy for a mixed group to split up and meet again. A gondola runs to the top.

Ticket prices are noticeably lower than the private resorts in Vermont, and the Catskill villages nearby have become good places to eat over the last decade. It is one of the more relaxed options within reach of the city for a weekend.