Just because there isn't any snow on the ground, doesn't mean you can't have fun at a ski-resort in the summertime. These New York resorts offer great warm weather activities including ziplining, ropes courses, and extreme tubing.

Hunter Mountain

In Hunter, New York, this ski resort is home to the largest zipline course in North America. In some areas of the course, you're more than 600-feet up! Pretty scary, right?! But there are a variety of courses, so if that's a little too much for you, you have other options. You can get a little peek of what to expect on this zipline course in the video below:

Hunter Mountain is also home to the summer music festival "Mountain Jam." This three-day event includes camping on the mountain (or a hotel if that's not your thing), live entertainment including fire dancers, workshops like yoga classes and hula hooping classes, delicious food and drinks, and so much more. It's definitely a unique experience that can't be summed up into words. It's just something you have to see for yourself.

DISTANCE: Hunter Mountain Ski Resort is about 105 miles away from the Utica area.

Catamount Ski Area

Okay, so the summit of Catamount is in Hillsdale, New York, but you'll actually have to cross into Massachusetts to get into this park. But what it offers in the summer is so worth it, we had to add it to the list. They have an "Aerial Adventure Park." This isn't just a zipline course, it's more like an obstacle course in the trees. You get harnessed up and pick a "trail" (different trails with different levels of difficulty). You'll have to cross bridges that swing between the trees, go down ziplines, climb, and deal with other obstacles. It's such a blast! There's 12 different courses to pick from and more than 50 ziplines throughout all the courses. The Catamount Aerial Adventure Park is open daily from now until September 4th.

DISTANCE: Catamount Ski Area is about 140 miles from the Utica area.

Cascade Cross Country Center

This ski resort is located in Lake Placid and it has an awesome zipline course that will give you some spectacular views in the Adirondacks. There's 8 different ziplines and 3 suspension bridges to cross. The whole adventure takes about 2 hours and costs $80 for adults and $70 for those 17-years-old and younger.

DISTANCE: You're looking at about a 150 mile trip from the Utica area.

Plattekill Mountain

Plattekill Mountain is in Roxbury. It may be quite the destination in the wintertime for skiing, snowboarding, and other activities, but they also have fun events going on in the summer. On the first Saturday of every month (in the summer), Plattekill Mountain offers a free concert. Bring a blanket, cuddle up on the mountain and listen to some great music. You can also go for a chair-lift ride, and enjoy delicious food and beverages. Oh, and if you're looking for a place to do something big (like hold a summer camp, or fundraising run, or something), you can actually rent out the mountain. You have to check the Plattekill website for more details on that, though.

DISTANCE: It's about 100 miles to Plattekill Mountain from the Utica area.

Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort

Located in Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort has tons of summer activities and is perfect if you're looking for some big thrills. One of the big summer attractions is "Extreme Tubing," where you ride in a tube (like tubing in the wintertime), and ride down the ski hills. It's fast, too. You'll be going close to 50mph. It's easier to watch than explain, check out the video below:

On Wednesdays and Saturdays from July 5th through August 19th, you can watch the "Summer Jumping Series." Ski jumpers will launch themselves down a ramp and practice their winter skills, but instead of landing on snow (because obviously there isn't any), they land in a giant pool. You'll see crazy twists and flips as the skiers fly over the water at nearly 60mph. It's definitely a sight to see.

DISTANCE: Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort is about 160 miles from the Utica area.

 

 


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