5 Family-Friendly Skiing and Tubing Centers Across CapNY

Whether you’re a bona fide ski bum or just feeling ski-curious, ski areas offer acres of open air and gorgeous natural scenery, making them some of the most fun family-friendly spaces to spend with energetic kids.
  • Hunter Mountain (Greene County)

Hunter is an ideal destination for serious skiers and first-timers alike. Pros will love their summit elevation of 3,200 feet, a vertical drop of 1,600 feet and 240 ski-able acres. For newbies, there are easy runs with wide cruising lanes and kid-friendly carpet lifts. Plus, be sure to check out their 1,000-foot tubing hill. It’s one of the biggest in New York, with its own surface lift to carry riders back up the hill.

Where to eat:

Hunter has 4 separate mountain faces with lodge dining throughout the area. At Goldye’s Café in the Learning Center (the on-site headquarters for skiing lessons), you’ll find treats, soups, and a great view. Just outside the base lodge, look for Pika’s Waffle Stop. They serve Belgian Liege Waffles, hot chocolate, and grab-and-go lunch fare. For a hearty Bavarian dinner, head across the street from Hunter Mountain to Jagerberg Beer Hall. They serve big soft pretzels, bratwurst and flammkuchen (flatbread pizza). Select from their German beer menu available for dine-in or take-out by the bottle or the growler.

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  • Maple Ski Ridge (Schenectady County)

This family-owned Schenectady ski area has 8 trails across 60 acres, with a 270 foot vertical drop. Located 20 miles northwest of Albany, Maple Ridge holds after-school and weekend ski and snowboard lessons for kids. Equipment is available to rent on a daily or seasonal basis here. Maple Ridge welcomes visitors of all ages. Guests who are under 3 or over 70 ski for free, making a day on the slopes an affordable multi-generational family experience.

Where to eat:

Maple Ridge is more about the slopes than eats, but it’s just a 10-minute drive to the Tops American Grill. There they serve loads of kid-friendly options from chicken tenders to burgers to breakfast-all-day.

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  • Willard Mountain (Washington County)

Located in the hills of southern Washington County, this mom-and-pop resort calls itself “New York State’s Coolest Little Ski Area.” Lift tickets and lessons at this Greenwich mountain are affordable, plus they welcome young families with kids just learning to ski. They’ll teach any age and encourage starting ski lessons for kids aged 4 – or even as young as 3. Kids will also love the 2-hour tubing sessions! With everything but overnight lodging, Willard Mountain makes a great family day-trip destination. And if your family gets hooked on skiing, they offer great deals on season passes. The options include seasonal rental of ski equipment for kids who tend to grow out of their gear each year.

Where to eat:

Plenty of grab-and-go bites are available at their cafeteria. Settle into a sit-down meal at their wood-paneled lounge Thirst Aid Room. The lounge offers hearty options – poutine, loaded chili, and steak sandwiches with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and American cheese. And check the kids’ menu that includes personal pizzas, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, chicken fingers and French fries.

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  • West Mountain (Warren County)

Located between Lake George and Saratoga Springs, West Mountain has 31 trails, a snow tubing park, and 126 skiable acres. They accommodate skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels.   Lessons and equipment rentals are available for all visitors.

Skiing tends to be an early-bird activity because the sun goes down so early in winter. Yet, West Mountain is known for their lighted trails and night skiing. You’ll keep skiing for hours longer than you could at neighboring mountains.

Where to eat:

At the West Mountain Lodge, the West Express Café takeout window serves to grab and go. The menu goes from breakfast sandwiches, mac and cheese, burgers, to burrito bowls, and soups . The West Mountain Bar & Eatery serves a similar menu and is open for sit-down dining and bar service.

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  • Windham Mountain (Greene County)

Windham Mountain is a must-visit spot for all ages. Whether you’re a first-timer, an expert skier this Greene County ski mountain and resort offers beginner-to-expert terrain. They feature 12 lifts, and 285 ski-able acres, with 54 trails stretching across 2 peaks. Kids (and adults!) who want an alternative can get their downhill exhilaration at Windham Mountain Adventure Park. The fun includes 6 snow-tubing lanes and a racetrack for mini snowmobiles.

And if you’re just looking to lounge around while your family hits the slopes?

After a long day (week, month) of managing kids on and off the slopes, deep relaxation is in order. Windham’s Alpine Spa offers appointment-only treatments like the Hudson River Stone Massage, relieving sore muscles with warm, smooth river stones. Or try the Deep Heat Muscle Repair treatment, combining massage with steamy towels steep in sage, rosewood, and lavender. Non-skiers can wander the quaint town of Windham, with its sweet little indie book shop, Briars and Brambles Books. Stop at the incredible little French bakery, La Pastisserie Normande, a dreamy winter destination in itself.

Where to eat:

Windham has range of on-mountain dining spots, including the Mountain Express Cafeteria and Seasons Restaurant in their main lodge. The Wheelhouse Mountain Lodge is the spot breathtaking mountaintop views. You’ll find or sandwiches, soups, tacos and beer on the menu. Plus there’s the cozy cabin offering Belgian waffles and hot cider to skiers on the go.

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  • Written by: By Kara Zuaro

Exploring the less traveled (and less expensive!) Catskills, in and around Greene County. Farms, drive-in movies, kids, food, beer, shopping, home design, and real estate. Brooklyn DoubleWide

Raising Kids in the Capital Region: CapNY Families

Making a move to CapNY with kids?
Looking to get familiar with the educational and recreational offerings of this region as it comes to raising families? You’ve come to the right spot.

“How can I find what school districts are a good fit for my child?”

Our first two questions were posed by recent NYC transplant, photographer Kim Trang. She’s a mother of three active kids who are 6-years-old, 4-years-old, and 6-months-old. Her main priority was finding a school district that fit her children’s needs. They eventually decided on Niskayuna.

List Your Priorities

Before starting this daunting task of finding your child’s future school, it’s a good idea to think about your priorities. What’s important to you? What can you afford? Small class sizes? Extracurricular activities? A good sports program? An excellent arts department?


The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has all the information you need regarding public and charter schools, as well as school districts in the state. They have information about class sizes, the amount of local, state, and federal funds spent per pupil. And you can get an idea of the amount of diversity at a school. They also provide data on graduation rates, and rankings for how prepared a student will be for college.

“What childcare options are available, what are the fees, how close are they in relation to my home and my workplace?”

Once again, we found New York State to have helpful resources here with their Division of Childcare Services. This has information about Early Head Start, for children from birth to 3 years old, and Head Start, for kids age 3 to 5.

Along these lines, the Capital District Childcare Coordinating Council has a service that helps parents find childcare. Child care referrals are available 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday at 518-426-7181 or toll free at 1-800-521-KIDS(5437). And Brightside Up has a list of the average childcare costs by county in the region and for the entire Capital Region as a whole.

“What can I do at home to best prepare my child to succeed in school?”

Our next questions were posed by Lisa Barone, the Chief Marketing Officer at marketing firm Overit in Albany. Lisa is the BUSY, working mother of her four-year-old son, Henry. They live in Selkirk where they enjoy hiking, puzzles, being outside, and Spider-Man.

This is “the” question, right? There’s no exact right or wrong answer here but some resources we recommend come from PBS and PBS KIDS. There are thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards. You can find these with PBS LearningMedia, PBS KIDS, the local PBS affiliate’s Home Classroom resources, and by watching educational programming at home.

“What are some activities to keep little ones busy and engaged (and out of the house, if possible) even during winter?”

You are in luck! This area is brimming with family-friendly activities for all-seasons, with options for inside and outside.

In the summer, the Albany Public Library, with other partners including the Albany Barn, WMHT, and the city of Albany, host weekly story-time events called Stories and Art in the Park at the playground in Washington Park in Albany. 

For hiking and walking year-round, even in winter, the whole family can enjoy the interactive displays and stories geared for kids at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. The Pine Hollow Arboretum in Slingerlands also has family-focused activities around the 22-acre site. Grafton Lakes State Park, celebrating 50 years in 2021, has family activities in each season, including a Winter Festival. You can find more outdoor activities here.

The New York State Museum in Albany has outdoor exhibits and the Empire State Plaza, with larger-than-life sculptures, is just across the street. Many local libraries have on-going workshops that are fun for the whole family

  • Written by: Danielle Sanzone

Danielle Sanzone is a freelance writer who worked for a decade at The Record in Troy and is currently in the Digital Initiatives department at the local PBS, WMHT.

A Thrilling Family Day at Windham Mountain Adventure Park

Looking for some fun outdoor winter activities for kids in the Catskills?

Located in the quaint town of Windham, just a quarter-mile down the road from the ski mountain, Windham Mountain Adventure Park is the ideal destination for ski bum families looking for a new snowy-day activity. It makes a great day-trip destination for non-skiers, too.

Snow-tubing and little Arctic Cat snowmobiles are exhilarating activities awaiting you at Windham. Read on!

  • Snow-Tubing

Your family day at Windham Mountain Adventure Park could start with tubing. The 650-foot snow-covered tubing hill welcomes all visitors without height or age limits. Riders just have to be tall enough to sit up in a tube by themselves. It’s important to note that only one rider per tube is allowed. You can’t put a small child on your lap, but you can link tubes together by holding onto the strings attached to your partner’s tube.

When we visited, there were definitely some scrappy little toddlers enjoying the ride. But I don’t think our indoorsy, risk-adverse city kids would’ve sat in tube by themselves before the age of 5. It’s also worth mentioning that some of the little ones were wearing ski helmets, which seemed like a smart idea. After the park’s friendly employees see you safely in your tube they ask if you’d like to spin or go straight down, before hurling you down the mountain. It doesn’t look terribly steep, but it feels like a long, fast, and wild ride. 

For parents, the best part of this hill might be the conveyor lift that gently carries you back up for another round. At ages 5 and 8, my children had no trouble standing on it. My husband and I could fully enjoy barreling down the mountain without the worry that we’d had to trudge back up, carrying our lazy children in their slippery snowsuits, with giant canvas tubs trailing behind us. In truth, the conveyor lift brought me just as much joy as the tubing ride itself!

  • Zoom Around on Kid-Sized Snowmobiles

Mini-snowmobiles are also available for kids aged 6 and up, who weigh less than 120 pounds. There’s a short, circular course, and the snowmobiles don’t race too fast, so you can watch your kids as they safely loop around and around. A parent or guardian needs to sign a waiver before the ride (which did worry me a little bit!) but I’d say it’s totally appropriate for kids as young as 6 years old. It’s an easy-peazy ride for any kid who is already comfortable on a two-wheeler.

I was a little nervous about our 8-year-old city kid who doesn’t have much experience riding a bike, but he loved it!

  • Planning Ahead

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended as session capacity will be limited, and ticket availability cannot be guaranteed. Guests may arrive early to purchase tickets for a later session and return at their designated time. There is no pro-rating for tubing tickets if you miss any of your time.

The park is generally open on Fridays from 5pm to 8pm, on Saturdays from 11am to 8pm, and on Sundays from 11am to 4pm. They offer extended hours for holidays and school vacations.

Snowmaking equipment keeps the hill set with the best conditions possible. Still, both the snow-tubing and snowmobile activities are dependent on the temperature, wind, and precipitation. You can check the weather at the Mountain Report which is updated twice daily. Or call 518-734-4300 and select Option #3.

  • Where to Eat Nearby

If you’re looking to make it a day trip, start your family day at Windham Mountain Adventure Park at Windham Local, a nearby café. They offer up excellent coffee, breakfast sandwiches, steak burritos, and basics like bagels and muffins for the little ones. During ski season, they’re open 6 days per week (closed Tuesdays) from 8am to 2pm. Call ahead for take-out (518-750-8300), so you can get to snow tubes ASAP.

And after a few hours of snow-tubing and snowmobile rides, you may be looking for a heartier meal than the snacks offered at the lodge. When you have a big appetite and kids in tow, it’s good to know about the Chicken Run. This family restaurant and steak house is located just a mile from the Adventure Park.  Their portions are huge, they serve milkshakes, and their kids’ menu includes all the favorites—chicken tenders, hot dogs, pasta with butter or tomato sauce, grilled, cheese, mac and cheese, and even an 8-ounce steak or BBQ ribs for hungry little carnivores. Somehow, though, you’ll want to save room for their daily desserts. Even if you’re eating in your car, you’ll want to run back in after dinner to grab a brownie sundae, a warm chocolate chip lava cookie with vanilla ice cream, or a slice of their delicious home-style pie.

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  • Written by: By Kara Zuaro

Exploring the less traveled (and less expensive!) Catskills, in and around Greene County. Farms, drive-in movies, kids, food, beer, shopping, home design, and real estate. Brooklyn DoubleWide

CapNY History Day Trip: Visiting Olana with Kids

I’ve been visiting the Catskills since I was a kid, and the best part of the drive was always looking up at Olana from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River. The views from its hilltop perch are even more breathtaking than those from below.

It seemed like a dreamy place to explore with my family!

Historic Olana

Olana State Historic Site is a 4-season destination, so visiting Olana with kids is always an option!

Olana is a towering castle-like villa atop a leafy hill overlooking the Hudson River. Among the most iconic views in the Hudson Valley, Olana was home to painter Frederic Church in the 1800s.

Olana Family Tours

Carolyn Keogh is the Olana Partnership’s Director of Education and Public Programs. “While our outdoor tours are open to all ages, this year we began a new tour format for families, our Family Explorer Tours. These provide more interactive opportunities for families to learn together by participating in activities like drawing and other kid-friendly conversation prompts.”

When you’re visiting Olana with kids, my advice is to book an outdoor family tour. Or if your kids are too little for that, you can explore the vast, beautiful grounds on your own. Explore the trails and soak up the greenery that inspired the artists who walked these hills before us.

If you want to take a guided tour, you’ll want to book in advance, as they do fill up. Electric Carriage Tours are available, for anyone who’d prefer to be driven around the 250 acres of landscape design.

Outdoors at Olana

Olana is a wonderful 4-season destination, welcoming snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as well as walking in the wintertime. In the spring, the Mingled Garden bursts into pastel-colored bloom. Then the show of flowers turns into deeper reds and oranges, to attract hummingbirds in the height of summer. In the autumn, it’s common to spot a painter behind an easel, capturing the awe-inspiring fall foliage on display. Small children don’t always have the deepest appreciation for scenic lookouts. My kids love matching up Olana’s view of the Catskills with the mountains pictured and labeled on the park map.

Where to Eat With Kids in Hudson

After visiting Olana with kids you’ll want kid friendly dining options. The village of Hudson is located just 10 minutes north of Olana. There, Casa Latina Pupusas Y Mas, a mom-and-pop counter-service spot serving traditional fare from El Salvador and Mexico. It’s our family favorite. Away from the hustle and bustle of Warren Street, they’ve got ample parking, umbrella tables, and crave-worthy pupusas – corn masa flatbreads that are stuffed with tasty fillings like cheese, beans, or chicharron (fried pork belly). They also serve nachos, tacos, quesadillas, a kid’s menu, and a must-try juice of the day. My daughter lives for their watermelon agua fresca.

If your crew is more in the mood for burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and fries, Grazin’ Diner promises a hearty meal that you can feel good about. All of their meat is sourced from their nearby farm, all their produce is organic, and almost every ingredient they serve is local. For instance, on their incredibly juicy Unburdened Burger with baby Swiss, the bourbon used to sauté their mushroom and make their steak sauce is sourced from Ghent’s Unburdened Distillery. And the sweetest way to end a day after a long stroll around Olana’s carriage roads is a Grazin’ milkshake paired with their house-made brownies, cookies, and pies.

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5 CapNY Family-Friendly Horse-Themed Activities

The Saratoga Racetrack may be the most well-known place to see horses in CapNY, but it’s not the only option for getting up close and personal with a horse.

You can immerse yourself in the history of horses in the region or find a piece of the west in the east with these five family-friendly horse activities. Some of these activities are seasonal so check out their websites or call ahead before hitting the road.

  • History and Horses at the Racing Museum

Driving at 44 miles per hour on the Northway feels maddeningly slow. But on the racetrack, that’s top speed for the fastest thoroughbreds. Perched high on the horse’s back, whipping wind, crisp morning air and flying dirt brings tears to the eyes of the most fearless.

The jockeys won’t give you a turn in the saddle, but a simulator at the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame lets you feel like you’re bounding down the track. The interactive galleries provide a taste of a day at the races from the paddock to the winner’s circle.

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  • Behind the Scenes With Thoroughbreds

Ever wondered what the inside of a stable looks like?  In late summer Saratoga County Cooperative Extension hosts a self-guided, drive-through tour of multiple horse farms throughout the county. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Thoroughbred breeding facilities, riding and training barns.

Over in Greenfield Center (not far from Saratoga Springs), Old Friends at Cabin Creek, a home for retired racehorses, calls itself a living museum of horse racing. Visitors are invited to meet and play with the horses all summer long and weekends in the winter. One resident retired thoroughbred challenges foot runners to a sprint down the fence. This experience is free, donations accepted.

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  • Backstretch Walking Tour at Saratoga Race Track

A third option for getting close to the action is the Backstretch Walking Tour at Saratoga Race Track. The 45-minute tour is great for kids. Guides cover history and highlights with loads of fascinating oddities about the track.

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  • Capital Region Rodeo

Slip into a pair of boots and grab a cowboy hat. Where the blacktop ends and the dirt road begins, the Painted Pony Championship Rodeo in Lake Luzerne brings the west alive each summer. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned rodeo runs every weekend from July through Labor Day with classic like steer wrestling, bareback riding, and roping plus Texas barbecue.

Come fall they take the show on the road with Adirondack Stampede, which is held at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Painted Pony owner-breeders Shawn and Shana Graham have earned national championships for their livestock.

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  • Written by: Katie Navarra

Katie Navarra is a professional writer based in the Capital Region. She has written for Popular Science, The Motley Fool Blueprint, Western Horseman, Horse & Rider and others. She is also a life and executive career coach who helps clients find clarity and success in and out of the office. Learn more at katienavarra.com.