Windham — The Third Catskills Ski Town and Its Four-Season Comeback

## Windham, Between the Two The Catskills have three real ski areas: Hunter (biggest, loudest), Belleayre (state-run, western anchor), Windham (private, mid-sized, the comeback story). Windham is the one most weekenders haven't been to in a decade — and the place that's invested most heavily into a year-round resort identity. The mountain reopened under new ownership in 2021 with significant investment, and the four-season programming has expanded fast: lift-served mountain biking through the warm months, an adventure park, year-round dining, expanded snowmaking and grooming through winter. The village of Windham itself sits at the base — small, walkable, with the Windham Path running flat for three miles through it. ## Where to Buy No licensed dispensary in Windham proper as of 2026 — Greene County's OCM rollout has been slower than Ulster's. Closest options: - **[Wintergreen](/dispensary/wintergreen-000003)** in Tannersville (15 minutes east on Rt 23A) — the eastern-Greene anchor. - Catskill (the town) on the Hudson side has Bud's Dispensary, ~35 minutes east. For a Windham ski weekend, route through Tannersville on the way up Rt 23 — Wintergreen is a five-minute detour and the Saturday-morning lift line at Windham is not the place to remember you forgot to stock. ## The Mountain — Winter Windham Mountain Resort runs 54 trails over 285 skiable acres. Less terrain than Hunter, more than the eastern smaller hills (Belleayre's 67 trails put it on top by acreage). Vertical is 1,600 feet, which is solid for the Catskills. The mountain leans toward intermediate skiers and families, but enough black-diamond terrain on the East side keeps it interesting for stronger skiers. The mid-week pace is the move — Saturday is full, Sunday is busy, Tuesday is empty. Lift tickets price into the upper-tier Catskills bracket; season-pass economics work if you ski more than 8–10 days. ## The Mountain — Summer The summer side is the new story. Lift-served downhill mountain biking, an adventure park, a small disc-golf course, a programming calendar built around concerts and seasonal events through the warm months. The mountain bike trails tier from beginner-friendly green flow trails to legitimate black-diamond rocky descents — the kind of build that takes seven seasons to mature, which Windham started early. For non-cyclists, the Windham Path is a flat 3-mile paved walk that runs through the village. Fall foliage walks pull weekend traffic through October. ## Lodging Windham's lodging is split between condos at the base, rental homes scattered through the village, and the Windham Mountain Inn at the resort itself. Hensonville next door (5 minutes south) has quieter farm-stay lodging that works for a slower weekend. **East Windham** further east on Rt 23 has guesthouse options at lower price points. Plan ahead for ski-season Saturdays — the village fills. ## Outside the Mountain Windham is the launch pad for serious hiking on the Black Dome / Blackhead range. Black Dome (3,990′) and Blackhead (3,940′) are both on the Catskill 3500 list and accessible from the Big Hollow trailhead 10 minutes south of Windham. Cave Mountain is a shorter half-day option closer to town. Adults 21+ should remember the **state-owned-land cannabis prohibition** — the trails are state forest preserve, the parking pull-offs are state DOT land, the consumption is for the rental afterward. ## The Weekend Template ### Friday — Arrival Roll in via Rt 23A through Tannersville (Wintergreen stop) or up Rt 23 from Catskill (Bud's stop). Check in. Quiet dinner at the inn or one of the village spots — Windham's restaurant scene is real but small. ### Saturday — Mountain Day Lifts open at 9; first chair gets you the cleanest snow. Lunch at the mid-mountain lodge or back in the village. Afternoon nap (cabin) or second session (mountain). Evening at the bar in the village; cannabis-aware adults 21+ pre-roll at the rental, walk down for last call. ### Sunday — The Slow Wind-Down Late breakfast in the village. Walk the Windham Path. Optional: drive 10 minutes south to Hensonville, find a farm stand, drive home via Rt 23 east through Catskill so the bridge sunset is the last image of the weekend. ## Why Windham Windham is the quieter alternative to Hunter that doesn't sacrifice the mountain itself. The four-season investment means a Windham weekend can happen any month and have something to do. The cannabis logistics route through Tannersville without much detour. As ski-and-cabin weekends go, the village has the rhythm — small, walkable, with the mountain visible from Main Street and the trail systems out the back.