Ellicottville
Discover the Aspen of the East. A ski town that is now so much more than a ski town. Come for the skiing. Stay for the golf, the mountain biking, hiking, fishing and more. And, of course, the bars and restaurants that are quickly becoming legendary.
Activities abound in Ellicottville. Ski at Holimont or Holiday Valley. Try mountain biking described by the International Mountain Biking Association as ‘Epic”. Or just enjoy the bars and restaurants that line Main Street.
A little further afield, you can find even more to do. White water rafting, a number of excellent golf courses and the Allegheny State Forest offer a wide variety of outdoor activities. The excitement of the Seneca Allegheny Casino is less than half an hour to the south.
What to do in Ellicottville
Holiday Valley
Winter
Holiday Valley is the second best resort in the East. So says Ski Magazine. That puts it ahead of such storied resorts at Mont Tremblant, Killington and Stowe.
“Holiday Valley trades sheer vertical for laps and somehow pulls it off with seamless style. There are 60 trails over 290 acres, which offers a surprising amount of variety for a mountain that only boasts 750 vertical feet of elevation gain. The excellent accommodations, dining, and laid-back spirit make this one of the very best ski destinations in the East.”
Holiday Valley’s vertical drop is around 750 feet. This is similar to Blue Mountain in Collingwood which has a vertical drop of 722 feet. It covers over 290 acres and fits in 60 runs. These runs are served by 13 lifts, the most recent of which is the new high speed Yodeler. Yodeler will debut in the 2021-2022 winter season at a cost of over $5 million. This is symbolic of Holiday Valley’s constant reinvestment in the resort. Every year sees a new improvement.
That investment is also evident in the snowmaking. Holiday Valley is blessed with some of the most advanced HKD snowmaking anywhere in the east. In addition to this, Ellicottville as a whole benefits from amazing lake effect snow off of Lake Erie. That means that Ellicottville benefits from powder days - a rare treat among east coast resorts.
Holiday Valley at Sunrise. Photo Courtesy of Holiday Valley.
Summer
As well, Holiday Valley isn’t just a winter destination. The Double Black Diamond golf course offers a challenging mountain golf experience and stunning views. The Sky High Adventure park offers excitement high up in the trees. It’s a series of zip lines, platforms and rope bridges. Moreover, it is the biggest of its kind in NY state and actually the 3rd biggest in the country!
The Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster is perfect for thrill seekers young and old alike! Take the chair lift up and then rocket down through the trees!
The Holiday Valley Mountain Coaster. Picture courtesy of Holiday Valley
Holiday Valley also offers a complex of swimming pools and non-motorised watersports on Spruce Lake.
Or, you could just hit Ellicottville’s bars, restaurants and shopping at any time of the year!
Holimont
Ellicottville is fortunate to have not just one, but two amazing ski hills. Holiday Valley is the number 2 rated ski hill in the east and Holimont is America’s largest private ski resort. We’re number one and number two!
Holimont’s vertical drop is 700 feet (compared to Holiday Valley’s vertical drop of 750 feet). It also has the second highest summit in Ellicottville at 2260 feet. Did you know that the highest point is actually at 42 Degrees North at a height of 2326 feet?
Like Holiday Valley, Holimont benefits from Ellicottville’s natural lake effect snow. Holimont also has wall to wall snowmaking to make up for the rare occasions that Mother Nature doesn’t come through!
Although it is a private ski club, Holimont is open to the public outside of weekends. However, if you do wish to become a member, you will find both the joining fee and annual dues much more reasonable than many Collingwood private ski clubs. Holimont also offers trial memberships so you can see if a private club is for you before you commit.
Mountain Biking
Ellicottville is best known as a ski town, but it’s also a big deal on the mountain bike scene. The International Mountain Bike Association ranked Ellicottville Mountain Biking trails as Epic. This is what Singletracks.com had to say:
“Ellicottville is home to some of the finest mountain bike trails on the east coast. Built by mountain bikers, for mountain bikers, and easily accessed from town. The climbs are long, steep and plenty. The descents are rocky, rooty and fun.”
Ellicottville has mountain bike trails for beginners and experts alike. National Geographic ranked Ellicottville one of the top 100 adventure towns in North America. It’s probably not a coincidence that Singletracks ranked Ellicottville mountain biking above Queenstown Bike Park in New Zealand. At this rate, as well as the Aspen of the East, Ellicottville will soon be the Queenstown of the North!
Ellicottville Golf
There is some great golf in Ellicottville and in the surrounding area. The Double Black Diamond course at Holiday Valley offers up an amazing mountain golf experience! It’s not long at just over 6500 yards, but it offers a challenging round. Off the back tees, it’s rated at 72.8. A front flat nine eases you in and then the back nine gets more mountainous. This results in both more challenging gameplay and stunning views. Even better, Ellicottville’s bars and restaurants await you regardless of whether you are stepping off the golf course or the slopes!
Further afield, there are a further 8 golf courses within 20 miles of Ellicottville.
Elkdale Country Club is a semi-private club in Salamanca about 8 miles from Ellicottville.
Springville Country Club is a private club less than half an hour from Ellicottville. It has been called “The Friendliest Club in Western New York”.
Bartlett Country Club is a private club in Olean which is around 20 miles from Ellicottville.
Concord Crest Golf Club is a public 18 hole course in East Concord. It is approximately 18 miles from Ellicottville.
Ischua Valley Country Club is a 9 hole course in Franklinville. It is located 12 miles from Ellicottville.
Birch Run Golf Club is a 9 hole course, but uses a varitey of tees to give an 18 hole experience. Just 16 miles, from Ellicottville, Birch Run Golf Club is a scenic Enchanted Mountains golf experience.
St Bonaventure Golf Course is a relatively short 9 hole course. However it offers a fun round just 17 miles from Ellicottville.
Turkey Run Golf Course offers exceptional conditions, friendly owners and, hopefully, the odd turkey!