Located in western New York’s only proper ski town - Ellicottville - Holiday Valley is one of the busiest ski resorts in New York state. Despite having a relatively short vertical, Holiday Valley continues to be a popular destination for western New Yorkers and travelers alike.
Skiing was not new to Ellicottville back in 1958 when the resort officially opened. The town had already seen its first ski area open in 1935 and town ski club form in 1938. The founders of Holiday Valley - Bill Northrup, Dick Congdon, and John Fisher - didn’t just want to build another ski hill, but a larger resort with inspiration from Canada’s Mt. Saint-Sauveur resort. Holiday Valley was also meant to be more challenging than existing ski areas around Ellicottville with its first lift and slopes on the current Yodeler face. The resort opened on January 7th, 1958.
Since its 1958 opening date, Holiday Valley has expanded drastically with 13 lifts and 60 trails. The original Yodeler lift is now on its fourth iteration having been replaced three times. Despite the fact that Holiday Valley now shares Ellicottville with another ski resort: Holimont, it still distinguishes itself with its size, trail diversity, and unique aesthetics which are still in the style that the founders were inspired by when visiting Mt. Saint-Sauveur.
In the last couple of decades, Holiday Valley has also invested in summertime activities. The resort is now home to an 18-hole golf course, a mountain coaster, and an aerial rope course.
Now almost 70 years old, Holiday Valley continues to stand out from its competitors and attract skiers from major population centers such as Buffalo, Rochester, Toronto, Cleveland, and beyond.
Bibliography
Holiday Valley History - https://www.holidayvalley.com/history/
Holiday Valley, Historic Path - https://historicpath.com/tours-rt-219/holiday-valley
Holiday Valley, Canadian Visitors - https://www.holidayvalley.com/canadian-visitors/
Holiday Valley, Lift Blog - https://liftblog.com/holiday-valley-ny/
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