Holiday Valley, United States
Also within 20 km of Ellicottville
- Holimont Ski resort · 0.6 km from Ellicottville
Watch this spot We email you when Holiday Valley is worth the trip.
About Holiday Valley
Village 470 m. Facts: verified.
A ski resort with its village at 470 m and its top at 708 m. It has 31 km of runs and 13 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The runs drop 241 m, from 708 m to 467 m. For beginners and families: 74% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate). For experts: 8 km of advanced, expert and freeride runs. It is usually in season from December to April. The snow is usually deepest in January, about 0.2 m at the top (708 m). The town to stay in is Ellicottville. Within 5 km we also list 1 ski resort.
Holiday Valley Resort, known more commonly as just Holiday Valley, is a family-oriented vacation spot and ski resort in Ellicottville, New York. Established in 1957 by Nelson Pauly, John Fisher and Bill Northrup, the facility opened with four runs and one T-bar lift. Currently the resort contains 60 slopes and 13 lifts. Since its opening Holiday Valley has experienced steady growth and has become the main tourist attraction in Cattaraugus County. In 1995 the Inn at Holiday Valley opened, turning the slope into a self-contained ski resort.
From the Wikipedia article Holiday Valley (ski resort), shortened. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
The ski area
Runs from 467 m to 708 m: 241 m of vertical. 31 km of runs and 13 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap for Holiday Valley.
| Easy | 12 km |
|---|---|
| Intermediate | 11 km |
| Advanced | 7.8 km |
| Not graded | 0.3 km |
| Chairlifts | 11 |
|---|---|
| Drag lifts | 1 |
| Magic carpets | 1 |
Measured along each mapped run, so it can differ from the resort's own figure. Ski area data © OpenSkiMap.org and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
For families
74% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate).
No public pool, ice rink, leisure centre, ski school or childcare is mapped within 5 km of the village. That may mean nobody has mapped them yet.
The Family filter counts these. Check opening times before you go.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 5 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to BUF, direct.
See flights MDW → BUF · Skyscanner from about £115 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 05 from the airport to Holiday Valley.
Accommodation.
Stay in EllicottvilleAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Ellicottville (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Ellicottville 3 min by car · rooms from £80 a night · where Holiday Valley stays
Places to stay in Ellicottville · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire, lessons and lift passes.
Ski lessons in Ellicottville · GetYourGuideAdSki and board hire · SkisetAdLift passes · Resort website
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
Holiday Valley on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Lifts closed for the season. They usually open about 25 November.
Forecast
The score, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor
| Day | Score | Fresh72 h | Depthtop, mid, base | Coldestat top | Windat top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -2°C | wind, 6 knots |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 2°C | wind, 4 knots |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 5°C | wind, 8 knots |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 1°C | wind, 6 knots |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 2°C | wind, 9 knots |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 1°C | wind, 7 knots |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 2°C | wind, 3 knots |
| Sun 25Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 3°C | wind, 4 knots |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to.
Snow by month
| Month | Base470 m | Mid589 m | Top708 m | Coldestat the top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | -4°C |
| Jan | 0.2 m | 0.2 m | 0.2 m | -7°C |
| Feb | 0.2 m | 0.2 m | 0.2 m | -6°C |
| Mar | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | 0.1 m | -3°C |
Typical snow on the ground in the village, halfway up and at the top: the middle value over 2016 to 2025, from ERA5-Land reanalysis at the grid cell nearest each height. Not a forecast, and not the groomed pistes: resorts make snow lower down.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to BUF, then 2h 05 by road. About 5h 30 door to door
- Tue 20 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Wed 21 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Thu 22 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Fri 23 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sat 24 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to BUF, then 2h 05 by road. About 5h 30 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,860–£2,885 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to BUF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £115–£235 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Transfer | shared airport transfer, return | £70–£120 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £215–£360 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Lift pass | 5 days | £1,000–£1,350 |
| Ski hire | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £165–£275 |
| Total | £1,860–£2,885 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Airport to resortAd
Transfers · Hoppa (ad)Lift passes
Lift passes · Resort websiteLinks marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.