The Catskills Weekend Where Nobody Has to Choose Between the Spa and the Beer
What if your weekend included a mountaintop gondola ride, a Tibetan massage, live music under the Catskills sky, and no rush to drive home?
That's summer around Belleayre Mountain. Float above the forest in the morning, get properly spoiled by a spa in the afternoon, and close out Friday with live music, local food, and mountain views. Adventure, relaxation, and a little dancing, all within a short drive of Alpine Four Season Lodge. Bring a partner who wants the spa day and a friend who just wants to meet at the taco truck with a cold beer, this weekend has room for both.
Got to experience the gondola bliss to believe it.
Start at the Top: Ride the Belleayre Gondola
Summer looks completely different from the top of Belleayre Mountain. The Catskill Thunder Gondola carries you comfortably toward the summit, opening onto wide views across the Catskill Forest Preserve. Peaceful, easy, and appropriate for nearly every age, no mountain climbing required, just a chairlift and a really good view.
Belleayre's 2026 scenic gondola season began June 26 and runs through October 11, with rides available based on the mountain's summer schedule and weather. Check current hours and tickets directly with Belleayre before you go.
Ohhh, so relaxing that Menla spa
Then Do Something Radical: Relax
We usually show up in the Catskills ready to do everything, hike the mountain, swim the lake, hit every town, find the best restaurant, photograph all of it. Sometimes the best move is finally giving yourself permission to stop.
Dewa Spa at Menla Retreat. Tucked inside Menla's private 330-acre nature preserve in Woodland Valley, Dewa Spa blends Eastern and Western traditions, Tibetan KuNye massage, Ayurveda, acupuncture, herbal baths, reflexology, facials, and sound therapy, plus steam rooms, saunas, and a seasonal outdoor pool. One standout treatment is shirodhara, warm oil poured slowly over the forehead, roughly the opposite of mentally rewriting tomorrow's to-do list. Book ahead, walk-ins aren't the plan here.
Emerson Spa in Mount Tremper. For a more classic resort-spa feel, head to The Emerson Spa along the Route 28 corridor. Massage, skincare, and wellness treatments, plus a $45 weekday Wellness Pass (subject to availability) covering the fitness center, sauna, steam, and outdoor hot tub. A convenient stop if you want to pair a treatment with lunch or a wander through Phoenicia.
Friday Night Belongs to Music on the Belle
Rested, stretched, and glowing, it's time to head back to Belleayre. Free Music on the Belle runs at the Discovery Lodge every Friday evening, 6 to 9 PM, July 24 through August 28, 2026. Bands, food, drinks, and a crowd settling comfortably into the weekend. One minute you're watching the light shift across the trees, the next everyone's dancing and wondering why every Friday can't feel like this.
Remaining 2026 lineup: August 7: Roadhouse 60's August 14: Rivals NY August 21: Lily of the Valley August 28: 9 Feet Down
Free admission, no ticket required.
The Perfect Belleayre Summer Weekend
Arrive in Highmount and settle into the lodge. Ride the gondola for the view. Book a massage, a soak, or a sauna. Head back to Belleayre Friday night for music and mountain energy. Then return to Alpine Four Season Lodge, sit on the porch, and enjoy the best part of the whole trip: not driving back to the city.
No complicated schedule, no racing around, just enough activity to make the weekend memorable, and enough open space to actually feel like one.
Stay Close to Belleayre Mountain
Alpine Four Season Lodge sits at 32 Galli Curci Road in Highmount, walking minutes from Belleayre Discovery Lodge, where everything is happening. More time on the gondola, more time at Friday night music, more time at the spa, less time in the car.
Come for the mountain views. Stay for the massage. Dance on Friday night. Sleep deeply in the cool Catskills air.
Summer weekends near Belleayre fill fast.
Book directly at AlpineFourSeasonLodge.com may we suggest The Sunbird Chalet a guest favourite.
Daniel & The Crew
32 Galli Curci, Highmount, New York 12441
