Hiking at Bristol Mountain: summit trails and practical info

On foot at Bristol Mountain

Bristol Mountain is a ski resort in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York (5662 Route 64, Canandaigua). For fall 2026, the resort presents these routes on its Fall Sky Rides page. The distances for the viewpoints and the summit trails are given “from the Comet Express”; for the two hikes down, the resort does not say where the distance is measured from.

The viewpoints

• Morning Star View Point: 0.4 mile round trip (0.64 km), beginner. The route passes the aerial adventure park, crosses the Halle Bop trail to the Morning Star Lift Terminal and looks south down the Bristol Valley. The resort describes it as level with one small moderate incline.
• Rocket View Point: 0.5 mile round trip (0.80 km), intermediate/expert. You walk down the Ursa Major trail, then a short distance on Rocket Trail, to a knoll overlook. Views north up the Bristol Valley and a glimpse of Canandaigua Lake.
• Comet View Point: 0.35 mile round trip (0.56 km), intermediate. You walk down Haley's Road to the top of the Comet Trail and the Comet Race Building. Views east and south across the valley.

Summit trails

• Aries Cross Country Trail: a 0.85-mile loop (1.37 km) from the Comet Express, beginner/intermediate. It runs through the woods and the resort describes it as mostly level with a few moderate inclines and declines. It is the only loop on the list.
• Bristol Ridgeline Walk: 0.5 mile round trip (0.80 km), beginner. It follows the ridgeline on the Space Walk trail to the Galaxy Express lift terminal, with several viewpoints over the valley.

Hikes down the mountain

Two routes lead back to the base, both rated intermediate:

• Hale Bopp > Milky Way > Eclipse > Infinity: 2 miles one way (3.22 km), along the primary access road. A stop at Morning Star View Point is suggested.
• Halley's Run > Sunbelt > Shooting Star > Eclipse > Infinity: 1.6 miles one way (2.57 km), with a stop near the summit at Comet View Point.

The resort states that visitors may ride the Comet Express from the summit to the base or hike down via the recommended, marked trails.

Getting up: the Sky Ride

The resort offers the Comet Express chairlift to get up, a 15 to 20 minute ride. For fall 2026 it announced Fall Sky Rides on Saturdays and Sundays starting September 12 through the fall (no end date given), plus Columbus Day, Monday, October 12, which has already passed. Hours are not published. Access to the routes outside this offer and the 2027 restart should be confirmed with the resort. A 2026 ticket cost $15 per person (ages 3 and up) when bought 3 or more days ahead and $20 when bought less than 3 days ahead; ages 2 and under are free. Tickets are sold online, admission is limited, and once a time slot is sold out online there are no walk-up tickets for it.

Before you go

• The resort highly recommends sturdy closed-toe footwear: sneakers, hiking boots or closed-toe shoes.
• Pets and service animals are not allowed on the chairlift. The resort does not say what applies on the trails.
• The Morning Star Café is midway up, at the base of the Milky Way trail, open 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. with beer, wine and snacks. From there, the resort counts a 1-mile hike to the base or the summit.
• The resort also runs an aerial adventure park, a kids adventure park, a rock wall and bungee trampolines at the summit.
• Parking and dog rules on the trails: the resort does not publish them, so confirm with it.