Cockaigne Ski Trail Map - Layered Wood Wall Art
by Mountaincut
Western New York's snowiest ski area, preserved forever in wood. Mountaincut's Cockaigne Ski Trail Map is a layered wooden wall art piece featuring hand-traced ski trails expertly laser cut from premium birch and/or walnut plywood, a handcrafted tribute to the beloved Cherry Creek resort that generations of Chautauqua County skiers called home.
The Snowiest Hill in Western New York, Captured in Wood
Tucked into eastern Chautauqua County near Cherry Creek, New York, along the Chautauqua Ridge roughly 18 to 20 miles south of Lake Erie and a thousand feet above it, Cockaigne sat in one of the most productive lake-effect snow zones in the East. When the Great Lakes snow machine fired up, this hill got absolutely buried, and Cockaigne proudly held the title of highest annual snowfall in Western New York. The resort spanned 425 acres of property with roughly 80 to 100 acres of skiing, 15 trails, and a 430-foot vertical drop from a lodge elevation of 1,592 feet, served by four lifts including two aerial lifts, a J-bar, and a magic carpet. This handcrafted map preserves every slope, timber run, and trail in beautiful layered wood relief.
Every Trail, Every Timber Run, Every Memory
What made Cockaigne special was the mix. The mountain paired wide-open slopes stretching 300 feet across, perfect for beginners finding their confidence, with classic New England style narrow trails just 15 feet wide, cut to follow the natural topography of the ridge. Two main hills, several timber runs, a terrain park, and a dedicated learning hill gave families a genuinely complete experience. Generations of Western New York skiers learned here, raced here, and spent long winter days here before ending them by the fireplace in the lodge. That original lodge, built for the 1964 World's Fair in New York City and moved to Cherry Creek in 1966, burned in a fire that could be seen from five miles away, and the resort went dark. But in 2017 a group led by hometown skier Rex Butcher purchased the property, invested millions, built a new 10,000-square-foot lodge two-thirds larger than the original, refurbished and recertified the lifts, added snowmaking, a tubing hill, and a snowmobile adventure park. Skiing returned in the 2020-21 season, a genuine community revival. After a snow-starved 2022-23 winter brought the shortest season in memory, the lifts stopped turning once again, and Cockaigne has remained closed since. For everyone who ever skied the Chautauqua Ridge, the hope of another comeback has never fully faded.
Exceptional Craftsmanship, Made in the USA
All Mountaincut wooden trail maps are precision laser cut and etched, hand-stained, and finished in the United States using birch and/or walnut plywood. The two-layer construction creates a rich, dimensional look where the ridge and trail network stand out in beautiful relief. Hanging hardware comes preinstalled, so your new trail map will be on display in minutes.
Because each piece is crafted from real wood, no two maps are exactly alike, with natural variations in the grain and stain giving every piece its own character, just like a deep lake-effect morning on the Chautauqua Ridge.
The Perfect Gift for Anyone Who Skied Cockaigne
Whether you learned to ski on the wide beginner slopes, raced here as a kid, threaded the narrow New England style trails through the timber, warmed up by the fireplace on closing weekend, or simply believe this hill still has another chapter left in it, this map is a lasting tribute to a place that meant everything to Chautauqua County. Cockaigne may be quiet for now, but it does not have to be absent from your wall. This is the ideal gift for anyone who counts Cockaigne among the best days of their skiing life. Mountaincut products are made to order and most items ship within 2 to 3 days. Larger sizes (30" and above) may take 5 to 8 days before shipping.
Available in multiple sizes. Western New York's snowiest hill, on your wall every day of the year.
