New York ski resort built by Chinese-American veteran joins state park
In the 1950s, Chinese American Army veteran Joseph Tso bought a mountain property near Ellenville, New York, and developed a hotel and ski area there. The resort became the country’s only Chinese American-owned and operated ski resort. In 2026, the 440-acre Mt. Cathalia property was acquired for $3.3 million and is planned to become part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
In the 1950s, Joseph Tso, a Chinese American Army veteran, bought a 440-acre mountain property in Ellenville, New York and renamed it Mt. Cathalia, meaning a small piece of China. He transformed the land into a hotel and ski resort. The property, now set to become part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve, contains Shawangunk conglomerate outcrops and gullies lined with hemlock trees.
OSI, the organization acquiring the land, estimates that nearly the entire mountain has above-average habitat resilience, with the different elevations and microclimates potentially providing a wildlife refuge as the climate changes. The property also plays a role in the Sandburg Creek watershed, as North Gully serves as an emergency drinking-water source for Ellenville and the water from both North and South Gully eventually flows towards the Hudson River.
The 440-acre property, which lies between Minnewaska's North and South Gully areas, will connect two previously separated sections of the park.
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