Crystal Springs Resort is to buy Mountain Creek, the New York metropolitan area's closest winter resort.

The acquisition will create the region's largest four-season resort destination, spanning five miles through the Vernon Valley region towns of Vernon, Hardyston, Hamburg and Franklin. The combined resorts currently offer 15,000 acres of year-round amenities including golf courses, spas, hotels, an 80,000-bottle wine cellar, ski and snowboard venues, a waterpark, and mountain bike park.

Mountain Creek has been owned by Canadian-based Intrawest ULC for the past 12 years, during which period the resort installed five new lifts and ongoing snowmaking upgrades, the latter including - at the time - the largest single installation in North America.

In the non-winter seasons, the resort is home to the Mountain Creek Waterpark - whose original builders are the principal owners of Crystal Springs - and the Diablo Freeride Mountain Bike Park.

Preliminary plans by Crystal Springs include a rainforest-themed indoor water park hotel, a base area village with entertainment, dining and retail, as well as a 'main street' with venues such as artisan food makers, a winery, brew pub, cheese maker, ice creamery, bakery and chocolatier.

Also being considered are several internationally branded resort hotels.

On the recreational wish-list are other mountain outdoor play elements such as mountain luge, zip lines and lift-accessed water slides, as well as a renewed focus on festivals and entertainment.