New England Major Ski Resorts Map

Map of New England's major ski resorts.

Ski Transportation

Check the Ski Transportation page for how to get to the ski resorts by bus, train and car, including distances from Boston and distances from New York City to the major resorts.

New England's Major Ski Resorts

Here are New England's fourteen largest ski resorts listed by size (number of ski trails):

Killington VT

4763 Killington Road, Killington VT (map)
Vermont's largest and tallest, with 3050 ft (930 m) vertical drop, 200 downhill trails, 31 lifts (including a gondola), extensive snowmaking, terrain parks, and many off-slope dining and entertainment options. More...

Mount Snow VT

12 Pisgah Road, West Dover VT (map)
Family resort great if you have infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and up, 1700 ft (518 m) vertical drop, 145 downhill trails, 23 lifts, tubing, snowmobile tours, snowshoeing and spas. More...

Sugarloaf ME

5092 Sugarloaf Access Road, Carrabassett Valley ME (map)
Well north of Sunday River Ski Resort, Sugarloaf's mountain is higher (second highest in Maine, after the mighty Katahdin), its snow is colder—and drier—and its crowds are smaller. More...

Sunday River ME

Sunday River Road, Newry ME (map)
A big, good, elaborate ski resort spread over 8 mountain peaks north of Bethel ME, famous for being family-friendly. More...

Okemo Mountain VT

77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow VT (map)
Well rounded family-owned, five-mountain resort with something for everyone, 2200 ft (671 m) vertical drop, 115 downhill trails, 18 lifts, six terrain parks, nordic (x-c) ski center. More...

Sugarbush VT

1840 Sugarbush Access Road, Warren VT (map)
Varied resort with six interconnected 4000-ft peaks, 2600 ft (792 m) vertical drop, 115 downhill trails, 16 lifts, two snowparks, half-pipe. More...

Bretton Woods NH

99 Ski Area Road, Bretton Woods NH (map)
With dramatic views of Mount Washington from the ski slopes, and one-of-a-kind lodgings and sights nearby, Bretton Woods, famous for the Mount Washington Hotel, is among New Hampshire's most popular ski areas. More...

Stratton Mountain VT

5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain VT (map)
Great skiing for all, and championship snowboarding (this is where the sport was invented) with six terrain parks (best in eastern USA), 2003 ft (611 m) vertical drop, 90 downhill trails, 16 lifts (some very fast), great trail grooming. More...

Jay Peak VT

4850 Vt Rte 242, Jay VT (map)
Big Northeast Kingdom area with lots of natural snow, 2153 ft (656 m) vertical drop, 8 lifts, 76 downhill trails, 60-person aerial tramway, and "real skiing for real people." More...

Cannon Mountain NH

Franconia Notch Parkway (I-93), Franconia NH (map)
Massive and lofty enough to be served by an aerial tramway, Cannon Mountain, on the north side of Franconia Notch, allows you to ride up and take a l-o-n-g time skiing down: helicopter skiing without the expensive helicopter. More...

Saddleback Mountain ME

976 Saddleback Mountain Road, Rangeley ME (map)
West over the mountains from Sugarloaf, Saddleback has some of the same advantages: good snow, beautiful scenery, short (or no) lift lines. More...

Mount Sunapee NH

NH Route 103, Newbury NH (map)
Sunapee is a fine state park ski area with sunny slopes and good services 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Concord NH. More...

Waterville Valley NH

1 Ski Area Road, Waterville Valley NH (map)
What happens when an inspired developer gains control of an entire valley and conceives a master plan for its development as a year-round outdoors resort? Waterville Valley, a ski resort with a unified plan and harmonious accomplishment, south of Franconia Notch, north of Lake Winnipesaukee. More...

Loon Mountain NH

Exit 32, I-93, Lincoln NH (map)
Something for everyone, especially kids, youth and families, from its special events to its mountaintop gondola, Loon, in Lincoln, New Hampshire south of Franconia Notch, is one of the state's major ski resorts. More...

Snowboarding

Snowboarding was invented in New England when Jake Carpenter snuck onto closed slopes at Stratton Mountain Ski Resort in Vermont to try out his crazy invention: a broad, flexible board that allowed a person (preferably an adventurous young person) to rocket down a slippery slope the way a surfer glides at speed on the crest of an ocean wave.

Carpenter went on to found Burton Snowboards, and Stratton Mountain Ski Resort became one of the USA's premier snowboard destinations, with important annual snowboarding races, contests and competitions.

The sport was quickly adopted by other New England ski areas, so now most ski resorts in the region have at least one and often two or three terrain parks, as well as lessons for aspiring snowboarders, and shops for rentals or purchase of snowboarding equipment.

The only New England ski area that excludes snowboarders is Mad River Glen, the old-fashioned ski area with a single-chair lift and no trail grooming.

Snowshoeing

If the idea of putting long, narrow little boards on your feet and hurtling down a slippery mountain slope has no appeal for you, consider this: the deep winter months of late December, January, February, and early March can be just perfect for snowshoeing in New England.

The fun of snowshoeing is that anyone can do it—and have fun doing it. No lessons, no lift tickets, no special gear except your snowshoes and appropriate winter clothing.

As winter and the snow cover deepens, particularly in the northern New England states, snowshoes are a great way to get out and enjoy the winter scenery.

Once you have your snowshoes you can walk anywhere, but many resort areas—especially in the northern New England states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine—have special snowshoe facilities: trails to the most scenic points and lookouts, maps, safety guidelines, and cozy places to relax after a day of walking among the wonders of nature.

	You can go anywhere...

About Snowshoes

They're the tool that makes hiking possible in several feet of snow. You can get small, modern light-weight snowshoes made of space-age materials. Tubbs Snowshoes is a prominent brand and a traditional Vermont company (although it's now a part of K2 Snowshoes headquartered in Washington state).

The Appalachian Mountain Club keeps three of its White Mountains hikers' huts open all winter, and you can hike to them with snowshoes. More...

The "huts"—actually spacious lodges—provide shelter, heat, light, kitchen facilities and mattresses, but you must bring your own sleeping bag and food.

It's less than two miles (3.7 km) up from the Franconia Notch State Park campground to the Lonesome Lake hut, a snowshoe hike of about an hour if you're in shape. More...

For a longer hike (just under 4 miles/7.4 km, 2-1/2 to 3 hours), is the one to the Carter Notch hut along the 19-Mile Brook Trail ("19-Mile" is the name of the brook, not the length of the trail!). More...

The Zeeland Falls hut can be reached by any of four trails, with hiking distances/times from 5.5 miles/10 km (4+ hours) to 7.3 miles/14 km (5 hours). More...

Vermont Skiing

No doubt about it...

Vermont is really a skiers' state, with more than 16 ski areas catering to every winter taste. Here's a comparison chart to help you choose the one you'll like, and here are general locations:

Southern Vermont: Ascutney, Bromley, Magic Mountain, Mount Snow, Okemo, Stratton.

Central Vermont: Killington, Mad River Glen, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Sugarbush, Saskadena Six.

Northern Vermont: Bolton Valley, Burke Mountain, Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch, Stowe.

New Hampshire Skiing

Second only to Vermont, New Hampshire has many fine medium-sized ski areas, most without the vast condominium developments that characterize so many ski resorts today:

Attitash, The Balsams, Black Mountain, Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, Cranmore, Crotched Mountain, Dartmouth Skiway, Granite Gorge, Gunstock, King Pine, Loon Mountain, McIntyre, Pat's Peak, Ragged Mountain, Storrs Hill, Mount Sunapee, Tenney Mountain, Tuckerman Ravine, Waterville Valley, Whaleback, Wildcat Mountain.

Maine Skiing

Three top-class Maine ski resorts—Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback—draw skiers and snowboarders from hundreds of miles away to their high summits with lots of dry snow, but Maine's medium-sized ski & snowboard resorts offer great winter experiences as well:

Mt Abram, Big Rock, Black Mountain, Camden Snow Bowl, Eaton Mountain, New Hermon Mountain, Mount Jefferson, Saddleback, Pleasant Mountain (ex-Shawnee Peak), Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Titcomb Mountain.

Massachusetts Skiing

Massachusetts has over a dozen small to medium-sized ski resorts. A few of them can compete with some north-country resorts, and all are closer to the major cities: Berkshire East, Blue Hills, Bousquet, Bradford, Ski Butternut, Catamount, Jiminy Peak, Nashoba Valley, Otis Ridge, Wachusett Mountain, Ward Hill, and more.

Connecticut & Rhode Island Skiing

The two most southern New England states have a few ski areas—Mohawk Mountain, Mount Southington, Ski Sundown, and Yawgoo—are small, but convenient and fun.