Growing up in Maine, I obviously spent a lot of time skiing in New England. Even to the point of becoming both a ski instructor and a ski patroller for several different New England resorts. Of course, working for a ski resort I also often got discounted ski tickets at other nearby resorts, and I took advantage of it. Below is my list of the best ski resorts in New England.
NOTE: For those of you who have skied out west, our snow is much different (so, I’m told as I’ve never skied outside of the East Coast.) Our snow is harder and has more grip, but that also means that our risk of avalanches is significantly less. It can get a little bit icy, especially near the end of the season when it’s starting to melt during the day and refreezes at night. We don’t have a lot of that soft powdery snow, which makes for faster runs, but rougher falls.
Best Skiing in Maine
There are 12 Ski Resorts in Maine, ranging from the very small Big Rock (with 29 trails and 4 lifts) to Sugarloaf (with 162 trails and 13 lifts). The mountains feature lots of beautiful ocean-view drives and some really beautiful rural areas.
Camden Snow Bowl
Camden Snow Bowl has been around for more than 60 years and is actually owned by the town of Camden. With a vertical drop of 1,150 feet, its longest run is a little over a mile. Snowmaking and night skiing cover about a quarter of the resort.
Camden is home to the U.S. National Toboggan Championships. If you’re in town that weekend, it is absolutely a must-see. The resort has a ski shop, ski, and snowboard lessons (including children’s and women’s programs), and equipment rentals.
Children 5 and under and adults over 70 and older ski free.
Fun Fact: Camden Snow Bowl is the only ski resort on the eastern seaboard in which you can see the ocean from the top of the lift.
Camden Snow Bowl, 20 Barnestown Rd, Camden, ME 04843
15 Trails, 11 Glades, 2 Terrain Parks, 4 Lifts
Lost Valley Ski Resort
Lost Valley was the first ski area in Maine to make artificial snow. And it has been doing it for over 40 years now, so they’ve kind of got it down. It also has one of the largest ski schools in New England.
It is a family ski area with the longest ski day in Maine. You can get in 14 hours of continuous skiing every weekend. The mountain has all the usual amenities. A cafeteria, lounge, ski store, rentals, and lessons, but also has cross-country ski rentals.
Fun fact: Three-time Olympic Skier Julie Parisian runs a Junior Race Program at Lost Valley.
Lost Valley Ski Resort, 200 Lost Valley Rd, Auburn, ME 04210
18 Trails, 9 Glades, 2 Terrain Parks, 4 Lifts
Sunday River
Sunday River is just over 870 acres of the total surface, across eight mountain peaks. Those peaks include White Cap, Locke Mountain, Barker Mountain, Spruce Peak, North Peak, South Ridge, Aurora Peak, and Oz.
Beyond the winter sports of skiing and snowboarding, tree skiing, and terrain parks, it has summer activities that include golfing and water sports. It really is a year-round resort and shifts between the seasons beautifully.
Because they have so many varied peaks, they are able to more easily separate skiers and snowboarders by skill level. White Cap has the hardest terrain and tallest peaks. North Peak is much easier, with a focus on beginners and families.
Sunday River Ski Resort, 15 S Ridge Rd, Newry, ME 04261
139 Trails, 300 Acres of Glades, 5 Terrain Parks, 18 Lifts
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf is located in the heart of the Carrabassett Valley, nestled in the Western Mountains. It offers the only lift-serviced skiing above the tree line in the East. Although it’s more remote than many big mountains, it’s worth the trip.
With over 1,200 acres and a continuous 2,820 feet of vertical, Sugarloaf is located on Maine’s second-highest peak. And with that height comes lots of great natural snowfall. Twelve lifts bring you to 162 trails and glades, 4 progressive terrain parks, including an experts-only park, and a Superpipe.
Fun Fact: Sugarloaf also has a private middle/high school, Carrabassett Valley Academy. It offers both college preparatory courses and competitive skiing and snowboarding training. Multiple Olympians and world champions have come out of Carrabassett Valley Academy
Sugarloaf, 5092 Access Rd, Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
162 Trails, 30 Glades, 6 Terrain Parks, 14 Lifts
Big Rock Mountain
Located in the little town of Mars Hill, Maine, it is one of the most northern ski resorts in the State of Maine. But even as a remote rural mountain, it still has 4 chairlifts, 29 trails, and 80% snow-making capacity. Along with night skiing, and almost 1000 ft of continuous vertical drop.
It’s a smaller resort than most in Maine but never felt crowded because of its remote location. I really got my start skiing at Big Rock, and I had the opportunity to serve as an instructor here for a few years. It’s a great place to learn to ski if you’re in the area because of the wide-open spaces and little competition for the trails.
Big Rock Maine, 37 Graves Rd, Mars Hill, ME 04758
29 Trails, 2 Terrain Parks, 4 Lifts
Mt Abram Ski Resort
Mt. Abram, located in Greenwood, ME has five lifts and a vertical drop of 1,150 feet. With 44 trails, they cover everything from beginner slopes to expert runs, so you can really get the full skiing experience.
Mt. Abram also offers a jib park along with terrain parks for the more advanced skiers to enjoy. Inside the Westside Lodge at the base of the mountain, guests can enjoy food at the full restaurant or drinks at the Loose Boots Lounge. For even more fun, guests can enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday from 3 to 6 pm.
Mt Abram, 308 Howe Hill Rd #3112, Greenwood, ME 04255
41 Trails, 1 Glade, 1 Terrain Park, 5 Lifts,
Best Skiing in New Hampshire
There are 19 Ski Resorts in New Hampshire. Because of the line of the mountains, they are all fairly close to each other. So, if you wanted to get in a few different ski experiences in one weekend, New Hampshire is the place to do it without a lot of driving. New Hampshire can also be very relaxing, for a good place to recover after skiing check out Lake House at Ferry Point.
Attitash Mountain Resort
Attitash is located near North Conway, New Hampshire, and is currently owned by an international ski resort ownership company, Vail Resorts. Although that means higher prices, that also means that they know a thing or two about running quality ski resorts.
Located in the White Mountains, the resort spans across two mountains, Attitash and Bear Peak with a total of 68 total runs. Their runs range from beginner to expert, along with 60 acres of glades and 3 terrain parks. 8 lifts will get you to the top of the mountains and the beautifully groomed snow will get you back down.
Fun Fact: Attitash means “blueberry” in the Abenaki language.
Attitash Mountain, 775 US-302, Bartlett, NH 03812
68 Trails, 60 Acres of Glades, 3 Terrain Parks, 8 Lifts
Best Ski Resorts in Vermont
Vermont has 18 ski resorts throughout it, ranging from the small Saskadena Six (previously known as Suicide Six) with 3 lifts and 24 trails to the much larger Killington Resort with 155 trails and 22 lifts. Vermont is much more rural than places like Maine and Massachusetts, so enjoy the scenic drives while reaching these mountain resorts.
Mount Snow Ski Resort
Mt Snow, located in West Dover, Vermont is a large 600-acre mountain resort, with 20 lifts getting you to the top. The largest lift at the resort, the Bluebird Express holds 6 people per seat. It heads from the mountain base to the peak at around 3,600 feet elevation. 86 trails will get you back down, ranging from the easy blues to the challenging blacks.
Being a large resort, they have lodging and restaurant options right on the mountain, so you can easily make a long weekend of it. With lots of annual snowfall, great snowmaking coverage, and excellent grooming capabilities, this resort seems always ready for fun. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, they have tubing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and even dog sledding.
Mt Snow Ski Resort, 39 Mount Snow Road, West Dover, VT 05356
86 Trails, 100 acres of Glades, 10 Terrain Parks, 19 Lifts
Stowe Mountain Resort
Stowe Mountain Resort, named after the town it resides in markets itself as a luxury ski resort. The lodge includes a ski-in/ski-out hotel and spa, restaurants, and even more nearby in the nearby town. The resort also has childcare for up to age three and day camp for up to 4 years old.
The mountain includes 12 lifts going up, including a gondola between the two mountains contained within the resort, Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. There are 116 trails coming down, along with a good collection of glades and terrain parks. Trails range from beginner (primarily on the Mount Mansfield side) to advanced (primarily on the Spruce Peak side.)
Fun Fact: Somewhere on the mountain is a speakeasy. It’s invite-only, and a well-kept secret, so you’ll need to find somebody in the know to learn about its location. I’ve never found it, but maybe you’ll have better luck.
Stowe Mountain Resort, 5781 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
116 Trails, 10 Glades, 2 Terrain Parks, 12 Lifts
Best Skiing in Massachusetts
With only 12 resorts and smaller mountains than the more northern states, it’s not my first choice for skiing. But it is much easier to access than many of the other resorts because it’s near significant cities, highways, and an international airport.
Wachusett Mountain
Located just a little bit north of Boston, this is one of the easiest mountains to get to if you are flying in. Beyond it being a nice little mountain, it has 100% snowmaking capabilities, and night skiing on 18 of its 27 trails.
Eight lifts will get you to the top, including 3 carpet lifts, which are great for beginners who want to start learning while their feet stay on the ground. With 1,000 feet of vertical drop and two terrain parks, it also has some space to play for more advanced skiers.
Wachusett Mountain, 499 Mountain Rd, Princeton MA 01541
27 Trails, 2 Terrain Parks, 8 Lifts
Wrap-Up: The Best Skiing in New England
In New England, there are over 5 dozen ski resorts, some with international recognition. You really can’t drive for more than an hour in nearly any direction without passing a ski resort. Obviously, the larger more recognized ski resorts are much more expensive, and likely have longer lines and more congested trails. So, which one is right for you?
Best Skiing in New England for Beginners
The smaller mountains have fewer trails and acreage, so they aren’t as crowded with faster skiers. They generally have more “bunny trails” (the easiest type of trail) because they are often not as big or steep. They also are generally much cheaper, so it’s not going to be a huge expense if you decide that you don’t like it. You’re also not paying for half a mountain that you aren’t going to use.
I first learned to ski at Big Rock Mountain, but that was my local mountain at the time. I worked Ski Patrol at Camden Snow Bowl and did a lot of Ski Patrol training at Mt Abram, so I would recommend any of those. But don’t forget, Lost Valley also has that big ski school and an Olympian-level instructor.
Best Skiing in New England for Experts
If you’re a more experienced skier who wants the terrain parks, glades, and expert trails, pay the money for a larger resort. You’ll pay a lot more, but you’ll have so many more expert trails, glades, and terrain parks. If you’re going to spend the money, you might as well buy a multi-day pass and stay nearby. Mountains such as Sugarloaf and Attitash have specific lifts that go to the top of the mountain which are primarily for medium to expert skiers. So you’ll get some more space to yourself until you hit the lower terrain.
Best Skiing in New England for Couples
From personal experience, any mountain with a warm lodge and hot chocolate, and a variety of trail types works for my wife and I. An even bigger bonus if is they have an on-mountain Waffle House, such as Mount Snow in Vermont or Wachusett in Massachusetts. What goes better with skiing than hot waffles covered in chocolate fudge?
Have you been to any of these New England Resorts? Or any others that you would recommend? East Coast or West Coast skiing, which is better?
