New Hampshire ski resorts

The largest ski area in New Hampshire, Bretton Woods boasts some of the best conditions and weather in the region. One hundred and two Alpine trails and glades and a 100-kilometer Nordic trail network make for endless fun for beginners and experts alike. Award-winning snow, service, and family programs, complemented by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the East, make this a truly unique, world-class winter destination.

Description of the Mountain:  Dartmouth is just one of a handful of colleges and universities that owns its own ski area. Located in Lyme, New Hampshire, about 15 minutes north of the Dartmouth College campus, the Dartmouth Skiway is home to the 2007 NCAA championship Dartmouth Ski Team. With four lifts and 31 trails (including a snowboard park), it is a cherished ski resource for the entire Upper Valley community. 

Description of the mountain: 
Ranked #1 for access and in the Top Ten Best in the East in SKI Magazine’s 2010 Reader Resort Survey, Loon Mountain has invested $20 million in the past five years to add additional terrain, uphill capacity, and state-of-the-art snowmaking and grooming technology, and continues its commitment to a great guest experience today. The most recent $1.4 million investment added four new trails and 160 additional Low-E tower snow guns, some of the latest grooming technology, to this east coast skiing mecca.

Mount Sunapee is the big mountain with the best snow, right in your backyard. For the past five years, Mount Sunapee was ranked with the best snow surfaces in the East in the annual SKI Magazine Reader Survey. All this great snow covers a mountain with more than 1,500 vertical feet of fun. Choose from 66 trails and slopes serviced by 11 lifts. There are nine glades, three dedicated bump runs and three terrain parks sculpted for all sizes and levels of bravado. The newly-added Canopy Zip-Line Tour will be available this winter on weekends and holidays. Guests can enjoy a 2 1/2 hour guided tour with eight zip-lines, three rappels and a rope bridge. Riders soar almost a mile above and through the treetops as they descend South Peak.

Pats Peak is in its 50th consecutive ski and snowboard season under the same family ownership. Pats Peak has 23 trails, seven gladed areas, three terrain parks, a tubing park, and 100 percent snowmaking. Pats Peak has 100 percent of its trails lit for night skiing/ riding, complete with the longest lit top-to-bottom beginner run in New Hampshire. A new novice trail has been added to the “backside” of the mountain, eventually feeding skiers and riders onto the Breeze trail.

Ragged Mountain Ski Area is located approximately 56 miles northwest of Manchester, N.H., and may be easily accessed via I-89 or I-93.

Waterville Valley Resort, located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest, is known for its genuine New Hampshire experience with a picture-perfect village and 2,020 feet of vertical to explore. With a 4,004 foot summit, Waterville Valley is one of the highest mountains in New England.