Ski Resorts in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has declared skiing as their official sport. The Granite State offers up beautiful White Mountains scenery and ski terrain including the highest in the Northeast. With 18 ski resorts to choose from, New Hampshire is one of the best places to ski in New England.
Pros
- High elevation means snow lasts longer
- Diverse ski resorts from state owned mountains to luxury ski resorts
- Stunning views of Mount Washington
- Iconic ski town of North Conway
- Easy to access from Boston (1.5-3 hours drive)
Cons
- Can see worse weather and less snow than neighboring Vermont
- Relatively small terrain compared to ski resorts in the West
- Wetter snow and more ice compared to the West
Getting there
- Fly into Manchester Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire, Portland International Jetport in Maine or Logan International Airport in Boston as they are the nearest major airports.
- Best way to resorts from the airports is to drive. Most of the major ski resorts sit in Northern New Hampshire and the journey takes roughly 1.5-2 hours from Manchester Boston Regional Airport, 2 hours from Portland International Airport and 2-3 hours from Logan International Airport in Boston. Ski shuttles are also available from Boston to ski resorts. Smaller resorts in southern New Hampshire such as Pats Peak are much closer to Boston, just 90 minutes drive.
It might not be as widely known for skiing as Vermont but New Hampshire is home to some of the best skiing in New England. In fact we’ve teamed up with the locals to find the best ski resorts on the East Coast and picked out the New Hampshire resorts that made the cut! Cannon Mountain and Wildcat Mountain might surprise you as our top two choices considering both lack the big resort vibes, amenities and activities that come with many top ski resorts. If you can look past the dated lodge at Wildcat or the absence of glitz and glamour at Cannon, you’ll see that these two offer top-notch upper intermediate and advanced terrain.
The classic ski town of North Conway is a popular base within Mount Washington Valley region where a whole bunch of ski areas including Attitash, Bretton Woods, Wildcat Mountain, Cranmore Mountain are within 45 minutes drive of the village. Offering budget to luxury lodging options, North Conway has tons of fun things to do after a day on the slopes with a shopping outlet, dining and après ski bars with live music and bustling atmosphere.
Bretton Woods often stands out amongst the crowd for being the largest ski area in the state, offering great skiing and a luxurious resort experience thanks to the grand and gorgeous Omni Mount Washington hotel.
Cannon Mountain and Wildcat Mountain take our top picks offering exceptional upper intermediate and advanced skiing although both offer very basic amenities. They’re both great no-frills options for avid skiers and snowboarders.
Loon Mountain, Attitash, Waterville Valley, King Pine and Cranmore Mountain are also popular resorts and are worthwhile visits.
Sitting in Southern New Hampshire, Mount Sunapee and Pats Peak are some of the best ski resorts near Boston. Both are within 1 hour and 45 minutes of the city making them perfect for a day trip or weekend getaway. They might be small ski areas but each have their own perks. Mount Sunapee has a dependable snow and a fun après ski at the base while Pats Peak has 100% night skiing on its main mountain and offers great value for money.
Gunstock Mountain is a small family-friendly ski area sitting in the middle of New Hampshire. Just 1.5 hours drive from Boston, the resort has a good mix of trails although it’s mostly geared towards intermediate skiers and snowboarders. The lift infrastructure is older than most in New England but with minimal crowds here, slowness isn’t much of a problem.
| Stat | Resorts |
|---|---|
| Best for Beginners | Pats Peak, Cranmore Mountain |
| Best for Intermediates | Mount Sunapee, Gunstock Mountain |
| Best for Advanced and Experts | Wildcat Mountain, Cannon Mountain |
| Best for All-rounder | Bretton Woods, Loon Mountain |
| Highest Summit Elevation | Cannon Mountain |
| Highest number of runs | Bretton Woods |
| Largest ski area | Bretton Woods |
| Highest number of lists | Cannon Mountain |