Travel
Plan your ski trip this season at these top-ranked resorts across the region.
New England ski resorts offer top-notch skiing and riding on terrain for all levels and consistently rank among the best in the nation.
Ahead, check out which resorts have turned heads in the ski industry recently for help deciding which slopes you’ll slay this year.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ski areas stretch from Boston to the Berkshires, and Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, with 125 skiable acres, 27 trails, 8 lifts, and a vertical drop of 1,000 feet, is billed as “New England’s most accessible ski resort.” It was named a great place to ski by Boston magazine and one of the best ski resorts in Massachusetts by SnowPak.
SnowPak wrote the following about Wachusett:
Families will love Wachusett’s engaging events, such as magician performances and ‘Science on the Slopes’, plus night skiing on 18 trails. Scenic views of Wachusett Lake enhance the experience, while eight lifts keep crowds moving. The base lodge features great dining options, including Bullock Lodge Cider House, famous for its freshly baked Belgian waffles and warm cider.
Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford, less than an hour from Boston, ranked among the top places to ski in Massachusetts by OnTheSnow.com users. Nashoba Valley has a vertical drop of 240 feet, a snowboard and tubing park, 17 trails, and 10 lifts.
Berkshires resort Jiminy Peak in Hancock was named the best ski area in North America for beginners by OnTheSnow.com, as well as one of the best ski resorts in Massachusetts by SnowPak. The mountain, with a vertical drop of 1,150 feet, offers 45 trails covering more than 167 acres, nine lifts, and two terrain parks.
There are several ski destinations in the Berkshires, including Berkshire East Mountain Resort, Ski Butternut, Catamount Mountain Resort, and Bousquet Mountain.
New Hampshire
The Granite State is home to the No. 1 ski town in North America, according to USA Today readers. North Conway, located in the White Mountains, bills itself as “a true, ski town experience.”
Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway has a vertical drop of 1,200 feet and offers more than 170 acres, four terrain parks, 60 trails, and seven lifts. The resort, named a top tubing spot by USA Today, will be the first resort in the state to offer “Cosmic Tubing” this winter.
New Hampshire’s largest ski area is Bretton Woods in Carroll and it’s a favorite of Boston.com skiers and riders who named it the No. 1 ski resort in New Hampshire. It will debut a new lift and black diamond glade this season.
Bretton Woods was also named among the 30 best ski resorts in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler and one of the top 20 resorts in the East by Ski magazine. The resort offers a vertical drop of 1,600 feet, 464 acres of skiing and riding, 10 lifts, 63 trails, 35 glades, and views of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. It will debut a new lift and black diamond glade this season.
Wrote Jon from Worcester about Bretton Woods:
The best groomed trails in the Northeast. Even though it’s usually busy, the lines are never too long because there is so many open trails and lifts. Friendly staff and beautiful views!
Ragged Mountain in Danbury, billed as “New Hampshire’s best kept secret for skiing,” is celebrating its 60th anniversary under new ownership after close friends who skiied there as kids bought the mountain in November. The ski area has a vertical drop of 1,250 feet, 57 trails, five lifts, and 250 skiable acres. It was named among the 10 best ski resorts in New Hampshire by Travel + Leisure and considered the best value in New England by the New England Ski Journal.
Vermont
Known as “the Beast of The East,” Killington has the most skiable terrain in the east and was among the first to open this season in New England. It was named among the 30 best ski resorts in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler readers and one of the best ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada by Good Housekeeping.
Killington has a vertical drop of 3,050 feet, and between Killington and Pico boasts 1,977 skiable acres, 213 trails, 27 lifts, and three gondolas.
Wrote Good Housekeeping about Killington:
Killington, in central Vermont, is a behemoth for the East Coast thanks to its more than 1,500 skiable acres, seven distinct mountain areas, tall peaks (including Killington Peak, the second-highest point in the state at 4,241 feet) and steep vertical drop. It is also renowned for having the longest ski and snowboard season in the Northeast … Beyond skiing, you can take advantage of scenic gondola rides, free mountain tours, a tubing park and snowmobile adventures.
Stowe is the birthplace of Alpine skiing in Vermont and Stowe Mountain Resort was named among the 30 best ski resorts in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler readers and one of the top 20 resorts in the East by Ski magazine. The mountain has vertical drop of 2,360 feet and skiers and riders can tackle 485 skiable acres, 116 trails, and 12 lifts.
Boston.com readers love Jay Peak, naming it the best ski resort in Vermont (and with the coldest chairlift!). It was named among the best ski resorts in the U.S. by Ski magazine and one of the most affordable ski areas in North America by HomeToGo. It has 385 skiable acres, a vertical drop of 2,122, 81 trails, and nine lifts.
Maine
A 65 year-old ski resort in Maine, Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, is the best ski resort in the East in 2025, according to Ski magazine readers. Saddleback has a vertical drop of 2,000 feet, two terrain parks, 68 trails, and seven lifts.
Wrote Ski magazine about Saddleback:
Saddleback lures skiers the honest way, by staying affordable and making inroads with the local community; the resort makes visitors feel seen and valued, and you can’t put a price on that.
Maine’s second-highest peak, Sugarloaf, is located in the heart of the Carrabassett Valley. It was named among the top 20 places to ski in the East by Ski magazine (coming in second behind Saddleback) and among the top places to ski in Maine by OnTheSnow.com users. It has a 2,820 foot vertical drop, 1,360 skiable acres, 170 trails, and 15 lifts.
Sunday River, the first major mountain to open in New England this season along with Vermont’s Killington, was named one of the top 20 places to ski in the East by Ski magazine and a great place to ski by Boston magazine. The mountain has a vertical drop of 2,340 feet, 884 skiable acres, 140 trails, and 19 lifts.
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