Celebrate winter at its fullest in Massachusetts. Our 11 ski areas and a multitude of tourism regions invite you to a season of snow play this winter. Whether you’re learning to ski or snowboard or are already an experienced skier or rider, you’ll find fun, convenient areas with full resort amenities spread across the Commonwealth. Embrace the chill with outdoor winter adventures, and while you’re here, dine on authentic local cuisine, shop for unique products by local artisans, get pampered at a spa retreat, stay at a hotel or cozy country inn, take in world-class art exhibits, or connect with rich history - even sports history.
Massachusetts’ long history of winter sports dates back nearly 100 years - Wachusett Mountain cut its first trails in the 1930s! Today, mountains across the state continue to innovate, offering terrain for all abilities. Ranging from small local community ski hills to full-service resorts, Massachusetts ski areas provide plenty of options for winter enthusiasts (and are a lot closer to home!) Six Massachusetts mountains offer at least 1,000 feet of vertical, and they all offer plenty of snowmaking to ensure reliable snow conditions all season long. Each of the 11 destinations offers small group, private and kid lessons that will perfectly fit your ability and confidence level - making the state an ideal location to learn to ski or ride. Set the kiddos up for a half-day lesson and rental program, then bring them and their new skills along for afternoon family time. You’ll find all the gear you need in mountainside shops as well. The end of the day means après time. Several resorts have upped their post-ski offerings inside the lodge and on the slope-side terraces. And each of the tourism regions offers distinct charm for exploring your winter senses. Layer up and plan your winter getaway to Massachusetts today.
Fresh Mountain Air
and Splendid Vistas
The Berkshires combine fresh mountain air, splendid vistas and close to three times the national average of snowfall - in other words, perfect skiing and boarding conditions. Add picturesque towns, cozy restaurants and romantic inns and you can see why a Berkshire winter has few peers. The independently owned full-service ski resorts offer something for every age and ability level, whether trying out an exhilarating ski trip for the first time or returning for an annual vacation with friends or family.
Naturally, trails in the Berkshires travel more than downhill. Cross-country, snowshoeing and, the latest trend, fat tire biking trails abound through the storied Berkshire woods in every direction. Like the ski areas, village shopkeepers are proudly independent, bringing all styles of boutiques and galleries to the towns here. There's still more culture to be uncovered, like a snow-blanketed woodpile at the Norman Rockwell Museum, The Clark and MASS MoCA. Located two hours from Boston and three hours from New York City, the Berkshires has winter down cold, whether you’re skiing, sampling craft beers or dining in a farm-to-table restaurant.
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off-slope entertainment, recreation, and culture
The best winter holidays include time for off-slope entertainment, recreation and culture, whether you choose to tuck a museum visit into your vacation run, slalom across diverse dining options or traverse a set of cross-country trails in a state park. A visit to Central Massachusetts unveils all of these possibilities and more. Worcester, the Commonwealth's second-largest city, provides a convenient hub, with a train station, an airport and a wide swath of independent and national lodging brands. The darkest nights of the year are illuminated beautifully throughout the region. Night Lights shimmer at the Tower Hill Botanic Gardens, as does the Festival of Lights at Southwick's Zoo.
The Salem Cross Inn adds warmth to the luminosity with the Fireplace Feasts, an award-winning series of 1700s-style feasts set before a grand fieldstone fireplace. Take a sleigh or wagon ride across the 600-acre property, and modern times further disappear. Christmas by Candlelight (and bonfire!) at Old Sturbridge Village accentuates the historical ambiance. A cornucopia of artisan goods and food awaits at the Worcester Public Market too. Don't forget to catch some Central Massachusetts culture at Worcester Art Museum and the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. When it's time to ski, head to Ski Ward, located just minutes from Worcester, featuring a comprehensive ski school, four lifts and eight tubing lanes.
Wild and Natural
Franklin County is among the most wild and natural areas in Massachusetts. Seventy-five percent of the county’s acreage remains forest and open land, including 13 state forests traversed by winter trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Located in Charlemont, Berkshire East offers alpine snow play down 47 trails on more than 180 acres. The full-service resort, powered by 100 percent on-site renewable energy, is one of the largest in the commonwealth and is ideal for both beginners and advanced skiers. There’s a full-service rental shop, along with plenty of lesson packages and lots of turns for those looking to get some laps in on diverse terrain. The snow tube park is another great way to play for families and friends. Warm up with après at the Crazy Horse Bar and Grill, then slumber at the Warfield House Inn.
With so much open land and forest, winter recreation is everywhere you look in Franklin County. Snowmobilers will find plenty of trails, and open-air ice skating and ice fishing are available for the hardy. Step back into a Robert Frost poem with a night or two at a cozy inn or rustic cabin. "Whose woods are these?" They are yours when you visit.
skating, sledding, and fireside food
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Hampshire County is all about romance in winter, whether cozying up with a mug of something hot at numerous cafes, fireside dining at one of the many farm-to-table restaurants or having a soak under the stars in an outdoor hot tub. No mere culinary slogan here, more than 250 farms source food to area chefs. Family-friendly activities abound as well, including great sledding hills in addition to excellent cross-country and snowshoeing on rail trails. Amherst’s Cherry Hill Golf Course and Hadley’s Mount Warner also offer cross-country tracks throughout winter. Alpine ski resorts are close at hand too.
Hampshire County has always offered a slower-paced artisan lifestyle, an ideal après ski destination after a flurry of ski turns at a neighboring resort or a stayover respite before the return trip home. The quaint cities and charming towns feature local shops and studios selling handmade merchandise and art, and the brewery scene is thriving, as is the local winery scene. Northampton's Winter Carnival celebrates the season, Winterfest Amherst and Easthampton's Winterfest whip up the snow with a Cardboard Classic Sled Race and a Community Bonfire, respectively. Whether it's a sleigh ride for two or a family skate on Lake Bray at Mount Tom State Reservation, winter is on full display in Hampshire County.
Sledding, Snowshoeing, Skiing, and Snowmobiling...
Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson each wrote beautifully about the winter season. It makes sense: they were all inspired by living in the Greater Merrimack Valley. The region, best known for its role in the American and Industrial Revolution, continues to paint postcard winter experiences for visitors inside its many museums and outside at Nashoba Valley. Located just 25 miles from Boston, Nashoba Valley is open seven nights a week with a fully lit terrain. The full-service ski area also features 100 percent snowmaking capabilities. The resort is a perfect place to take lessons, rent a ski package or hone skills.
Like in the days of Alcott and Hawthorne the Greater Merrimack Valley is full of sledding hills, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobile trails. Winter lights up during the City of Lights Festival in Lowell every November. The city’s Winterfest Festival, February 19-27, also features live entertainment; local cuisine, including the popular Soup Bowl Competition; and human dogsledding. Naturally, the holidays sparkle like a 19th-century short story with holiday strolls, light displays and tree decorations.
A Quintessential New
England Experience
The forest service began cutting trails on Wachusett Mountain in the 1930s, leading to one of the most popular ski resorts in New England. Wachusett Mountain has continued to grow in stature ever since and is now the signature ski area in North Central Massachusetts, located just over one hour from Boston. Wachusett Mountain offers every feature we associate with a full-service resort, including full rental and lesson packages, a variety of restaurants and cafés, and alpine runs for every skiing ability across 25 different trails.
Snow globe experiences sparkle across North Central Massachusetts, including quintessential New England activities from sleigh rides to ice fishing. Cross-country trails abound across the state forests, parks and preserves in the region, a beautiful way to get outside among the glistening snow, calling songbirds and other winter discoveries. Bucolic inns, historic and new restaurants, breweries and distilleries add spice to the experience. A cornucopia of festivals, including many holiday weekends, celebrate the season in bright colors as well.
Massachusetts’ variety of resorts offers the joy of skiing (or snowboarding, snowmobiling, tubing) at whatever pace you find comfortable, whether you’re trying it out for the first time with a lessons-rental package or looking to hone your skills in the fresh tracks. With ski areas located across the Commonwealth from just outside Boston to the Berkshires, you’ll find your pick of runs, gear and resort amenities right outside your door. Celebrate winter at its fullest in Massachusetts. Fresh air, fresh tracks and fresh takes on après are ready when you are.
PinPoint Your Next Massachusetts Winter Adventure
It’s all about location, location, location when it comes to learning to ski and snowboard or honing skills to take the level up a notch. Whether you’re coming from New York, Connecticut or Rhode Island or staying in your backyard home state, Massachusetts has got you covered for winter adventure. Massachusetts ski areas provide excellent opportunities to explore and celebrate winter at its fullest. Add in all the places to cross-country ski, snowshoe, snowmobile and take part in other seasonal activities and it’s easy to see why winter recreation in Massachusetts has few peers. Check out this map to plot your one-day or extended holiday.
Snowboarding and skiing represent the best of most worlds these days, outdoor activities filled with exercise, friends and family.
MASSACHUSETTS HAS A RICH HISTORY OF SKIING AND WINTER SPORTS
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The
Berkshires
DISCOVER CENTRAL MA
FRANKLIN
COUNTY
HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY
GREATER MERRIMACK VALLEY
NORTH CENTRAL MA
Ma Ski Areas Shine with
Snowy Slopes Aplenty
THE BERKSHIRES
Abundant Berkshire woods traversed by trails for winter recreation
Nostalgic towns light up for the season from streetlamps to wreath displays
Rockwell Museum and MASS MoCA bring out the culture all season long
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HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
250 farms sourced for farm-to-table culinary scene
Northampton and surrounding villages launch Winterfests galore
Cross-country skiing and snowshoe paths await on rails to trails routes
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75% of Franklin Co. is forest and open land
Berkshire East Mountain Resort operates on 100% onsite renewable energy
13 state forests prvide trails for snowmobiles, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
Franklin County
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Wachusett Mountain features full-serve ski resort amenities an hour from Boston
Holiday-themed weekends are ready for discovery across the region
Winter pastimes from ice skating to ice fishing on ponds in area preserves
NORTH CENTRAL MA
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Light festivals sparkle in every direction across the region
Step back in time with 1700s Feasts, sleigh rides and Christmas by candlelight
Worcester cultural centers offer seasonal-focused arts
DISCOVER CENTRAL MA
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Nashoba Valley offers night skiing across 100% terrain just 25 miles from Boston
Feb’s Winterfest features Soup Bowl Competition and Human Dogsledding
Villages illuminate the season with holiday strolls, lighting ceremonies and tree decorations
GREATER MERRIMACK VALLEY
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JIMINY PEAK MOUNTAIN RESORT
Vertical Drop
1,150'
RUNS
45
LIFTS
9
SKIABLE ACRES
170
Vertical Drop
750'
RUNS
23
LIFTS
5
SKIABLE ACRES
200
x
BOUSQUET MOUNTAIN
Vertical Drop
1000'
RUNS
43
LIFTS
8
SKIABLE ACRES
130
x
CATAMOUNT MOUNTAIN RESORT
Vertical Drop
400'
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
SKIABLE ACRES
55
x
OTIS RIDGE SKI CAMP
Vertical Drop
1,119'
RUNS
22
LIFTS
10
SKIABLE ACRES
110
x
SKI BUTTERNUT
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Franklin County
Hampshire County
Discover Central MA
North
Central MA
Greater Merrimack Valley
Vertical Drop
750'
SKIABLE ACRES
200
RUNS
23
LIFTS
5
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Bousquet Mountain
Vertical Drop
1,000'
SKIABLE ACRES
130
RUNS
43
LIFTS
8
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Catamount Mountain Resort
Vertical Drop
1,150'
SKIABLE ACRES
170
RUNS
45
LIFTS
9
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Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Vertical Drop
400'
SKIABLE ACRES
55
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
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Otis Ridge
Ski Camp
Vertical Drop
1,119'
SKIABLE ACRES
110
RUNS
22
LIFTS
10
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Ski
Butternut
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Vertical Drop
1,180'
SKIABLE ACRES
180
RUNS
45
LIFTS
6
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BERKSHIRE EAST MOUNTAIN RESORT
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WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
Explore North Central MA
Vertical Drop
1,000'
SKIABLE ACRES
110
RUNS
27
LIFTS
8
WACHUSETT
MOUNTAIN
Explore Ski Areas
Explore Greater Merrimack Valley
Vertical Drop
240'
SKIABLE ACRES
59
RUNS
17
LIFTS
9
NASHOBA VALLEY
SKI AREA
Explore Ski Areas
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Vertical Drop
309'
SKIABLE ACRES
60
RUNS
8
LIFTS
4
BLUE HILLS
SKI AREA
Vertical Drop
248'
SKIABLE ACRES
48
RUNS
15
LIFTS
SKI
BRADFORD
9
Boston
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Vertical Drop
400'
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
SKIABLE ACRES
55
x
Berkshire East Mountain Resort
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Vertical Drop
400'
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
SKIABLE ACRES
55
x
SKI WARD SKI AREA
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Vertical Drop
1000'
RUNS
27
LIFTS
8
SKIABLE ACRES
110
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WACHUSETT MOUNTAIN
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Vertical Drop
400'
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
SKIABLE ACRES
55
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NASHOBA VALLEY SKI AREA
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Explore Hampshire County
Worcester
Springfield
0 HOURS,
59 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
10 minutes
FROM HARTFORD
2 hours,
15 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
2 hours,
15 minutes
FROM BOSTON
Explore Discover Central MA
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Vertical Drop
210'
SKIABLE ACRES
220
RUNS
9
LIFTS
4
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SKI WARD
SKI AREA
Explore Ski Areas
2 HOURS,
30 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
1 HOUR,
42 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
30 minutes
FROM HARTFORD
2 hours,
20 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
3 HOURS,
30 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
2 hours,
20 minutes
FROM BOSTON
1 HOUR,
33 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
5 minutes
FROM HARTFORD
1 hour,
50 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
3 HOURS,
30 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
1 hour,
50 minutes
FROM BOSTON
2 HOURS,
7 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
1 minute
FROM HARTFORD
0 hours,
48 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
2 HOURS,
55 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
0 hours,
54 minutes
FROM BOSTON
2 HOURS,
32 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
1 minute
FROM HARTFORD
0 hours,
48 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
3 HOURS,
20 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
0 hours,
54 minutes
FROM BOSTON
2 HOURS,
37 MINUTES
FROM ALBANY
1 hour,
30 minutes
FROM HARTFORD
1 hour,
15 minutes
FROM PROVIDENCE
3 HOURS,
25 MINUTES
FROM nEW YORK CITY
0 hours,
45 minutes
FROM BOSTON
EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
The
Berkshires
DISCOVER CENTRAL MA
FRANKLIN
COUNTY
HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY
GREATER MERRIMACK VALLEY
NORTH CENTRAL MA
North Central MA
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
Explore North Central MA
Vertical Drop
1,000'
SKIABLE ACRES
110
RUNS
27
LIFTS
8
WACHUSETT
MOUNTAIN
Explore Ski Areas
Discover Central MA
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
Explore Discover
Central MA
Vertical Drop
210'
SKIABLE ACRES
220
RUNS
9
LIFTS
4
SKI WARD
SKI AREA
Explore Ski Areas
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Hampshire County
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
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Hampshire County
Franklin County
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Explore Franklin County
Vertical Drop
1,180'
SKIABLE ACRES
180
RUNS
45
LIFTS
6
BERKSHIRE EAST MOUNTAIN RESORT
Explore Ski Areas
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The
Berkshires
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Explore The Berkshires
Vertical Drop
750
SKIABLE ACRES
200
RUNS
23
LIFTS
5
Bousquet Mountain
Explore Ski Areas
Vertical Drop
1,000'
SKIABLE ACRES
130
RUNS
43
LIFTS
8
Catamount Mountain Resort
Vertical Drop
1,150'
SKIABLE ACRES
170
RUNS
45
LIFTS
9
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Vertical Drop
400'
SKIABLE ACRES
55
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
OTIS RIDGE
SKI CAMP
Vertical Drop
1,119'
SKIABLE ACRES
110
RUNS
22
LIFTS
10
SKI
BUTTERNUT
Video - Wachusett
Nashoba Valley offers night skiing across 100% terrain just 25 miles from Boston
Feb’s Winterfest features Soup Bowl Competition and Human Dogsledding
Villages illuminate the season with holiday strolls, lighting ceremonies and tree decorations
Wachusett Mountain features full-serve ski resort amenities an hour from Boston
Holiday-themed weekends are ready for discovery across the region
Winter pastimes from ice skating to ice fishing on ponds in area preserves
Vertical Drop
400'
SKIABLE ACRES
55
RUNS
11
LIFTS
5
BLUE HILLS
SKI AREA
Vertical Drop
248'
SKIABLE ACRES
48
RUNS
15
LIFTS
9
SKI
BRADFORD
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