Skiing the Northeast of the U.S.

By:  Jennifer Milano, most recently updated January 2016                                                                                                                

People say that once you have skied out west, there's no going back to skiing in the east.  But while the Rocky Mountains traditionally offer better snow and higher elevations, you can still find great skiing in the northeast.  And if you live on the east coast, have limited time and money, and want to pack in as many ski days as possible, you have little choice but to find it!  With children, skiing in the northeast is convenient, and the mountains are small enough that losing your kids on the mountain is less likely (although we did lose our daughter for about half an hour at Pico in Vermont).  Here is what I have learned after skiing the past thirty years on the east coast, the past eight of those with children in tow.

Finding a deal:  If you want ski-in, ski-out accommodations, they are expensive.  It is hard to find a hotel room or condominium that is truly ski-in, ski-out for less than $500 per night.  However, if you start looking in August or September, many resorts offer early booking discounts.  We have taken advantage of these early booking discounts at Okemo, staying at Jackson Gore Inn, which is great for families.  If you are willing to drive way north, near Canada, Jay Peak has reasonably-priced ski-in, ski-out accommodations in addition to an indoor water park.  Otherwise, we look for rentals through vrbo.com, splitting a house or condo with a group of friends, even if we have to drive to the ski area to save money.  Note that condos advertised as ski-in, ski-out may not be early in the season - if there is no snow on the trail that connects the condo to the lift or base, you'll end up getting in your car anyway.

For lift ticket deals, many states have "ski free" deals for children, regardless of whether they reside in-state.  Third and fourth graders ski free in New York, fourth and fifth graders ski free in New Hampshire, and fifth graders ski free in Vermont.  Some mountains in Massachusetts, such as Butternut, offer free ski days to fifth graders.  Note that for all programs, there are blackout dates, and restrictions on the number of ski days per mountain.  Skiers must register in advance for the state's program, so I recommend signing up your kids in September or October to ensure that your children receive their "passport" before the snow flies. 

• Click here for New Hampshire's ski free program information
• Click here for Vermont's ski free program information
• Click here for New York's ski free program information

Children also ski free at Suicide Six in Vermont, if you are staying at the Woodstock Inn & Resort during non-peak times.  The mountain is small, but ideal for families with young children or beginner skiers.  If you are near the resort but not staying there, the Woodstock Inn & Resort has a beautiful indoor pool that non-guests can pay to use for the day.  For deals on adult lift tickets, try liftopia.com or searching on google for discounted lift tickets.  You can often find lift tickets at a substantial discount if you purchase them in advance.

Finally, if you are willing to drive north, way north, to Jay Peak, you can stay ski-in, ski-out at the Hotel Jay for about $350 per night, which includes passes to the adjacent indoor water park.  For about $500 per night, the resort includes lift tickets for four, amounting to a substantial discount off of standard lift ticket prices, and overall a good deal compared to southern Vermont ski areas.

The mountains:  The northeast is covered with ski mountains big and small.  Okay, technically some of them aren't even mountains.  But at the rate the snow has been falling the past five years in the northeast, ski areas are usually 100% open by sometime in January, and ice is less of a problem (although still an issue) than it has been.  Here is an overview of mountains we have enjoyed, or not:

• Okemo, Vermont:  Okemo is probably our favorite mountain to ski in Vermont.  With 120 trails and varied terrain, the mountain offers options for every skier.  My kids love skiing the glades and the terrain parks.  My husband is happy on steep, black diamond runs.  And when I get tired of skiing the challenging runs with him, or want to avoid the moguls that I really can't do, I can cruise the blue runs and enjoy the mountain views, taking a waffle break at one of the two Waffle Cabins on the mountain. 

Winterplace condominiums are a good bet if you want to rent a ski-in, ski-out property that is well situated and (fairly) affordable.  Like most slopeside condos, noise from neighboring units and the stairways is an issue.  To save time, get your lift tickets the night before you start skiing, so you can avoid the Saturday morning lines at the base. 

For a break from skiing, the Jackson Gore side of the mountain has a (pricey - don't promise your kids more than one ride) mountain coaster, an ice-skating rink, and snow tubing.

The cons?  Okemo can get really crowded.  We have found that if you avoid the heated bubble lift all day on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, most of the other lift lines are manageable.  I don't love the main base lodge at Okemo, either, although renovations are scheduled.  Jackson Gore has better food options, but if you can ski back to your condo for lunch that is your best bet.

• Stowe, Vermont:  I know I just said that Okemo is probably our favorite Vermont mountain, but if distance wasn't an issue, I would pick Stowe.  Our family loves Stowe.  The Spruce Peak base is beautiful, with a really nice dining area that offers lunch options beyond the usual greasy burger and fries.  Staff is actually milling around, cleaning off tables in between diners, which suits my Type A tendencies.  The locker area and bathrooms are thoughtfully designed, with comfortable seats for putting on boots and shelves in the stalls for your helmet and gloves. 

The mountain has fantastic runs, and is not as crowded as the southern Vermont big ski areas.  Plus, Stowe offers the town itself, which is adorable and filled with cute shops and nice restaurants.  We liked our dinner at the restaurant attached to the Green Mountain Inn.  On the day that the town lost power due to freezing rain, we visited Laughing Moon Chocolates, which offered a candy cane-making class for the kids that they loved. 

Jackson Arena in town has open skating hours if you want to practice your triple lutz.  If there is enough snow, the Stowe Recreation Path offers a traffic-free snowshoe or cross-country ski route to and from town.  If you are too tired to trek back, Stowe offers a free winter shuttle up Mountain Road, which is where the accommodations are located between town and the ski mountain base.

For accommodations, there are lots of options.  I've always wanted to stay at Stowe Mountain Lodge at the base, but price has deterred us.  The Stowe Mountain Lodge has no indoor pool, but has a heated outdoor pool that is open in winter.  The Trapp Family Lodge is a little bit out of the way, but I've heard it is great for cross-country skiers, as well as Sound of Music fans!  We found a great deal on jetsetter.com for Topnotch at Stowe, which is a very nice hotel with a good indoor pool, but the rooms are modern and don't feel very "Vermont."  Despite the lack of Vermont charm, we enjoyed our stay.  We have also rented a condominium at Mountainside Resort, which, despite its name, is on Mountain Road and not the ski mountain.  Our affordable condo suited our family of four just fine, except that the pull-out sofa was the most uncomfortable one I have encountered.  We ended up having to pull the mattress off of the sofa and put in on the floor.  There is an indoor pool on the property, which is just okay.  Our friends stay at Green Mountain Inn, which is highly rated on TripAdvisor, and right in town. There is no indoor pool, but a heated outdoor pool is open all winter.

• Mount Snow, Vermont:  If you are heading north, Mount Snow is the first major ski area in Vermont.  For that reason, Mt. Snow is crowded.  But it is a fantastic mountain with lots of fun runs, and if you can avoid peak times you will have a great ski vacation at Mount Snow.  The Grand Summit Resort Hotel often has lower room rates than other ski-in, ski-out Vermont properties.  Another interesting feature at Mount Snow is that you can rent a seasonal locker.  For $275, you can leave your ski gear in a base lodge locker all season long.

• Jay Peak, Vermont:  One of the last ski resorts in northern Vermont before you reach Canada, Jay Peak is a medium-sized mountain with reasonably-priced ski-in, ski-out accommodations options.  We chose to stay at the Hotel Jay & Conference Center, because of the proximity of the rooms to both the slopes and the water park.  The ski, stay and splash package was an extremely good value.  We did not love the hotel - the "studio suites" were too small for a family of four and the restaurants on site had average to below-average food.  The water park could have been cleaner, and got crowded at times.  The common spaces were functional, but lacked that cozy, "sit-by-the-fireplace-and-watch-the-snow-fall" vibe.  Our kids loved the resort, which boasts a large arcade, indoor ice-skating rink and big indoor water park with four slides, a "flo board" wave, long lazy river, rock climbing pool and more.  The adults liked the value, the convenience of having everything under one roof, and the self-service ski lockers near the slopes.  We are glad we visited once, but would not return.

• Pico, Vermont:  Pico is Killington's little sibling, meaning it is much smaller and easier to ski for families who want to stick together.  We like the runs at Pico, but the base lodge is run-down and crowded.  I wouldn't avoid Pico, but wouldn't necessarily seek it out, either.  I haven't skied at Killington in years, but it is the Northeast's largest ski area.  After skiing at Pico, we visited Killington for snow tubing, which the kids enjoyed.

• Suicide Six, Vermont:  Despite its name, Suicide Six is aimed at beginner and intermediate skiers.  Located in Woodstock, the old-school, small mountain is a good place to bring young children.  The base lodge is, well, basic.  If you are staying at The Woodstock Inn & Resort, your children may be able to ski free depending on the timing of your visit. 

• Quechee, Vermont:  Another small family mountain is Quechee, which our friends have loved.  I have never skied there, but one evening our family went to a dinner at the Quechee Club Restaurant, which was really nice and a lot of fun.  The Club has themed evenings designed for families.  The evening we visited was "Family Feud" night, and our family got to compete against other families in between trips to the buffet.

• Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire:  Our friends, Bob and Harriet, have a cabin near Cannon Mountain, which is a state-owned ski area.  What does this mean?  It is much less expensive than most ski mountains.  An adult full-day lift ticket costs $74, versus $92 on the weekend at Okemo.  The base lodge is rustic, but fits in with the culture at Cannon, which is laid-back and old-school.  The skiing is a lot of fun at Cannon.

• Sugarloaf:  When our friends, Mira & Jens, asked us if we would like to spend a weekend with them at their seasonal rental on Sugarloaf in Maine, we said "YES!"  Free ski-in, ski-out accommodations and three days with good friends?  No brainer.  Except for one small problem - Sugarloaf is up there.  Way up there.  It is on the same latitude as southern Canada.  It took all day to get there.  And another day to get back.  It was freezing cold.  Like -40 with the wind chill.  Will we go again this year?  YES!  We loved Sugarloaf.  The lift operators are friendly.  There are no lift lines, so even if you have to take lots of breaks to warm up in the spacious base lodge, you still get as many runs in as you would in a crowded southern Vermont resort.  The snow is great.  The runs are a lot of fun.  The atmosphere is down-to-earth, and not at all pretentious.  Our kids had a blast in ski school (if you book a lesson, request Mama Jean for an instructor - she is amazing!).  The shop at the base lodge is reasonably priced, which was lucky for us as we found we each needed TWO balaclavas to have a chance at skiing two runs in a row without a needing to take a break to warm up.  Before we go back this year, I might invest in a pair of heated ski boots!

• Massachusetts & Connecticut:  I have not skied Butternut or Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts, but friends tell me they are great family mountains.  In Connecticut, Charlene at Mount Southington is a great instructor for your little first-time skiers.  For a prettier "mountain," try Ski Sundown.  Note that kids aged 6 & under still pay the lowest lift ticket price at Ski Sundown, versus 5 & under at Mount Southington.  Although kids this young ski free at bigger mountains like Okemo and Cannon.