New Hampshire
Skiing in New Hampshire dates back to the ski trains of the 1930s, when the Mount Washington Valley areas of Mount Cranmore and Black Mountain drew skiers from Boston. They also came up Route 16 to Gunstock and later to Wildcat. These historic areas are still favorites, but they have been joined by more resorts, and with the opening of I-93, Boston skiers can get to the newer resorts on the west side of the White Mountains in two hours.
Attitash rounds out the Mount Washington Valley resorts, and up the road Bretton Woods is in between the regions. Across a flat valley from Mount Washington, this resort has grown to be the state's largest in total acres, and more expansion is on the way.
Not far from Bretton Woods is another of the state's historic areas. Cannon Mountain has the New England Ski Museum at the base and dates back to the '30s. More recent Ski 93 resorts are Loon and Waterville Valley, and all have spectacular White Mountain views.
The resort farthest north started as a summer resort with a Grand Hotel. The Balsams opened the Wilderness ski area in the 1960s to keep the hotel operating in winter, and visitors enter a magical winter setting in Dixville Notch.
A ski resort that has made great strides in recent years is one of the easiest to reach from Boston. Sunapee is just off I-89 and is less than two hours from New England's largest city.
The Granite State has its share of community areas as well with Crotched Mountain, Granite Gorge and McIntyre in the south. Ragged Mountain sits in an area between I-93 and I-89 and is worth seeking out. For tradition and plenty of modern skiing amenities, New Hampshire has it all.
