
Despite the challenges associated with a winter season during a pandemic, the state of New Hampshire has reported strong skier visit numbers for the 2020-21 skiing and riding season.
According to trade group Ski New Hampshire, overall total winter visits (including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and tubing visits), totaled 2.3 million, which statistically mirrors the 10-year average. This number is up four percent compared to the 2019-20 season, which was cut short by anywhere from two to four weeks for New Hampshire ski areas due to COVID-19.
The ski season turned out to be a welcome extension of the busy summer season that the Granite State enjoyed in 2020.
“We saw people flocking to the mountains to hike the trails and paddle on our lakes and streams during the summer and fall months because recreating outside was considered one of the safer things people could do,” Ski New Hampshire president Jessica Keeler said. “We suspected that we might see that trend continue into the winter months and that there would be a high demand for alpine and cross-country skiing, and we weren’t wrong.”