Discover The 10 Biggest Ski Mountains in New England

New England is known more for its picturesque ski towns rather than massive resort areas. As most people know, just about all of the biggest ski resorts in America are out west. Still, that doesn’t mean the Northeast lacks any sizeable resorts and ski areas. Consider 10 of the biggest ski mountains in New England and see how they measure up to some other ski areas in the country.

While some of them are diminutive compared to others, the biggest and best have the size, amenities, and charm to give the expansive resorts out west a run for their money. These ski mountains are ranked according to their total skiable area, and they are all located in either Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island.

1. Killington Resort

Featuring 73 miles of trails and 1,509 skiable acres, Killington Ski Resort is the biggest ski mountain in New England and the largest one on the East Coast. Like many others on this list, the ski resort is located in Vermont. The popular resort hosts millions of people from around the U.S. and beyond every year!

2. Sugarloaf Resort

Sugarloaf Ski Resort is the largest ski area in Maine and the second-largest ski area in the eastern U.S. Sugarloaf has about 1,240 to 1,400 acres of developed, skiable area. The resort is known for its good mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert trails. This area receives about 350,000 to 500,000 visitors per year!

3. Smugglers’ Notch Resort

Smugglers’ Notch Resort is a Vermont-based ski resort located near the town of Cambridge. The resort is known for being the only place in the state with a triple black diamond run. This extremely difficult run is called The Black Hole, and it is found on Madonna Mountain at the Freefall woods. However, the resort isn’t all difficult skiing, and beginners can find appropriate trails here as well.

4. Sunday River Resort

The Sunday River Ski Resort is the second-largest ski resort in Maine, and the fourth-largest ski mountain in New England. The resort has a total skiable area of about 884 skiable acres, and it has 2,340-foot vertical drop. Featuring eight different peaks, 135 trails, and night skiing, it’s no surprise that this resort is so popular for skiing in Maine.

5. Stratton Mountain Resort

The Stratton Mountain Ski Resort offers about 670 skiable acres of area for visitors to enjoy. The resort is located on Stratton Mountain, and it continues to grow into a larger tourist destination. The village at Stratton is a quaint area with famous shops and great lodging.

While it is still a sizable ski area, Stratton Mountain Ski Resort also represents a significant drop in size compared to the top four biggest ski mountains in New England on this list.

6. Okemo Mountain Resort

Okemo Mountain Resort is billed as a great family resort. This resort has 632 to 667 acres of skiable area. The trails in this area are known for being exceptionally well-groomed, and the runs vary in difficulty from easier ones to the most difficult including the double diamond area that is called The Black Hole, the same name as the one in Smuggler’s Notch Resort.

7. Saddleback Maine Resort (Tied)

The Saddleback Maine Resort has about 600 acres of skiable area, the same as the next entrant on the list. That makes the 7^th place a tie on the list of the 10 biggest ski mountains in New England. Nevertheless, this resort is interesting because it is the third-largest resort in Maine.

Also, it has a 1.86-mile run called the Hudson Highway to entice its visitors. Saddleback is undergoing a period of development, including the recent installation of a high-speed quad lift!

8. Mount Snow Resort (Tied)

Mount Snow is well-known as one of the best areas for skiing in Vermont. The ski resort is not as massive as the Vail Ski Resort in Colorado or many others on this list. Still, its location in the southern part of the state makes the Mount Snow Ski resort very accessible from nearby major cities. That’s enough of a draw to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors every year!

Like Saddleback, this resort has 600 acres of skiable area, making them tied for the 7^th biggest ski mountains in New England.

9. Sugarbush Resort

The Sugarbush Resort is a four-season resort that features roughly 484 to 581 skiable acres for visitors to enjoy. While it’s a smaller resort, it is known for its 111 different runs along with a substantial vertical drop of about 2,600 feet. This resort was acquired by the Alterra Mountain Company in 2019, making this resort accessible through the Ikon Pass.

10. Stowe Ski Resort

Lastly, the Stowe Ski Resort in Vermont has about 485 skiable acres. Although the resort is anything but large, it still has amenities to offer visitors. Nearby lodging, ski rentals, lift tickets, and lessons are available to those who come to this resort.  

The Biggest Ski Mountains in New England and Beyond

The biggest ski resort in America is Park City Mountain Resort in Utah, a place with 7,300 acres of skiable area, 324 runs, and 3,200 feet of vertical change. Those statistics should demonstrate the size disparity between the resorts in New England and those in the western United States.

Still, an interesting facet of this list of the biggest ski mountains in New England is that they are all located in Vermont or Maine. In fact, seven of the largest ski areas in this part of the U.S. are found in Vermont alone.

The largest one outside of Maine and Vermont is Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, a ski resort with about 464 skiable acres of land. All things considered, New England doesn’t have the biggest ski areas, but the quality and charm of those in the area make up for it.   

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