The White Mountain Valley area does offer 12 ski resorts with over 237 miles of slopes for downhill skiing and snowboarding, but the mountains are not just for skiing. Spring, Summer and Fall, each resort offers endless opportunities to explore and enjoy what the mountains have to offer, from zip lining to disc golf and water parks. Some have tennis camps others have artist retreats. Click through each resort’s website and see everything they have to offer.
All Combined, the resorts here have a total of 79 ski lifts. Wildcat Mountain offers one of the most unique resorts and the ski trails literally face Mount Washington. You’ll find some of the most challenging skiing at Wildcat as well as the Polecat Trail, a beginner route and the longest ski trail descending from the summit to the base that is often described as “two- and three-quarter miles of sheer pleasure.” For thrill-seekers, hop on their four-person ZipRider zip-line, which operates in the summer months.
Cranmore Inn
Photo: Cranmore Inn
On Loon Mountain, the skiing in winter is fantastic as are their mountain bike trails in the warmer months. They also have an 18-hole alpine disc golf course, but it’s their spectacular gondola ride in the fall during foliage season that attracts visitors from far and wide.
I must admit, my all-time favorite ski resort is Waterville Valley. As a teenager, Waterville was my go-to ski resort. I really enjoyed the range of trails it had to offer. Simple, open and wide paths, which allow you to feel like your gliding down the mountain, flying like a bird. But they also have extreme headwalls if you want to navigate down a deathdefying cliff. (Experienced skiers only, please.) Waterville also offers some beautiful accommodations. My dad would drive up with me for ski weekends. Although he didn’t ski, he was a voracious reader. All day long as I’d ski down the mountain as many times as I physically could, Dad would be devouring books fireside in the lodge. When the lifts would close for the day, we’d meet up for big steak dinners with overstuffed baked potatoes followed by cheesecake. It was actually a terrific bonding between father and son.
One night, Tom and I were discussing best venues for après-ski cocktails and Wildcat Inn and Tavern turned up as number one. Located in Jackson, it’s a homey country inn with its own tavern. Executive Chef Bryant Alden offers up an eclectic menu and the number one item that patrons are gobbling up are their Goat Cheese Pillows (phyllo dough wrapped goat cheese oven baked and drizzled with balsamic reduction served with blueberry compote). Caution: they are addictive. They also produce The Garden Stage Dinner Concert Series during the warmer months outside in their garden. On their website you can find their entertainment schedule throughout the year.
Notchland Inn
Photo: Cheryl Kerr
When it comes to fine dining, The Wentworth Inn is at the top of the list. Also in Jackson, the stunning Wentworth is owned and operated by Ellie Koeppel. It has 51 elegant guest rooms and a charming dining room. Plus, they have easy access to 98 miles of cross-country ski trails in winter. The Wentworth can also accommodate weddings and meetings, and although it is a separate entity, there’s an exceptional 18-hole golf course, the Wentworth Golf Club.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Ellie who immigrated to America from Ireland 31 years ago. I asked her what was so special about The White Mountain Area. “I simply just think we are so lucky to live in Jackson. In all the years that I have lived here, certainly there has been much change, but the sense of peace I feel as I enter through the covered bridge is always present.”
