Winter in Connecticut means it’s ski season! The state may be small, but it offers several ski resorts with excellent terrain, beautiful scenery, and fantastic snow conditions, both real and artificial. From beginner-friendly slopes to advanced courses, sled rides to snowshoeing, and cozy accommodations to fine dining, everything’s available in these ski resorts. Here are the seven best ski resorts in Connecticut that you shouldn’t miss this winter.
Mount Southington Ski Area
Mount Southington Ski Area in Plantsville is one of the most affordable, family-friendly, yet challenging ski areas in Connecticut. The ski resort has 14 trails, ranging from beginners’ slopes to experts, with the longest trail being the black diamond drop which is 2,400 feet long. A terrain park with jumps, rails, boxes, and other features is also available. A ski and snowboarding 101 course for children and adults is available, as well as rental equipment. The resort features a newly renovated base lodge, which includes a ski-school, cafeteria, and gear shop.
Ski Sundown
Located in New Hartford, Ski Sundown is Connecticut’s most extensive ski resort, boasting 70 acres of ski-able terrain. It features 16 trails of various difficulty levels, from easy bunny hills to black diamond steeps. The longest trail is a mile long, and all trails are covered with snowmaking technology to ensure optimum snow conditions. Ski Sundown also features a state-of-the-art terrain park with jumps, rails, and an air bag jump. Additionally, this resort offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and a night ski pass for enthusiasts.
Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort
Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort in Middlefield is not just an excellent destination for skiing, but also snow tubing and snowboarding thus, providing a full winter experience for all ages. It offers a wide range of runs, consisting of bunny hills to challenging black diamond trails, making it appropriate for all skill levels. Powder Ridge also features a terrain park to explore, with 14 features for the adventurous individuals. The snow tubing park provides a fun ride down eight lanes and features a convenient conveyor lift to get the tubers back up the hill.
Mohawk Mountain Ski Area
Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall is one of the state’s famous ski resorts. It offers a wide variety of ski trails, from snowy and challenging black diamond trails to sunny and leisurely skiing spots. Mohawk Mountain has 23 trails and eight lifts, of which two are high-speed quads, allowing skiers and snowboarders of all levels to experience the thrills of skiing. The resort also features a terrain park with jumps, rails, and boxes, as well as cross-country skiing trails.
Woodbury Ski Area
Woodbury Ski Area, located in Woodbury, is the only place in the state where you can go skiing and snowboarding all year round on real snow and on their artificial snow. The resort also provides snowtubing, hiking, and mountain biking for another day in Connecticut. With numerous trails catering to skiers and snowboarders of various levels, it’s a fantastic ski experience for everyone.
Mount Snow Resort
Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont, is a fantastic destination for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. It’s approximately a 2-hour drive from Hartford in Connecticut. Mount Snow is known for its year-round varied terrain, and the resort houses 164 trails, 20 lifts, and three different mountain areas, including Carinthia, the largest terrain area in the East exclusively for freestyle terrain. The resort offers a high-standard ski and snowboard school, rental equipment, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.
Okemo Mountain Resort
Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont, is another fantastic ski destination accessible from Connecticut within 2.5 hours. Okemo’s world-class amenities, trails of various levels, and snow conditions are impressive, with over 120 trails and snow parks for visitors to enjoy. The resort offers top-notch skiing and snowboarding schools for all ages and levels, rentable equipment, snow-cat skiing, and snow-tubing. Okemo Mountain Resort also offers snowshoeing, concerts, and numerous winter activities to entertain visitors.
In Conclusion
Connecticut’s ski resorts provide an exciting and unique experience for anyone who enjoys winter sports. They deliver outdoor winter activities that cater to all levels of skiers and snowboarders, from beginners to professionals. When looking for ski destinations, don’t overlook Connecticut’s fantastic resorts, including the ones listed above. So, when winter sets in, grab your equipment and get to any of these ski resorts and create winter memories that will last a lifetime.