Massachusetts might be a smaller state, but it still has decent skiing spots for anyone living on or visiting the east coast. You won’t find massive ski resorts here, but you will find family-friendly destinations with a great atmosphere where you can have fun.
I’ve been skiing for nearly my entire life, and I’ve had the chance to explore many different ski resorts in North America and beyond. I’ve done my research and spoken to some seasoned east coast skiers to come up with this list.
This post will point you to the best ski resorts in Massachusetts. I’ll explain what makes each location stand out and what you can expect if you visit them. I’ll also touch on ski conditions and terrain to help you know what skiing there might be like.
Let’s jump in.
Contents
1. Jiminy Peak
- Resort Website
- Opening Day: November 20 (Average)
- Closing Day: March 25 (Average)
- Best Known For: Family-friendly, good for beginners, night skiing
Jiminy Peak is one of the best ski resorts in Massachusetts. This is a great location to learn to ski, and it has a friendly and inviting atmosphere that will help you get the hang of the basics before you tackle more challenging terrain.
This resort has almost 50 different trails to explore, and nearly half of those are suitable for beginners. This gives you a lot of green groomers to hit without worrying about traversing anything too steep or intense.
There is also excellent night skiing here, and almost half the mountain stays open when the sun goes down. You can expect to have a lot of fun zipping down the slopes under the lights, which can add value to your ski day.
You can stay at several different resorts right at the base area. These offer comfortable accommodations for the whole family and will help you make the most of an extended ski trip to Jiminy Peak.
The snow conditions aren’t amazing here, and powder days are few and far between. But the resort does a decent job of snowmaking and keeping the runs groomed to make sure the trails stay as nice as possible.
2. Wachusett Mountain
- Resort Website
- Opening Day: November 20 (Average)
- Closing Day: April 1 (Average)
- Best Known For: Affordable, good variety of terrain, family-friendly
Another one of the top ski resorts in Massachusetts is Wachusett Mountain. This family-friendly location is not too far from Boston, so it makes for a good day trip to bring along the whole clan.
This resort offers some more challenging terrain than other ski areas in the state, so it’s a good place to visit if you already know how to ski and want to tackle intermediate blue runs instead of greens. There is plenty of beginner terrain as well.
If you want to take a ski lesson, Wachusett Mountain has an extensive ski school that offers a variety of lesson options. You can take a group or private lesson and also set up your kids with age-specific lessons where they can learn and make friends.
The rental shop offers try before you buy demos, which is a great way to use various models of skis to see which work the best for you. There are also some coffee shops and pub-style restaurants around the slopes to keep you fueled up and ready for action.
Wachusett Mountain isn’t a very large resort, and with its proximity to Boston, it can definitely get crowded. I recommend arriving here early to beat the crowds and get some runs in before you have to wait in line.
3. Blue Hills
- Resort Website
- Opening Day: December 20 (Average)
- Closing Day: March 20 (Average)
- Best Known For: Close to Boston, affordable, night skiing
Blue Hills is the closest ski resort to Boston, making it a good destination for anyone living or visiting the city who doesn’t want to venture too far to get on the slopes. It’s a small ski area but offers plenty of amenities and decent skiing conditions.
One of the best things about this location is how affordable it is to ski here. You won’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a lift ticket, and that makes it an appealing destination for families or any skier on a budget.
There are over 60 acres of skiable terrain here, which is decent for the east coast but still pretty small. You will almost certainly need to navigate through other skiers, but you can avoid the crowds if you go night skiing, which is offered year-round.
Blue Hills offers an Alpine RACE series that is fun to participate in, or you can watch other skiers zip down the racecourse. This is a good activity for kids, but you’ll want to be sure to get them enrolled early to ensure availability.
There isn’t much lodging or dining available here because it’s such a small resort. And that also means it’s almost always crowded. But that’s a small price to pay for convenience, and Blue Hills is very easy to get to.
4. Ski Butternut
- Resort Website
- Opening Day: December 15 (Average)
- Closing Day: March 20 (Average)
- Best Known For: Good snowmaking, nice terrain parks, tube hills
Ski Butternut is another one of the best locations to ski in Massachusetts. This is a favorite spot for freestyle skiers because it has a really nice terrain park that stays open all season long. You can perfect new tricks or just have a lot of fun in the park here.
This resort doesn’t get a ton of fresh snow, but it does a great job of active snowmaking to keep the conditions decent all season long. You can expect decent conditions that are well-groomed and ready for action.
Ski Butternut also offers other activities if you don’t want to ski. The tubing hill here is pretty legendary and is a ton of fun for anyone who doesn’t want to strap on ski boots and skis. There is also a variety of runs with greens, blues, and blacks available to ski down.
Lessons and rentals are easily available right at the ski resort. You can take a group or individual lesson to boost your skills or get hooked up with nice gear. There are some good lodging options in the nearby area as well, but not right at the mountain.
Ski Butternut is a small resort, and there are only a handful of lifts and runs. This can make it crowded on the slopes and in the lift lines.
Additional Tips for Skiing in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a very populated state. That means there are people just about everywhere, but also plenty of accommodations. If you can’t find a place to stay at one of these resorts, you will only have a short drive to find somewhere nice to lay your head for the night.
Night skiing is available at most of the resorts listed here. Be sure to get your hands on night skiing goggles if you want to see clearly under the stars.
Final Words
The resorts mentioned in this post are the best places to ski in Massachusetts. None of them are huge, but they still give you easy access to trails and chairlifts during the winter months. If you live nearby or visit this area, these resorts are worth checking out.