Mount Sunapee

Sunapee is located just 90 minutes outside of Boston along SR103 in Newbury, New Hampshire on southern New Hampshire’s tallest mountain. It’s a mid-sized resort with 230 acres of skiable in-bounds terrain. The base lodge is located at 1230 feet with the summit of Mount Sunapee towering overhead at 2743 feet. This gives the resort a vertical of 1513 feet. Average snowfall is light for the area, coming in at only 100 inches (2.5 m) per year. Thankfully, when the natural snowfall is light, Sunapee supplements it with 97 percent of the mountain covered with snowmaking equipment.

The Trails and Lifts

There are 66 trails at Mount Sunapee with a blend of 26 percent beginner, 49 percent intermediate, and 25 percent advanced runs. There are also four terrain parks and border-to-border glade skiing allowed. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can also engage in out of bounds skiing. Keep in mind that non-marked glades and off-piste skiing aren’t patrolled or groomed, so take care and be safe.

Novice skiers at Mount Sunapee almost have their own park at the Learning Annex, just down mountain from the main lodge. Several carpet lifts and even a small glade let beginner skiers see just what the fuss is all about. There are also two basic terrain parks here with very small jumps and nearly flush jib lines.

Intermediate trails are everywhere on the mountain. From Summit Lodge, there is a variety of groomed cruisers, such as Upper Ridge, or the Stovepipe. Take Skyway Ledges to Westside for a great steep, or ride Bonanza all the way down the mountain under the Sunapee Express. The Pipeline or Jetstream freestyle parks are located near the Spruce triple lift just up the slopes from the Spruce Lodge and Ski Patrol.

For experts, the favorite run is the Upper Flying Goose. This trail is where the freestyle team trains with moguls all over the place so you can bump it up. For something a bit steeper, check out the double black diamond Goosebumps right next door. Of course, don’t forget the glades. While most of the trees aren’t named like the double black Ridge Glades or the single black Beck Brook, every bit of tree is yours for the exploration.

The Rest of the Story

Sunapee is one of the last big family operated ski areas in the United States. Tim and Diane Mueller take pride in making sure that Sunapee is family friendly, as well as providing awesome terrain and trails to skiers and boarders looking to shred. The ski town nearby is friendly and provides some small apres-ski activities. For after the slopes close, Sunapee has a bowling alley, movie houses, and restaurants of all calibers. Whether you’re a single skier looking to challenge yourself or a full family, there’s something at Sunapee for you to find and enjoy. This resort is well worth the time and money spent.