Ragged Mountain

Ragged Mountain is a medium sized ski resort that is spread over two peaks in the southern edge of the White Mountains. The resort boasts 55 named trails and 3 terrain parks across 249 acres. Base elevation sits at 1000 feet with the summit of Ragged Mountain resting at 2250 feet. This gives the resort a max vertical drop of 1250 feet. Snowfall is about average for this region with a little over 100 inches (2.5 meters) falling per year. Snowmaking covers almost 85 percent of named trails.

The Trails and Lifts

The lift system at Ragged Mountain includes the only six-pack express in the state. There is also one high-speed quad, one triple, one double, and three surface lifts. The six-pack runs straight from the Elmwood Lodge to the summit of Ragged, while the high-speed quad runs up Spear Mountain. The triple provides lift access for the learning area along with two surface lifts. The double goes up to mid-mountain where freestylers can hop onto the Main Street terrain park or the Wild Ride freestyle area.

The difficulty mix at Ragged breaks down to 23 percent novice, 30 percent intermediate, 39 percent advanced, and 7 percent expert. By far, the majority of the novice terrain is located near the base lodge and learning center, however, access to a few gentle beginner-rated cruisers is possible from the Village Green double lift. Another winding novice groomer called Turnpike takes a meandering path around the outer edge of Spear Mountain.

Intermediate skiers will find a lot of trails to explore on the eastern side of Ragged Mountain. There the long cruiser Easy Winder waits to let skiers take in a view of the surrounding mountains as well as see what’s coming with the planned expansion to Pinnacle Peak. For a glorious steep, skiers should take the Summit Six-Pack up and roll straight down Exhibition, experiencing all 1250 feet of vertical in one amazing run.

Expert skiers are going to find Spear Mountain the best as well as the valley where Ragged and Spear meet. Glades for days will keep tree skiers happy with double black diamond hops through the trees on their way down the mountain. Gobbler’s Knob is a terrific short little drop in that leads straight into the intermediate Flying Yankee.

The Rest of the Resort

Ragged Mountain is currently a work in progress with numerous planned expansions over the next few years. That doesn’t mean that the ski area doesn’t have a lot to offer now, however. Pinnacle will add 10 trails and 60 acres of new skiing. Ragged is one of the few mountains that allows uphill travel by foot. Rather than purchasing a lift ticket, skiers can pay a flat ten-dollar fee to walk uphill. For people who just plan to play on the bunny slopes or the ski parks, this can be a great deal.

For families, there is day care on site for children 6 months to 5 years old and special ski programs for kids from 5 to 12. The food choices on site have drastically improved however. The Stone Hearth Bar has a great selection of beer and delicious food. There’s also live music on the weekends. The locals are friendly and always willing to answer questions. For families, couples, or just you trying to get away from it all, Ragged Mountain is a great place to spend a ski vacation.