Sitting on the slopes of Mount Tecumseh, the Waterville Valley ski resort and its previous incarnations have offered organized skiing in New Hampshire's pow since the 1930s. That includes hosting one of America's oldest ski clubs.
Interstate travel runs along I-93 before transferring to state highways between Campton and Lincoln. New Hampshire State Highway 49 takes motorists the remaining distance. Visitors flying into the region will use Manchester - Boston Regional Airport (1.25-hour drive) or Boston's Logan International Airport (2 hours by car). Both facilities offer ground transportation services to get guests onto the mountain slopes.
Mount Tecumseh Sprawl
The Waterville Valley resort area caters to outdoor exploration year-round, with facilities spread across the base of Mount Tecumseh. For snow hounds, there are multiple lodging options at or near the resort. These include condos, inns, lodges, and hotels. Single visitors, families, and larger groups are welcome, with the ski area can accommodate most needs with enough head's up.
Several locations on-mountain provide drinks and food, with dining options also located in the valley. Shopping in the town square accesses venues for clothing, books, knickknacks, toys, specialty items, and necessities for the slopes. Other guest services include childcare, kids' night out babysitting, bag/ski check, seasonal lockers, rentals, repairs, and shuttle services throughout the valley area.
Visitors looking for public skating or a stick and puck game will find both at the ice arena. The White Mountain Athletic Club offers full-service exercising and pools. Group and private lessons are offered, including private ski & ride packages. One-day "kid camps" get children between 4 and 12 up and going, and sessions for Waterville Valley guests wanting to focus on terrain features are an option.
The Waterville Valley resort area hosts the Black and Blue Trail Smashers (BBTS), one of the nation's oldest ski clubs founded in 1934.
Casual and Serious Winter Fun
The Waterville Valley has a summit elevation that reaches 4,004 feet, providing skiers and riders a 2,020-foot vertical drop to work their way down. There are potentials to challenge beginners and advanced ski bums across 500 acres of terrain (265 of which are skiable acres). Average annual snowfall amounts reach 148 inches, but 100-percent snowmaking coverage on 254 acres of terrain supplements those totals.
The Waterville Valley ski area offers 62 trails (the longest run here is 1.9 miles), five glades, six mogul fields, multiple terrain parks, and miles of Nordic trails to explore. These all break down into ratings that provide challenges and fun to all skill levels.
Trail ratings at Waterville Valley favor intermediate skiers and riders, with 64-percent of the mountain rated blue for their abilities. Novice snow hounds only have 14-percent of the runs rating as green. The remaining 22-percent is black diamond rating for advanced ski bums on one or two planks (two runs have double-diamond ratings for expert skiing).
There are 11 lifts at the Waterville Valley resort, with an uphill capacity of over 14,700 guests per hour. That includes two high-speed quads and four surface lifts. It is worth noting that a single lift delivers rippers and shredders to the venue's terrain parks.
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Driving time: 2 hours, 40 minutes (127 miles)