Ski mountains for every kind of skier, night tubing, a castle grown from icicles, and a sleigh ride along the Ellis River. Here’s how to plan the Granite State’s best season.
There’s a point on every drive north when the Presidentials show up white against the sky, and the back seat goes quiet.
That’s the moment I plan for.
New Hampshire does winter better than almost anywhere in the Northeast. Big mountains and tiny ski hills. Covered bridges with snow on the roof. And a long list of things to do that have nothing to do with skis.
So if half your crew skis and the other half would rather fly down a tubing lane with hot cocoa waiting at the bottom, this is your state.
Here’s what I’d want to know before going: which mountain fits which family, what’s worth doing off the slopes, where to stay, and a long weekend that actually works.
- Best months
- January and February for the most reliable snow. December for holiday magic. March for sunny spring skiing.
- Where to base
- North Conway for the most to do, Lincoln for Loon and Ice Castles, Jackson for quiet and pretty.
- How long
- Three to five days.
- Getting there
- About 2.5 to 3 hours from Boston to North Conway. Plan on 5.5 or more from New York City.
- Ski passes
- Wildcat and Attitash are on the Epic Pass. Loon is on the Ikon Pass. King Pine is an Indy Pass allied resort.
fifteen mountains, one honest question
Bigger isn’t better when you’re skiing with kids. A small hill with the learning area right outside the lodge can beat a giant resort where the bunny slope is a gondola ride away.
So start with one question. Who’s skiing, and how well?
| Mountain | Town | Best for | Why we like it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranmore | North Conway | Beginners, little kids | Big learning area, top-ranked tubing, walk to town |
| King Pine | Madison | Young families | Small and easy to navigate, tubing, skating, Nordic trails |
| Pats Peak | Henniker | First-timers | Learning terrain, tubing, easy drive from Massachusetts |
| McIntyre | Manchester | Tiny skiers | Gentle terrain, a low-pressure first day |
| Bretton Woods | Bretton Woods | Mixed abilities | Presidential Range views, full resort experience |
| Loon | Lincoln | A full ski vacation | Gondola, ski school, close to Ice Castles |
| Waterville Valley | Waterville Valley | Village atmosphere | Ski school and the village close together |
| Mount Sunapee | Newbury | Beginners, intermediates | Lessons, varied trails, lake views |
| Gunstock | Gilford | Skiing plus extras | Tubing, night skiing, Lake Winnipesaukee views |
| Attitash | Bartlett | Intermediates | Varied terrain in the heart of the valley |
| Ragged | Danbury | A quieter option | Mixed terrain, fewer crowds |
| Crotched | Bennington | Night skiing | Evening laps for every level |
| Dartmouth Skiway | Lyme | Low-key ski days | Relaxed small-area feel, lessons |
| Cannon | Franconia | Confident skiers | Steeper, rugged terrain in Franconia Notch |
| Wildcat | Pinkham Notch | Experts and teens | Big vertical facing Mount Washington |
for first-timers and little legs
- Cranmore, North Conway. A large learning area, KidsRule lessons, and you’re minutes from restaurants and your hotel. Easy wins all around.
- King Pine, Madison. Seventeen trails and only 350 feet of vertical, so you can keep eyes on everyone. Add the tubing park, the skating rink, about 20 km of Nordic trails, and lodging at Purity Spring Resort next door.
- Pats Peak in Henniker and McIntyre in Manchester. Great southern New Hampshire picks for a day trip or a first try before committing to a big week up north.
Book ski lessons the same day you book lodging. Christmas week and February vacation week sell out first, and the kids’ programs go before anything else.
the classic family ski vacation
- Bretton Woods. Skiing with the whole Presidential Range in front of you, and the grand Omni Mount Washington Resort down the road. There’s a tubing hill near the hotel for the non-skiers.
- Loon Mountain, Lincoln. Gondola, a strong ski school, and Lincoln’s restaurants after. Ice Castles is right next door in North Woodstock.
- Waterville Valley. Mountain and village in one tidy valley, which means less loading and unloading the car.
for the ones who want steeps
- Wildcat, Pinkham Notch. More than 2,100 feet of vertical, staring straight across at Mount Washington. Bring the teenagers. It’s on the Epic Pass with sister mountain Attitash.
- Cannon, Franconia Notch State Park. Rugged, old-school New England skiing. Best for older kids comfortable on harder trails.
skiing plus everything else
- Gunstock, Gilford. Ski with views over Lake Winnipesaukee, then tube or ski under the lights.
- Attitash, Bartlett. A good next step for intermediates, and central to everything in the Mount Washington Valley.
The best mountain for your family is the one where nobody cries before lunch.
the non-skier’s new hampshire
This is where New Hampshire really pulls ahead. You could plan a full winter trip here without a single lift ticket.
a castle grown from icicles
In North Woodstock, a crew of ice artisans grows hundreds of thousands of icicles on site, then hand-places them into tunnels, slides, thrones and archways.
Go after dark. LED lights glow from inside the ice and the whole place turns soft and blue and a little unreal.
For 2026–27, Ice Castles plans to open in late December and run into early March, weather permitting. Admission includes the Mystic Forest Light Walk and snow tubing. And from February 26 to 28, 2027, it’s hosting the first New England Ice Carving Championships.
Tickets are sold by 30-minute entry window, but once you’re in, stay as long as you want. The floors are ice, so wear waterproof boots with real tread. You’ll find it at 24 Clark Farm Road, just off I-93 at Exits 32 and 33.
mount washington, the easy way
From Great Glen Trails in Gorham, a heated van on four tracks climbs the Mount Washington Auto Road to about 4,200 feet, right at treeline.
You hop out into a sub-arctic world for photos. On a clear day you’re looking over the Great Gulf Wilderness and the Presidential Range. On a wild day, you get a taste of the wind this mountain is famous for, with the warm coach a few steps away.
Adventurous? Bring snowshoes or Nordic skis and make your own way back down.
Posted rates are $79 for adults and $49 for ages 4 to 12. Tours run weather permitting, so keep a backup plan for the same day.
sleigh bells on the ellis river
At Nestlenook Farm in Jackson, horses pull sleighs along a mile-and-a-half trail, partly following the Ellis River and through lights strung across the property. Afterward, everyone thaws out by the bonfire.
This is the postcard.
The farm also has a skating pond and snowshoe trails, so make an afternoon of it. Rides usually run into mid-March. Then drive through the red Jackson Covered Bridge on your way to dinner.
tubing, the great equalizer
No lessons, no gear, no skill gap between the six-year-old and grandpa. Everyone goes down the same hill screaming.
- Cranmore, North Conway. Two-hour sessions with a lift back to the top, plus night tubing under colored lights on select evenings.
- King Pine, Madison. A handle-tow tubing park with groomed chutes.
- Gunstock, Gilford. Tubing at a full-size resort.
- Pats Peak, Henniker. Two-hour sessions, and reservations are required.
- Great Glen Trails, Gorham. Right at the base of Mount Washington.
- Ice Castles, North Woodstock. Included with your castle ticket.
Check height minimums before you promise anyone a ride. At Cranmore, kids under 42 inches can still tube with an adult.
slow miles: nordic skiing and snowshoes
For the family that wants to be outside without the speed.
- Great Glen Trails, Gorham. More than 20 km of groomed trails and heated trailside cabins for a cocoa break.
- Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, Jackson. Trails that wind right through the village.
- Bretton Woods Nordic Center. Groomed trails with big mountain views.
- Bear Notch Ski Touring, Bartlett. Quiet woods, classic New England.
- King Pine, Madison. About 20 km of cross-country and snowshoe trails.
Snowshoeing is the easiest way to get kids onto winter trails. Pick a short, clearly marked loop and check conditions before you go.
snowmobiles and skating
With older kids, a guided snowmobile tour in the White Mountains or the North Country is a thrill. Ask the outfitter about age limits, passenger rules and gear before you book.
For skating, stick to maintained rinks and ponds like the ones at Nestlenook and King Pine. Never trust a frozen pond or lake on its own.
picking your base camp
Everything here is spread across different valleys. Pick one and go deep. You’ll spend more time playing and less time in the car.
North Conway
Cranmore in town, Attitash, Wildcat and Jackson close by, plus restaurants and outlet shopping for the off hours.
Lincoln & North Woodstock
Ski all day, castle at night, and Franconia Notch up the road.
Jackson
Inns with fireplaces, the covered bridge, sleigh rides and Nordic trails out the door.
Bretton Woods
Stay put and let the mountain, the tubing hill and the grand hotel do the work.
Waterville Valley
Skiing and the village close together, with little driving once you arrive.
Our home base was a Village Vacation Homes rental in the Mount Washington Valley. Think an outdoor hot tub in the snow, a fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs, a kids’ room with little house-shaped beds, a playroom, and a ski rack by the door for all the gear.
It put Attitash, Cranmore, Jackson and Wildcat all within an easy drive. See the house on Airbnb or follow along at @village.vacation.homes.
Thank you to Village Vacation Homes for hosting our stay. As always, every opinion here is my own.
a long weekend in the mount washington valley
Base yourself in North Conway. Everything below is within about half an hour.
Friday: arrive and ease in
- Drive up, check in, and get everyone’s gear sorted for the morning.
- If it’s running, catch night tubing under the lights at Cranmore.
- Dinner in town, early bedtime.
Saturday: ski day
- Morning lessons for the little ones at Cranmore or King Pine.
- Confident skiers head to Attitash or Wildcat.
- Regroup for an afternoon of tubing, then après with s’mores by a fire.
Sunday: off the slopes
- Morning SnowCoach up Mount Washington from Great Glen Trails in Gorham.
- Afternoon sleigh ride at Nestlenook Farm in Jackson, then the bonfire.
- One last drive through the covered bridge, and head home.
Ski Loon on day one, spend that evening at Ice Castles, and save day two for Cannon or a snowshoe in Franconia Notch.
before you go
- Book lessons and lodging together. Holiday and vacation weeks fill fast.
- Reserve tubing sessions ahead. Most parks cap each time slot.
- Pack two pairs of gloves and socks per kid. Wet mittens end a ski day faster than anything. My go-to winter gear lives on my Amazon storefront.
- Plan one non-ski day. Kids don’t always want five straight days on the mountain, and that’s okay.
- Check conditions the morning of. Mountain weather changes fast, and wind can close lifts and tours.
the things everyone asks
What’s the best ski mountain in New Hampshire for beginners?
Cranmore, King Pine, Pats Peak and McIntyre are all great for first-timers. If your family has mixed abilities, Bretton Woods works for both beginners and stronger skiers.
What can you do in New Hampshire in winter if you don’t ski?
Plenty. Walk through Ice Castles in North Woodstock, ride the SnowCoach up Mount Washington, take a sleigh ride at Nestlenook Farm in Jackson, go snow tubing, snowshoe, or ice skate.
When is the best time to visit New Hampshire for snow?
January and February are the most reliable months. December is magical around the holidays, and March brings sunny spring skiing. Conditions vary every year.
Is North Conway or Lincoln better for a winter trip?
Both are great. North Conway puts you closest to Cranmore, Attitash, Wildcat and Jackson. Lincoln is best for Loon, Ice Castles and Franconia Notch.
When does Ice Castles New Hampshire open for 2026–27?
Ice Castles plans to open in late December 2026 and stay open into early March 2027, depending on the weather. Check icecastles.com for dates and tickets.
How many days do you need for a New Hampshire winter trip?
Three to five days gives you time to ski, try one or two things off the slopes, and still have room for a weather day.
make it a winter they talk about
Somewhere between the first wobbly run, the tubing race nobody will admit they lost, and the sleigh bells in the dark, a regular winter weekend turns into the one they bring up for years.
You don’t need to be a great skier for that. You just need to go.
Bundle up, get out there, and make some memories along the way.
— Summer.
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