North Conway is one of the best ski base towns in the East. Within a 45-minute drive, you have access to five different ski resorts, each with its own personality. Whether you're teaching toddlers to pizza, looking for steep glades, or chasing natural snow, there's a mountain here for you. The season typically runs from late November through mid-April, with the best conditions in January through March. Here's everything you need to know to pick the right resort for your group.
Cranmore Mountain Resort
The home mountain. Cranmore is so close to North Conway that you can see the trails from town. It's the most convenient resort by far and a genuinely great mountain for families and intermediate skiers. The terrain is well-groomed and accessible, with excellent beginner areas and enough intermediate runs to keep improving skiers happy all day.
- Vertical: 1,200 ft • Trails: 56 • Lifts: 9
- Terrain: 28% beginner / 41% intermediate / 31% expert
- Pass: Independent (not on Ikon or Epic) — day tickets and multi-day packages available
- Extras: Mountain Coaster, tubing park, Meister Hut lodge with craft beer
- Best for: Families with young kids, beginners, intermediate skiers, anyone who wants to be 5 minutes from town
Attitash Mountain Resort
Attitash is the versatile all-rounder. Two interconnected peaks — Attitash and Bear Peak — give you a wide variety of terrain in one ticket. Attitash proper has long, wide groomers and a well-run race program. Bear Peak adds steeper, more natural terrain with excellent glade skiing when the snow is right. It's the closest Ikon Pass mountain to North Conway.
- Vertical: 1,750 ft • Trails: 68 • Lifts: 9
- Terrain: 21% beginner / 47% intermediate / 32% expert
- Pass: Ikon Pass (full and base)
- Extras: Alpine slide (summer), solid après-ski scene at the base lodge
- Best for: Ikon Pass holders, intermediate-to-advanced skiers, groups with mixed ability levels
Wildcat Mountain
Wildcat is the skier's mountain. Perched in Pinkham Notch directly across from Mt. Washington, Wildcat gets more natural snowfall than any resort in the valley and offers steep, challenging terrain with some of the best views in eastern skiing. The summit vista — looking straight at Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine — is legitimately world-class.
- Vertical: 2,112 ft • Trails: 49 • Lifts: 5
- Terrain: 25% beginner / 30% intermediate / 45% expert
- Pass: Ikon Pass (full and base)
- Vibe: Old-school, no-frills. Come for the skiing, not the lodge scene
- Best for: Strong intermediate and advanced skiers, powder chasers, people who ski for the skiing
Bretton Woods Mountain Resort
The largest ski area in New Hampshire and the most polished resort experience in the state. Bretton Woods is operated by the Omni Mount Washington Resort and it shows — everything from the grooming to the base lodge to the dining feels a cut above. The terrain is mostly beginner and intermediate, with wide, perfectly groomed runs that are a joy to cruise. The Rosebrook area adds some steeper terrain.
- Vertical: 1,500 ft • Trails: 63 • Lifts: 10
- Terrain: 31% beginner / 37% intermediate / 32% expert
- Pass: Epic Pass (full and local)
- Extras: Canopy tour, Nordic skiing, top-notch ski school, mountaintop restaurant
- Best for: Epic Pass holders, families, beginner-to-intermediate skiers, anyone who wants a polished resort experience
Loon Mountain Resort
Loon is the biggest overall operation in the area — a full-service resort town in Lincoln with skiing, dining, shopping, and nightlife all within walking distance. The mountain itself has excellent terrain variety, from gentle learning areas to the steep and challenging North Peak. It's a bit farther from North Conway but worth the drive if you want the full resort-town experience.
- Vertical: 2,100 ft • Trails: 61 • Lifts: 11
- Terrain: 22% beginner / 57% intermediate / 21% expert
- Pass: Ikon Pass (full and base)
- Extras: Ice skating, adventure center, South Peak terrain park, solid après-ski bars
- Best for: Groups who want a resort-town vibe, intermediate skiers, terrain park riders
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