Bretton Woods: New Hampshire’s Biggest Ski Resort
Bretton Woods Credit: Ski NH
SKI Magazine readers once again chose Bretton Woods for the BEST SNOW and BEST GROOMING in the EAST for the 2024 season. For older skiers who prefer gentle skiing and great conditions with fewer difficult slopes, Bretton Woods is the place! Other top rankings for Bretton Woods in 2024 include the best in New Hampshire for Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Lodging, Guest Services, Dining, Family Friendly and Après Ski Scene. The area also did well in the New England Ski Journal poll rankings and among the accolades is the most scenic ski area.
Bretton Woods is New Hampshire’s largest ski area with 464 acres of skiing and snowboarding on 63 trails and 35 glades! Ten lifts, including the Bretton Woods Skyway 8-Passenger Gondola and four high-speed quads, make your ride up the mountain almost as fun as the ride down.
The Rosebrook Lodge is at the top of the Bretton Woods Skyway Gondola with stunning panoramic views of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. The Switchback Grille (11 AM – 2:30 PM) offers lunch or libations at the bar or there are snacks at the Peaks Café. The Slopeside Pub & Restaurant is in the main Base Lodge for a sit-down lunch menu and large glass windows for a slopeside dining experience. The Lucy Crawford Food Court is the other base lodge option which is on the main level for food to keep fueled.
Snow and Terrain
Bretton Woods is known for consistent snow conditions, and it’s rarely ever windy. They’ve got snowmaking on 92 percent of the trails. Over the years, Bretton Woods was known as an easy mountain with few steep slopes and that, in fact, is one of the best reasons for older skiers to become aficionados of the area. The runs are short and the lifts are fast, and this allows older skiers and riders to ski comfortably or turn on the jets and avoid getting tired from runs that are too long.
The ski area has become recognized for its grooming by earning first place mention in a skiers’ poll. It also has excellent accessible glade skiing that can be enjoyed by intermediate skiers and boarders and has long lasting powder. Bretton Woods has an excellent layout with the four high speed chairlifts helping to spread skiers out on the mountain, which keep lift lines reasonable and often nonexistent. The West Mountain and Rosebrook areas on the mountain are separated from the main mountain, and they provide plenty to explore both on the slopes and in the glades.
Suggested Alpine Skiing Itinerary for Seniors
Upon experiencing Bretton Woods SeniorsSkiing correspondent Tamsin Venn stated, “The overall experience here is a friendly mountain that’s fun to ski. There’s plenty of skiing available for an older person without putting too much pressure on hips and knees. For tree skiers, the glades are fairly open in keeping with the resort’s easy-going nature.”
My recommendation for Bretton Woods is to take the Bethlehem lift and then ski to the Rosebrook lift. Take a few runs in the Rosebrook area in some easy glades, but don’t go too far to the east, or you’ll end up back down at the base. From the top of the Rosebrook lift, you can also go west (to the right) and keep your speed up as you pass by the Rosebrook Lodge to reach the West Mountain for runs in the glades on that side of the mountain. Enjoy plenty of narrow runs in the West Mountain trees. There’s a restroom at the base of the West Mountain quad, if you need it.
Bottom Line
Seniors 80 years and up ski free any day, and those 65-79 ski for $40 midweek (M-Th)/non-holiday. Holiday or weekend (Fri-Sun) lift tickets are $124 for ages 65-79. Adult day passes are $97 Mon-Thur non-holiday and $139 holiday or Fri-Sun.
2024 Bretton Woods Mountain Stats
Summit Elevation: 3,100 feet
Vertical Drop: 1,500 feet
Base Elevation: 1,600 feet
Trails and Glades: 98
Skiable Acreage: 464 acres
Snowmaking: 92% of Trails
Average Annual Snowfall: 200+ inches
Season Length: Early-November to mid-April
Exposure: North-Northeast
Lifts: 10
Uphill Lift Capacity: 14,000 skiers per hour
Bretton Woods Nordic Skiing
The Bretton Woods Nordic Center is one of the best XC ski facilities in the world at the golf club next to the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel and has classical and skate skiing as well as snowshoeing on trails prepared with state-of-the-art grooming. Visit on-trail destinations including a warming cabin on Porcupine Trail, and the lift-served Mount Stickney Cabin. There are exceptional scenic vistas along many parts of the trail network for those who want to retain the memory with the Mt. Washington peak as the backdrop.
The lift-served Mountain Road trail may be the most fun to be had on XC skis in New England and the photos from the trail are unsurpassed.
I’ve taken many friends on the Mountain Road because it is much easier to take the lift up and then ski downhill on the trail, and it has incredible scenery and views. This 7 km trail is accessible from the top of the Bethlehem Express quad at the Bretton Woods alpine ski area (five minutes from the Nordic Center via complimentary resort shuttle). Along the way, take a side trip on a T-bar lift to the Stickney Cabin for snacks and libations and to ski additional trails on the way back to the Mountain Road. For senior or novice XC skiers, the Mountain Road is sure to be a lifetime highlight!
XC ski and snowshoe rentals are available at the Nordic Center and skiers can be outfitted with classic and skate skis, pulks (pull sleds for pre-skiers) and snowshoes. The Nordic Center also has an excellent retail shop for everything XC ski. Private and semi-private lessons are available with advanced reservation.
While you’re at the area take the free shuttle and go check out the historic Omni Mt. Washington Hotel for some drinks or dinner. It harkens back to the time of the grand hotels (bell boys, ski concierge, etc.) and it has been renovated with a new spa, wonderful restaurants and bars, and even a dance club in the basement for late night action.
Nordic Trail System Stats
Total Kilometers: 100km (95km tracked and skate groomed)
Trails: 45 (34% Novice, 45% Intermediate, 21% Expert)
Base Elevation: 1,600 Feet
Peak Elevation: 2,800 Feet
Total Acreage: 1,770 Acres
Annual Snowfall: 200+ inches
Season Length: mid-November to mid-March
- The Comeback XC Skier - December 1, 2025
- Nordic Walk for a Fitness Option - October 23, 2025
- Comparing Alpine and Nordic Skiing - March 19, 2025
Enjoyed this piece Roger. I’ve skied Nordic at Bretton Woods as far back as taking my ski instructor training there in the 1980s (in part on the hotel grounds, when it was EPSTI, not PSIA). I love the entire Mountain Road experience and think you did a marvelous job of describing every element of enjoyment I ever got out of it. A nice writeup that makes it a no-brainer to be certain the reader redeems its potential. Meshes guidebook writing and ski writing, which I often aspire to.