While there is no doubt that nothing beats the warm and sunny shoreline in the summertime, the winter is a great excuse to head inland and uphill for a day on the slopes. While our northern neighbors Vermont and New Hampshire tend to beckon the loudest when planning a weekend getaway, Connecticut is home to several mountain spots that are easy to enjoy for the day or a weekend. We’ve included 2 resorts that border CT, Catamount (NY) and Butternut (MA) since they are so close and accessible. Let’s hop on a lift and take a peak (couldn’t resist!) at our picks.
1Mount Southington | Southington, CT
Located just minutes from Exit 30 off Interstate 84, Mount Southington offers a full range of terrain for beginners to experts! Four chairlifts, two carpets and a handle-tow provide easy access to our wide variety of trails, including our terrain park with fun and challenging features. State-of-the-art snowmaking and grooming make every run a great run – all across the mountain.
Just starting out? Our ski and riding lessons and weekly children’s programs provide a fun and nurturing environment, giving kids (and adults) the skills they need to progress quickly and safely! We’ve got racing teams, afterschool programs, night skiing, affordable packages, weekend entertainment and special events throughout the season. There are so many ways to bring the delight of skiing and riding into your winter. Join us all season long!
Trails:14
Lifts:7
Elevation:525
Acres: 51
Contact Info: 860-628-0954 www.mountsouthington.com
2Mohawk Mountain | Cornwall, CT
In 1947, Skiing Hall of Fame member, Walt Schoenknecht, created Mohawk Mountain Ski Area amidst the rugged beauty of northwestern Connecticut. In 1948 Walt worked with several local engineers to develop the very first snowmaking system ever used at a resort, the basis for the technology used worldwide today. Mohawk Mountain has remained a family business and a favorite destination for the past 70 years. Mohawk Mountain Ski Area is a private corporation working in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Enenrgy and Environmental Protection at Mohawk State Park. Mohawk State Forest has cross-country trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at the top of the mountain but are not maintained by or connected with the ski area. Access to the state park is obtained off of Rt. 4 in Cornwall.
Trails:19
Lifts:9
Elevation:720
Acres: 80
Contact Info: 860-672-6100 www.mohawkmtn.com
3Ski Sundown | New Hartford, CT
Ski Sundown is a ski area located in New Hartford, Connecticut. There are 16 trails, 15 of which are lighted for nighttime skiing. In terms of difficulty, eight of the trails are easier, four are intermediate and three are difficult and one is most difficult. Popular trails include Tom’s Treat, which winds its way down the mountain for one mile and includes a mini terrain park (1.6 km), and Gunbarrel, a steep pitch straight down the mountain which offers free NASTAR as well as CISC-sponsored races. The ski area features two terrain parks, the easier on Tom’s Treat, and an expert terrain park on the black diamond run Stinger. The mountain opens its newest trail, Satan’s Stairway, a double black diamond dedicated mogul trail in the Winter 2014/2015 season. Five lifts service the mountain, with three triple chairs, and two conveyor lifts. Ski Sundown has 70 acres of skiable terrain. Ski Sundown also includes 15 out of 16 trails lighted for night skiing, usually until 10 PM.
(source: wikipedia)
Trails:16
Lifts:5
Elevation:450
Acres: 70
Contact Info: 860-379-7669 www.skisundown.com
4Power Ridge | Middletown, CT
Powder Ridge Ski Area is a relatively small ski area located in Middlefield, Connecticut. It began operations on January 22, 1961,the day JFK was inaugurated. It closed in 2007, and has reopened as Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort as of December, 2013. It is located on Besek Mountain.[2] Powder Ridge Park is affiliated with the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park in the Portland Brownstone Quarries in nearby Portland, Connecticut. The Park features a 500-foot run for skiing and boarding plus two tubing lanes. A Carpet lift is installed to service both the tubing and ski runs. (source wikipedia)
Trails:19
Lifts:5
Elevation:550
Acres: 80
Contact Info: 866-860-0208 www.powderridgepark.com
5Catamount | Hillsdale, NY
Catamount Ski Area, located on the Massachusetts / New York state line near South Egremont, Massachusetts and Hillsdale, NY, is one of the original Berkshire ski areas in the Northeast founded in 1939. From super-gentle to super-steep, Catamount offers over 36 trails and park areas in all.
Trails:36
Lifts:7
Elevation:1000
Acres: 80
Contact Info: 518-325-3200 www.catamountski.com
6Ski Butternut | Great Barrington, MA
Ski Butternut, also known as Butternut Basin, is a ski resort in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, located on Warner Mountain in The Berkshires. Channing and Jane Murdock took control of the area in 1963, naming the area Butternut Basin after the large groves of butternut trees located in the basin of the mountain. They offer 22 Trails, 1000ft vertical, 3 Quad Chairlifts, 1 Triple Chair, 1 Double Chair 4 Carpet Lifts, a Poma lift, 2 Awesome Terrain Parks, a Full Service Ski & Snowboard Shop with a Tuning Center & Demo Skis, 2 Restaurants, a 350 Member Professional Ski & Snowboard School and an 8 Lane Tubing Center!
Trails:22
Lifts:11
Elevation:1000ft
Acres: 110
Contact Info: 413-528-2000 www.skibutternut.com
