cross country skiing and snowshoeing in Mount Washington Valley
Bretton Woods Nordic (603-278-3322, www.brettonwoods.com) has 100 km of xc ski and snowshoe trails on the grounds of the Mount Washington Hotel. The grand hotel at the southern base of the mighty Mt. Washington with 1,700 acres of spectacular scenery is home to a Nordic center housing ski school, rental equipment, warming and waxing rooms and a retail shop. This area averages 200 inches of snow every year. The Mountain Road trail, which is accessible from the top of a lift at the Bretton Woods alpine area (5 minutes from the Nordic Center) and winds around the ski area is a 7 km run, which may be the most fun to be had on xc skis in New England. For a full page of info on Bretton Woods Nordic, click here. Daily 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. CCSAA member
Great Glen Trails (603-466-2333, www.greatglentrails.com) has 40 km of XC skiing and snowshoeing trails at the base of Mt. Washington, which translates into jaw-dropping scenery all around you. Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center's lodge is open with new rental equipment, lessons, tubing, and a large xc skiing retail space. One loop and the learning area have snowmaking. Take a snowcoach up the Mt. Washington Auto Road (to 4,000 foot elevation) for incredible views. The resort also has a snowtubing park. For a full page about Great Glen click here. Daily 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. CCSAA member.
Jackson XC (603-383-9355 or 800-927-6697; www.jacksonxc.org), on Rte. 16A, is a Mecca for Nordic skiers. For a full page click Jackson XC. It has more than 154 km of trails, suitable for all ability levels. Country inns are spaced throughout the region. The base lodge is located in Jackson Village. Jackson XC Center has snowmaking in the field behind the lodge. The Cocoa Cabin, which is only 3 km from the center on the easy Ellis River Trail has separate trails for xc skiing or snowshoeing to it. On weekends, take the kids to the Cabin and watch them ski around the Anklebiters Loop and maybe they’ll have a bonfire. Free midweek trail passes are available to visitors, who stay in many of Jackson's hotels, lodges, and inns. Daily 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. CCSAA member
The Inn at Ellis River (603-383-9339, 800-233-8309 www.innatellisriver.com) in Jackson, New Hampshire is an award winning romantic bed and breakfast on the banks of the Ellis River in one of the most picturesque cross country ski and snowshoe destinations in the world. The inn's 22 rooms including a rustic cottage have individual personalities with queen or king sized beds. Some of the rooms have a 2-person jacuzzi, a fireplace and/or a balcony. Yankee Magazine editors have called the Inn at Ellis River a "great romantic retreat" and rightly so with the charming rooms, game room pub, sitting room, atrium-enclosed hot tub overlooking the river, and sunny dining room. For a full page of info click Inn at Ellis River.
The Wentworth, in the romantic ski town of Jackson Village offers a grand hotel with history reaching back 125 years. This throwback to a more elegant time has 51 rooms in a cluster of Victorian-style buildings and accommodations with a traditional French Provinical decor but managed with contemporary efficiency and amenities.
The Christmas Farm Inn & Spa is set on a hillside overlooking Jackson Village, NH. It has the personal touches of a country inn with the amenities of an upscale modern resort. The inn has a full service Aveda spa, restaurant and pub, fitness room, indoor pool, family rooms, spacious suites, and handcrafted cottages.
The International Mountain Climbing School is a guide service that provides a qualified staff to help find the right gear and plan climbing and mountaineering experiences in the White Mountains and beyond. The International Mountain Equipment retail store in North Conway has technical climbing gear and clothing. There is also winter equipment for alpine tourers and telemark skiers.
The Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel is a premier dog sled operator in New Hampshire offering year round dog sledding adventures at its kennel in Jefferson, NH \. The adventures range from 2-50 miles (including overnights) and all of the dog sledding experiences are designed to be hands-on to the comfort level of the guests.
Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring & Snowshoe Center has more than 65 km of inn-to-inn trails, plus ski school and rentals. Trails connect the towns of Intervale, Kearsarge and North Conway offering views of the Saco River and Mt. Washington. Guided start-gazing tours and animal-tracking clinics are offered. Daily 8:00 AM-Dusk.
Bear Notch Ski Touring Center is in Bartlett, NH and has 70 km of groomed trails along the Saco River in the Bear Mountain area with riverside views, pristine waterfalls, meadows and challenging hills. Bear Notch has rental equipment and lessons available and a guided naturalist tour on weekends with reservations. It is 15 minutes from North Conway. With a truly beautiful setting just north of Bartlett Village (Rte. 302), Bear Notch trails offer uncrowded wooded scenery and a 200 year-old farmhouse base lodge. CCSAA member
Purity Spring Resort or King Pine Ski Touring Center is in East Madison at the Purity Spring Resort. It has groomed trails, rentals, and lessons and as it is a combined alpine ski/xc ski area, there is no trail fee if you have an alpine lift ticket. Trails meander through resort grounds and the Hoyt Audubon Sanctuary with views of Bald Ledge, Purity Lake and a wild bird feeding station. The resort has an indoor pool, spa, restaurant and lodging. Alpine skiing, tubing, sledding and ice skating available. CCSAA member