The Northeast is a popular destination for winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and even toboggan sledding. Within easy reach of New York, Boston and Philadelphia, you can find a variety of towns famed for gorgeous slopes and a cozy atmosphere, along with the top safety standards in the winter sports industry. Careful travel planning can help even novice skiers appreciate the local attractions and survey everything the Northeast’s winter wonderland has to offer.
Where To Ski
Killington in Vermont, nicknamed “The Beast of the East,” has more ski trails than any other New England ski resort but is also well known for its snowboarding facilities. The town of Burlington, VT is another popular option, although it’s so far north that it’s a much shorter drive to Montreal than most New England cities. Burlington is a good option for families with non-athletic types in the mix, because the town offers loads of shops, attractions, and natural scenery that doesn’t require physical excursion.
Where To Snowmobile
For snowmobilers, large state parks in New York such as Letchworth State Park and Allegany State Park both contain hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails. However, snowmobiling is more versatile in that in addition to a wide range of local trails, many people snowmobile on private properties in rural parts of the country. Regardless of whether your trail is private or public, you will need to comply with speed regulations for snowmobiling, which vary from state to state.
When To Go
Most major ski resorts in the Northeast open up after Thanksgiving, when the nighttime temperature begins to drop below freezing. Killington in Vermont is normally the first to open, but is shortly followed by other big resorts such as Whiteface Mountain in New York. The busiest times on the slopes are school holidays, especially Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day. Like most forms of travel, winter sports resorts offer the best deals during midweek, instead of weekends, when it’s more crowded.
Winter sports definitely aren’t for everyone, but avid skiers and snowboarders know there’s no better feeling than hitting the slopes once the temperature drops and ski resorts open their doors for newcomers. Skiing and snowboarding consistently rank among the most highly prized attractions in the Northeast, making them good options for those who wish to make the most out of a winter vacation.
