The Best Improvements At New Hampshire Ski Resorts For The 2025-26 Season
New Hampshire — It’s been one of the most active offseasons ever for New Hampshire’s ski industry. New lifts are going in across the Granite State, along with other notable upgrades.
Last week, Ski New Hampshire (SkiNH) detailed the projects underway this offseason in the Granite State.
“From new lifts and expanded snowmaking to sustainability initiatives and upgraded lodges, these improvements highlight New Hampshire’s commitment to offering world-class skiing and riding close to home,” said Jessyca Keeler, the Preseident of Ski New Hampshire.
Here are the biggest offseason improvements coming to New Hampshire ski resorts for the 2025-26 season.
Honorable Mentions
- Cannon Mountain received a freshened-up look, with new paint jobs on three lodges and the Peabody chairlift, new roofs on two lodges, and an extensive renovation in the Peabody Lodge. The tram won’t operate this season as it begins its multi-year replacement process.
- Cranmore Mountain is debuting New Hampshire’s only night cosmic tubing.
- Gunstock Mountain added 24 new HKD Impulse tower guns and Klik hydrants. In addition, multiple lifts have been refurbished.
- King Pine Ski Area is adding a new carpet for the tubing park, making snowmaking upgrades, and renovating the Evergreen Room in its base lodge.
- Snowmaking upgrades, including a new valve house and pipeline replacements, are happening at Ragged Mountain Resort. Additionally, the pretty bumpy access road has been repaved.
- Tenney Mountain also made some snowmaking upgrades. Also worth noting is that a rope tow was installed in the terrain park last winter, and this area now features lights for night skiing.
- After a few years of delays, Whaleback Mountain is planning to open a new surface lift that will connect to various trails.
The Best Improvements
4. Loon Mountain: While it’s not the flashiest offseason at Loon, there’s still a lot going on there. North Peak’s snowmaking capacity has been doubled thanks to a new snowmaking pipeline and the addition of a valve house. In the Sasparilla Learning Center, a new magic carpet is being installed. In terms of vehicles, Loon has acquired a PistenBully 600 E+ (a quiet and energy-efficient groomer) and a new Ford Lightning truck (its fifth EV for employees, most in the East). Work on the pulse gondola project, which will connect the Riverwalk Resort to Timbertown, is expected to begin this winter.
3. Waterville Valley: This offseason, two surface lifts at Waterville Valley were removed. A new MND Ropeways T-Bar is currently being installed, which will go from near the BBTS/WVA Competition Center and end near the juncture of The Chute and Utter Abandon trails.
This new T-Bar will have a length of 2,226 feet, a vertical rise of 602 feet, and a travel speed of 500 feet per minute. The T-Bar, with its two-person carriers, will be able to carry 1,100 passengers uphill per hour. As part of this project, the night lights are being upgraded to LED lighting to support the new lift, which will be the hub for night skiing.
In addition, Waterville Valley’s proposed village-to-mountain expansion is currently being reviewed by the US Forest Service.
2. Pats Peak: The Hurricane chairlift has been replaced this season with a new SkyTrac fixed-grip quad chairlift. This lift increased the capacity to the summit by 25% compared to the old lift. A gentler entryway and a loading conveyor will facilitate a more straightforward loading process, while a raised unloading ramp will provide easier access to the Cascade Basin terrain pod.
Other upgrades include an expanded beginner area, snowmaking enhancements, more food options, new rental equipment, and an expanded Kids’ program.
1. Bretton Woods: New Hampshire’s largest ski resort modernized its lift fleet this summer, among other big-time upgrades.
The Bethlehem Express, a chairlift installed in 1989, has been replaced by a new Leitner-Poma detachable quad chairlift. It will be a faster ride and have a carrying capacity of 1,800 people per hour. Compared to its predecessor, the Bethlehem Express Quad II’s (BEQII) base terminal is further uphill to improve crowd flow around the base area, and the top has been moved downhill to facilitate an easier exit.
Bretton Woods is also adding to its extensive glade network. A new double-black- diamond glade will be situated between the Upper Swoop and Upper Express trails, featuring tree sections and small cliffs.
Lastly, Bretton Woods also invested $200,000 in new snowmaking pipelines and tower guns.
Image/Video Credits: Pats Peak, Whaleback Mountain, Loon Mountain Resort, Waterville Valley Resort, Bretton Woods
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