Waterville Valley Resort
Ski resort in New Hampshire

Waterville Valley Resort
Top of Highcountry Double, south shoulder of Mount Tecumseh
Top of Highcountry Double,
south shoulder of Mount Tecumseh
Waterville Valley Resort is located in the United States
Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley Resort
Location in New Hampshire
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Waterville Valley Resort is located in New Hampshire
Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley Resort (New Hampshire)
Show map of New Hampshire
LocationWaterville Valley,
New Hampshire, U.S.
Nearest major cityPlymouth – 20 miles (32 km)
Coordinates43°57′55″N 71°31′40″W / 43.96528°N 71.52778°W / 43.96528; -71.52778
Vertical2,020 ft (615 m)
Top elevation3,840 ft (1,170 m)  (lift-served)
3,997 ft (1,218 m)  (summit)
Base elevation1,820 ft (555 m)
Skiable area265 acres (1.07 km2)
Trails62
15% Novice
59% Intermediate
26% Expert
Longest run1.9 miles (3.1 km)
Lift system1 HS 6-Pack, 2 Triples,
2 Doubles, 1 Platterpull,
2 T-Bar, 2 Conveyor Belt
Terrain parks6
Snowfall148 inches (12.3 ft; 3.8 m)
Snowmaking100%
Night skiingyes
Websitewww.waterville.com

Waterville Valley is a ski resort in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, United States. It is located within the White Mountain National Forest. Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of 3,997 feet (1,218 m) above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at 3,840 feet (1,170 m), offering a vertical drop of 2,020 feet (615 m). The ski area has 11 lifts, including two high-speed lifts, a quad and a six pack, and the slopes primarily face east and northeast.

In addition to downhill skiing, the resort offers 46 miles (74 km) of Nordic skiing, golf, nationally-ranked tennis courts, a skateboard park, a year-round ice arena, hiking, biking, and water sports.[1][2]

History

Organized skiing first started on Mount Tecumseh in the 1930s with the construction of two Civilian Conservation Corps ski trails. The first of the two trails was abandoned after a decade, while the latter would later become incorporated into the Waterville Valley ski area.[2]

A group led by Tom Corcoran opened Waterville Valley 60 years ago in 1966 with four new Stadeli double chairlifts and a J-Bar surface lift. Of the original chairlifts, only the Lower Meadows remains.

Over the next few decades, three Stadeli triple chairlifts were installed, including the World Cup Triple in 1985.

In 1988, a Poma high-speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, running parallel to the World Cup Triple and High Country Double chairlifts. Due to wind issues, the upper portion of this lift was later removed. As a result, the top portion of the ski area is only served by the High Country T-Bar lift.[2][3] In 1997, a Doppelmayr high speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, known as "Quadzilla". Debuting in the 2022/2023 season, the Tecumseh Express six person bubble chairlift opened, replacing the old quad lift as the main chairlift at the resort.[4] For the 2025-2026 season, a new surface lift is being constructed that will replace the existing Exhibition and World Cup surface lifts. This T-bar lift is projected to run a length of 602 feet and be able to serve up to 1,100 people per hour.[5][6]

In 2013, Waterville Valley received authorization from the U.S. Forest Service to begin work on an expansion program, dubbed the "Green Peak Project". This expansion marked the first major expansion at the resort in over 30 years.[7] Midway through the 2016/2017 season the project was complete, increasing the skiable size of the resort by almost 20% (from 220 to 265 acres). This new terrain is serviced by a fixed grip triple lift.[8][9]

Ownership

After filing for bankruptcy protection in the summer of 1994,[10] Waterville Valley was briefly owned by the American Skiing Company in the mid-1990s. Due to anti-trust issues, Waterville and Cranmore Mountain Resort were sold to California-based Booth Creek Ski Holdings in the fall of 1996. Members of the Sununu family of New Hampshire and a group of area investors purchased the resort in October 2010 and it remains independent.[2]

Professional events

Waterville Valley first hosted World Cup alpine events in slalom and giant slalom in 1969 and was a regular stop on the tour for most of the 1980s. The 1969 races saw American women take four of the six podium positions, as Kiki Cutter won the slalom for her fourth World Cup win and Judy Nagel took third.[11] Two days earlier, Marilyn Cochran and Karen Budge tied for second in the giant slalom.[12] After two podiums at Waterville Valley in 1982, Tamara McKinney won five consecutive World Cup events at the resort from 1983 to 1985.[13][14][15] The most recent WC races were held 35 years ago, with six events in March to conclude the 1991 season.

The circuit did not return to the eastern U.S. for over a quarter century, until November 2016 at Killington, Vermont, with women's technical events (giant slalom, slalom) on Thanksgiving weekend.

Waterville Valley has long embraced freestyle skiing and freestyle snowboarding, building the first terrain park in New Hampshire, known as the Boneyard, as well as an early mogul competition in 1971. During the 2023-2024 season, Waterville Valley would host its first ever freestyle world cup, and first world cup since 1991, with a mogul event on January 26th, and a dual mogul event on January 27th, the first time a dual mogul competition had been held on American soil.[16] This competition would be followed up the next year with another world cup event, with competitions again in the mogul and dual mogul discipline.[17]

Clubs and schools

Waterville Valley hosts the "Black and Blue Trail Smashers" (also known as BBTS) ski club, one of the oldest in the USA, founded in 1934. The team has expanded its training to include ski racing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and boardercross disciplines. WVBBTS has received many prestigious awards since its inception, including the USSA Club of the Year award in 2006. It is the "home club" of Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney, winner of the women's moguls in 2010.[2]

Waterville Valley Academy (WVA), a seasonal winter sports boarding school that specializes in training skiers and snowboarders, conducts training at Waterville. WVA is a subsidiary of the Waterville Valley BBTS ski club, using many of the club's resources and staff in its operations.[18][2]

References

  1. ^ "Waterville Valley Resort". Waterville Valley Resort. 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "NewEnglandSkiHistory.com: Waterville Valley Resort". NewEnglandSkiHistory.com. December 10, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  3. ^ "NewEnglandSkiHistory.com:Waterville Valley Resort - White Peaks Express Chairlift". NewEnglandSkiHistory.com. 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  4. ^ Mitropoulos, Arielle (December 11, 2022). "Ski season arrives at three New Hampshire resorts". WMUR. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  5. ^ "New Hampshire Ski Areas Highlight What's New This Year". www.snowindustrynews.com. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "WATERVILLE VALLEY RESORT ANNOUNCES NEW SURFACE LIFT". Waterville Valley Resort. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  7. ^ Lampert, Henrik (September 25, 2013). "Waterville Valley Resort sees expansion on the horizon". FREESKIER. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  8. ^ Tracy, Paula (August 31, 2016). "Waterville Valley to increase terrain by almost 20 percent this winter". WMUR. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  9. ^ Tracy, Paula (January 4, 2017). "Green Peak will be a whole new mountain to explore this winter". WMUR. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "S-K-I Ltd. cleared to purchase ski area". Lewiston Sun-Journal. Maine. Associated Press. October 17, 1994. p. 3.
  11. ^ "Kiki gets 1st in slalom at championships". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. UPI. March 24, 1969. p. 10.
  12. ^ "Austrian girl nips two from US in that GS". Lewiston Evening Journal. Maine. Associated Press. March 21, 1969. p. 17.
  13. ^ "American wins GS". Ottawa Citizen. Canada. UPI. March 11, 1983. p. 36.
  14. ^ "McKinney takes first in slaloms". Ottawa Citizen. Canada. UPI. March 12, 1984. p. 30.
  15. ^ "U.S. ace nabs lead in slalom". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. UPI. March 17, 1985. p. E-7.
  16. ^ O'Connor, Brion (January 16, 2024). "Waterville's New World Cup Comp Recalls Its Freestyle Heyday". SKI. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  17. ^ Staff, Roberta Baker Union Leader (January 26, 2025). "Americans claim medals in moguls World Cup at Waterville Valley". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  18. ^ "About Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers - WVBBTS". Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  • Official website
  • New England Ski History – Waterville Valley
    • Mt. Tecumseh—New England's Alpine CCC Ski Trails
  • International Ski Federation (FIS) – World Cup events – Waterville Valley
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