Beat the Humidity and Retreat to One of These Northeastern Mountain Escapes

Summer in the city has its perks, but fresh air and room to spread out are not among them. Here’s an easy fix: Head to one of the ski resorts of Vermont, Massachusetts, upstate New York, New Hampshire, or Maine to get your mountain fix. These resorts have a fun mix of family diversions, good lodging and dining, and a kick-ass calendar of events with something for everyone.

Top 5 Northeast Ski Resorts For Summer Fun

Killington, Vt.

Killington did a great job upgrading their summer activity inventory over the last few summers, and those investments are coming to fruition at a perfect time: right now. With adventure centers for kids and tons of events for adults, it’s easy to please everyone this summer.

Summer Dates: May 26-Oct. 15, 2022

Hot Ticket: Killington Wine Festival, July 21-22, 2023. The 22nd annual wine festival kicks off with a scenic gondola ride and mountain-top tasting and also includes food pairings, wine dinners, music, and the Killington Wine Trail, where local restaurants get in on the action.

Killington Summer Checklist

• The Snowshed Adventure Center will keep you and yours busy for hours with bungee trampoline, ninja obstacle challenge, mazes, and more.
• Feeling adventurous? Take on a 5,000-square-foot maze, 42-foot obstacle ropes course, or a dual zip line racer.
• Board the Soaring Eagle, a two-person, chairlift-style ride that sends you flying 100 feet above the resort at 30 mph.
• The Beast Mountain Coaster, a 4,800-foot adrenaline-packed cruise to the base, leaves riders breathless.
• Paddle around in a kayak at the Snowshed Pond, which stays fresh with mountain run-off throughout the hot summer months.
• From the base area, miles of all-level hiking trails are accessible to take trekkers on a boots-on-the-ground tour of the iconic mountain.
• Three high-speed lifts grant access to over 30 miles of downhill mountain biking trails in the Killington Bike Park, with beginner, intermediate, expert, and freestyle terrain available.
• The resort’s golf club is open to the public from the end of May through October, with unique mountain scenes fully enriching the experience.

Sugarloaf, Maine

Defy gravity at Maine’s largest ski area this summer in their anti-gravity complex, or keep it level and hike some of the Appalachian Trail. Either way, you’ll score bragging rights with no lobster traps required.

Summer Dates: Mid-June-October; scenic lift rides begin July 1

Hot Ticket: The Enduro World Series makes one of its 11 stops at Sugarloaf this summer on Aug. 19-20, 2023. In addition to amazing East Coast mountain biking on new trails hand-cut by legendary course designer Adam Craig, there will be live music, a beer garden, and even group rides so attendees can experience the mountain on two wheels.

Sugarloaf Summer Checklist

• Get a new view of the mountain in bloom on a scenic summer lift ride.
• Grab a trail map and head out on a hike; the resort is snaked with miles of maintained trails including a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
• Try zipping around the mountain on a self-balancing, single-wheeled motorized board called a Onewheel.
• Fly-fish on some of the Northeast’s best-stocked rivers
• Experience whitewater rafting with Northern Outdoors, Maine’s top whitewater outfitter which partners with the resort.
• Test your skills on both the driving range and the golf course, with stunning backdrops, to boot.
• Trade your club for a Frisbee in an 18-hole disc golf course, open all summer long.
• Got kids? Sugarloaf’s Anti-Gravity Complex contains Maine’s largest indoor skate bowl and park, an indoor climbing wall, trampolines, and more.

Bretton Woods, N.H.

Summer in Bretton Woods harkens back to the golden days of summer of the mountains, with everything from hiking to tennis, fly-fishing, and horseback riding. Stay at the classic Omni Mount Washington Hotel for the full resort experience.

Summer Dates: May 27-Oct. 22, 2023

Bretton Woods Summer Checklist

• Sign on for the three-hour zipline canopy tour through the treetops at the flanks of Mount Washington.
• Enjoy the 12-minute gondola ride on the Bretton Woods Skyway and enjoy a sit-down meal at Switchback Grille or grab a snack at Peaks Cafe.
• Rent a mountain bike and cruise the cross-country trails that comprise the extensive Valley trail system.
• Set out on a guided climb of the West Wall, a family-friendly adventure suitable for a range of abilities. There are half-day and full-day options.
• The nine-hole disc golf course is a mellow and scenic way to see the mountainside.
• Play tennis on the classic red-clay courts of the Omni Mount Washington Resort.

Berkshire East, Mass.

With one of the longest mountain coasters in the East and class IV rafting, it’s hard to believe this place is so close to Boston. And Thunder Mountain Bike Park is designed and maintained by industry leader Gravity Logic, so who says you need to go west to have a real mountain adventure?

Summer Dates: Weekends beginning May 26, and the full time from June 22 through -Labor Day, 2023, with some activities open into October

Hot Ticket: The Deerfield River Festival is once again at Berkshire East this summer on Aug. 5, 2023. The event, hosted by American Whitewater, is a fundraiser for the nonprofit that supports its conservation and access work on rivers in the Northeast.

Berkshire East Summer Checklist

• Go whitewater rafting on the Deerfield River’s class II, III, and IV rapids (or float lazily down calm waters).
• Choose from three different zip line tours:
  • The Valley Jump Tour, which has adventurers gliding through valleys and forests.
  • The Mountain Top Tour, taking intermediate zippers between seven high-altitude towers.
  • The Base Area Tour, great for groups, beginners and families.
• Younger kids can take advantage of an Aerial Adventure Park and Tree House Trail, where they can roam from platform to platform on a netted course in the trees.
• Thunderbolt Mountain Coaster is among the longest on the East Coast, climbing 1,580 feet up the mountain before letting gravity take over, sending riders flying through thick trees and steep turns for almost 4,000 feet.
• Glide a mountain bike over well-maintained downhill and cross-country trails, or get serious in the Thunder Mountain Bike Park on the progression bike trail system, with blue through black runs for the experienced mountain biker.

Whiteface Mountain, N.Y.

Ever wondered what it’s like to send it off an Olympic jump? Now you can ride to the top of the Olympic Jumping Complex in a glass-enclosed elevation and take in the same views. You can also explore miles of biking, hiking, and guided ATV trails, plus a mountain coaster, zipline, and gondola rides.

Summer Dates: Jun2 30 -Sept. 29, 2023; some activities may extend later

Hot Ticket: Whiteface Oktoberfest is one of the best celebrations in the region, a weekend-long ode to all things Bavarian with live music, great beer, dancing, authentic eats, and activities for the whole family. Sept. 30 & Oct. 3.

Whiteface Mountain Summer Checklist

• The iconic Lake Placid Olympic Museum is being renovated and is expected to reopen in late 2022. There’s a temporary exhibit currently on display at the Olympic Center.
• Board the Cloudsplitter Gondola for views of the Adirondack High Peaks. Bring a picnic and linger over those views at the summit. The gondola operates from June 30 -Sept. 4.
• Take a guided or self-guided hike amid granite cliffs and high-altitude waterfalls.
• The Cliffside Coaster is the longest in North America, following the trajectory of the 1932 and 1980 bobsled courses down Mt. Van Hoevenberg.
• The Sky Flyer Zipline soars 700 feet at speeds of up to 30 mph.
• Many of the same trails can be explored by guided ATV tour, where knowledgeable guides navigate groups through the more secluded mountain areas.
• Mountain bikers should take advantage of 18 miles of cross-country trails that twist through the Adirondack forests.
• A nine-hole disc golf course winds its way down the lower portion of the slopes.

Looking for more great summer activities at more North American ski areas? Check out SKI’s entire summer content channel here.