Attitash gives you two distinct sides to ski. The original Attitash side is the more traditional of the two, a tight network of steeper, fall-line runs dropping straight through the trees in classic, no-nonsense New England style, though its base is also home to the resort's main learning area and gentlest greens. Bear Peak, by contrast, opens out into wider, more modern terrain, smooth, rolling cruisers and gladed runs that suit easy intermediate days and relaxed cruising. A connecting trail links the two, so you can move freely between them without clicking out of your skis, charging the steeps on one side, then drifting down open groomers on the other, all in the same morning.

Getting around both peaks is quick. High-speed quads run to the summit of each, the new Mountaineer on the Attitash side, which cut the ride to the top to under five minutes, and a fast quad up Bear Peak, with a mix of quads, triples, and shorter lifts covering the lower slopes and learning areas. Recent upgrades under Vail Resorts have modernised the key lifts, so you spend less time riding up and more time skiing down.

Across the two peaks, the terrain runs the full range from gentle greens to seriously steep double-blacks. It's worth knowing that North American resorts use a different rating system from Europe: green circles mark beginner runs (similar to European greens and easy blues), blue squares cover intermediate terrain (a wider range than European blues, so some feel like easy cruisers and others quite a bit more demanding), black diamonds are advanced, and double black diamonds are expert-only. There's no direct equivalent to European red runs, so confident intermediates should expect some blue squares to feel testing.

Skiing for beginners in Attitash Mountain Resort

Attitash is an encouraging place to learn, with its beginner terrain gathered together at the Attitash base. Complete first-timers start on the Snowbelt magic carpet, a gentle, low-pressure slope set apart from the faster runs, where you can take your first slides and get a feel for the snow. When you're ready for a chairlift, the Learning Center Triple opens up the Learning Center trail and a handful of easy greens to find your feet on.

From there, the Progression Quad is your next step up, a modern lift serving gentle green runs like Counselor's Run and Inside Out, plus an easy blue to ease you toward longer descents. Take these at your own pace: the wide, well-groomed pitches and open sight lines give you room to build a rhythm, link your turns, and always see what's coming next. As your confidence builds, more of the mountain gradually opens up.

WeSki insider tip: After you've found your feet on the Snowbelt carpet, the greens off the Progression Quad are the ideal next step. The gentle, even gradient is made for practising linked turns and getting used to a chairlift, all without picking up too much speed before you're ready for it.

Intermediate skiing in Attitash Mountain Resort

Intermediates can settle into a rhythm quickly at Attitash, and Bear Peak is the place to start. Its blue runs are wide, well-groomed cruisers that carry plenty of vertical, Northwest Passage and Snow Dancer flow top to bottom in long, sweeping arcs, while Pinball Alley is a gentler option for an easy kilometre or two. There's room here to open up, carve big turns, and keep your flow without much stopping and starting.

Cross over to the Attitash side and the character shifts. Don't be fooled by the blue ratings: the runs on this side are narrower, steeper, and more demanding than the colour suggests. Classic New England trails like Saco and Cathedral wind down from the summit with the odd pitchy headwall, making them an ideal proving ground if you're an intermediate eyeing the blacks. A few of the easier blacks on Attitash's front face make a natural next step when you're ready to go further.

WeSki insider tip: Don't just lap one side, the real fun of Attitash's two-peak layout is linking them. You can ski straight from one mountain to the other on the connector trails (Bear Notch Pass and Stoney Brook do the job), turning an ordinary lap into a long run across the whole resort. Just follow the "Bear" and "Attitash" signs, and keep your speed up through the connectors, where a couple of flatter stretches reward a bit of momentum.

Advanced and expert skiing in Attitash Mountain Resort

Attitash's steepest terrain is on the front face of the original peak. Black-diamond runs like Idiot's Option, Tim's Trauma, and the Ptarmigan trails drop straight down the fall line, narrow, steep, and quick to bump up into moguls as the day goes on. These are true fall-line runs with nowhere to ease off, so they keep you working from the first turn to the last, setting you up for the old-school New England skiing experience Attitash is known for.

Tree skiing adds another dimension, with glades scattered across both peaks, the most open of them tucked under Bear Peak's Abenaki lift, where you can pick your own line through the trees. Bear Peak has fewer steeps than the Attitash side, but it holds the resort's other standout, Avenger, which drops from the summit to the base in one sustained pitch. This isn't a vast expert mountain, but the black terrain it does have is steep, honest, and properly challenging, especially once the moguls fill in.

WeSki insider tip: Ptarmigan is the run every expert comes to Attitash for, a narrow, steep, fall-line classic that twists from top to bottom down the front face. The new Mountaineer quad drops you right at the top of it, along with Tim's Trauma and Idiot's Option, so you can lap the steepest runs on the mountain without a long ride back up.

Snowboarding in Attitash Mountain Resort

Snowboarders are right at home at Attitash, and freestyle riding runs deep here. This was one of New Hampshire's first progressive terrain-park mountains, and the freestyle scene is still a real part of the resort's character, with a dedicated park crew keeping the rails, jumps, and jibs fresh through the season. Every trail is open to skiers and riders alike, so nothing on either peak is off-limits to a board.

There's plenty in the natural terrain to keep you busy too. Bear Peak's wide, modern cruisers are easy to carve and a forgiving place to find your edges, while the narrow, fall-line runs on the Attitash side reward riders who like to commit to a turn. Best of all are the glades: acres of tree riding across both peaks, full of natural rollers, drops, and tight lines you won't find on a groomed trail. Worth knowing before you go, the connector runs linking the two peaks flatten out in a few spots, so carry your speed through them rather than getting caught walking.

Off-piste skiing

Off-piste skiing at Attitash means tree skiing, and the glades are where you'll find it. The best of them are on Bear Peak, where seven cut glades fan out across around 30 acres, with trees spaced far enough apart to let you pick a line through without it turning into a fight. Tree skiing on the Attitash side is tighter and more limited, though there are still lines to be found in the woods between the marked trails.

For true backcountry, look to the wider White Mountains. The most storied descent of all is Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington, a glacial bowl that skiers have been hiking into since the 1930s. There's no lift, no resort, and no pass: the ravine sits on free public land in the White Mountain National Forest, and you reach it by climbing up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail with your skis on your back. What waits at the top is a sustained 40 to 55 degree headwall in full avalanche terrain, so it's strictly for experienced, self-sufficient skiers who carry avalanche gear. The classic window for this is spring, roughly April into June.

Attitash Mountain Resort ski school and lessons

Attitash Mountain Resort's Ski and Ride School covers every level, from first-timers clicking into bindings to skiers and riders sharpening specific skills. Group lessons are sorted by ability, while private sessions, in one- or two-hour formats, are built around whatever you want to work on, from your first turns to the steep fall-line runs on the Attitash side.

Beyond the standard lessons, there are first-timer learn-to packages for complete beginners. The school also runs a well-established adaptive programme with Mount Washington Valley Adaptive Sports, with one-to-one lessons and adaptive equipment for skiers and riders with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Attitash Mountain Resort terrain parks

Freestyle has long been part of the fabric at Attitash, and the resort keeps it going with its terrain parks, shaped and kept fresh through the season by a dedicated park crew. The centrepiece is Arcade Park, a full progression in one place: ease in on the rails, boxes, and smaller jumps to find your feet, then step up to the medium kickers and, when you're ready, the large jumps.

If you're just getting into freestyle, the Ptarmigans Pop Up Park sets out smaller features right in front of the Main Base Lodge, an easy spot to try your first box or roller without committing to the main park. There's also Family Cross, a cross-style course of rollers and banked turns built for the whole family to lap together, kids and parents alike.

1. Attitash Mountain Resort Family ski holiday
2. Things to do in Attitash Mountain Resort
3. Planning your trip in Attitash Mountain Resort
4. How to get to Attitash Mountain Resort
5. Attitash Mountain Resort FAQs

Attitash Mountain Resort family ski holiday

Attitash is an easy mountain to bring a family to. Two connected peaks give you a real spread of terrain on one lift ticket: gentle greens and a learning area on the Attitash side, wide cruisers on Bear Peak, and steeper runs for anyone chasing a challenge, so everyone can ski to their level and regroup without much fuss. Both peaks funnel down to a compact base where the Adventure Center, rentals, and somewhere to eat sit within a short walk, keeping the logistics of a family day simple. It carries the feel of an old-school New England mountain that’s more about the skiing and the people than the polish, and that easygoing character is a big part of the draw for families.

Young children and first-timers can start at the Adventure Center on the Attitash base, where the Snowbelt carpet and gentle beginner slopes give new skiers their own space. Children's group lessons run from age 3, grouped by age and ability. Worth planning around: Attitash has no daycare or nursery and no programmes for under-3s, so the youngest non-skiers will need looking after within your group rather than dropped off on the mountain.

Once kids are skiing confidently, the mountain opens up for them. Stronger young skiers and teenagers can lap the long cruisers on Bear Peak, session the rails and jumps in the Arcade terrain parks, or work into the steeper fall-line runs on the Attitash side as their skills grow. With everything feeding back to one base, it's easy to ski together and peel off when abilities and energy levels diverge, then meet up again for lunch.

Not every hour of a family holiday is spent on snow, and you don't have to leave the resort to fill the rest. The slopeside Grand Summit Hotel keeps its heated outdoor pool and hot tubs running through winter, with a sauna and a kids' playground on site, and the year-round Nor'Easter Mountain Coaster sends you down a gravity track with no skiing required, which kids and teens tend to love. Beyond the base, the Mount Washington Valley does the rest: North Conway, ten minutes away, has shops and easygoing family dining, plus sleigh rides, snow tubing, and the Conway Scenic Railroad's Snow Train.

Things to do in Attitash Mountain Resort

Skiing is only part of what a week at Attitash looks like. The surrounding Mount Washington Valley is one of New England's great winter playgrounds, and the resort sits right in the middle of it, so the days you spend off the slopes count as much as the ones on them. North Conway, ten minutes away, anchors it with its shops, restaurants, and breweries, while the wider valley runs from dog sledding and sleigh rides to a track-driven climb up Mount Washington.

Snow activities

• Snow tubing: Lift-served lanes at Cranmore in North Conway (ten of them) and at King Pine just to the south, no skiing needed and good for any age.
• Cross-country skiing: Jackson Ski Touring runs the largest groomed network in the eastern US, more than 145km of it, with Bear Notch Ski Touring closer still over in Bartlett.
• Snowshoeing: Trails through the White Mountain National Forest, on your own or with a guide from an outfit like Alpine Adventures.
• Dog sledding: Guided runs behind a team of huskies with Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel.
• Snowmobiling: Rentals and guided tours from Northern Extremes, including the 50-mile Bear Notch trail network.
• Sleigh rides: Horse-drawn rides through the woods at Nestlenook Farm in Jackson.
• Ice skating: Outdoor skating at Nestlenook Farm and on the town rink in North Conway's Schouler Park.
• Ice climbing: Guided climbs up the valley's frozen waterfalls, the centre of a winter scene that draws climbers in each February for the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest.

Non-snow activities

• Settlers Green: A cluster of outlet and brand-name stores in North Conway, the valley's main shopping stop.
• Conway Scenic Railroad: Winter scenic rides from the historic 1874 station in the centre of North Conway, out along the Saco Valley.
• Mount Washington SnowCoach: A track-driven van that climbs the Auto Road to above the treeline at around 4,200ft, about 90 minutes, running through winter from Great Glen Trails.
• Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park: A mountain coaster, giant swing, zip ride, and indoor climbing and play at the neighbouring Cranmore resort.
• Brewery visit: A tour and tasting flight at Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway, which also puts on live music nights.
• Spa and wellness: Treatments at the Christmas Farm Inn's Aveda spa in Jackson, for unwinding a few days into the week.

Attitash Mountain Resort restaurants

You certainly won't go hungry around Attitash. On-mountain dining covers the basics, but the real eating is down in the Mount Washington Valley, where the food scene has grown well beyond its old pub-and-diner roots. Long-standing institutions along the main road through Bartlett, Glen, and North Conway now sit alongside craft breweries, smokehouses, and a newer wave of more ambitious kitchens, so a week here can run from New England pub food and Irish or German lodge cooking to slow-smoked barbecue and creative New American plates.

• The Tap House at the Grand Summit: The slopeside gastropub at Attitash's own hotel, the easy choice for American comfort food without leaving the resort.
• Red Parka Pub (Glen): A valley institution for decades, known for steaks, ribs, and a lively pub room.
• Delaney's Hole in the Wall: Casual North Conway favourite with burgers, wings, and a big, easygoing menu.
• Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co: House-brewed beers and slow-smoked barbecue, one of the only BBQ kitchens in the valley.
• Chef's Bistro: A more ambitious North Conway kitchen for creative New American plates and a solid wine list.
• White Mountain Cider Co (Glen):Farmhouse restaurant doing seasonal New England cooking with local ingredients, attached to a working cider house.
• Muddy Moose: Family-friendly North Conway spot, cabin-styled, with burgers, ribs, and pub classics.
• The Local Grocer: Natural-foods market and deli on the main strip, handy for picnic supplies, sandwiches, and baked goods.
• May Kelly's Cottage: Irish pub with hearty plates (the Irish sampler is the move), live music, and a patio that looks out at the mountains.

WeSki insider tip: Order a bowl of New England clam chowder, it turns up on menus all over the valley, and the local kitchens do it properly. A pint of Tuckerman's alongside is about as local as lunch gets.

Attitash Mountain Resort après-ski

Après at Attitash is low-key and pub-led. The liveliest spot on the mountain itself is the Grand Summit's slopeside Après Recreation Area, a cluster of fire pits and a heated Tiki Bar right off Bear Peak, where you can get a drink and something hot in your boots before heading down. From there, the evening moves to the bars of Glen and North Conway, a few minutes away.

The valley's bar scene fits the mountain: friendly, unfussy, and built around good beer, pub food, and live music. Bands turn up at the pubs through the week, the local breweries give the whole thing real character, and nobody minds if you're still in your base layers. One pint and a plate of something hot can be the entire evening, and that's the appeal.

Après-ski spots to know:

• Grand Summit Après Recreation Area: On-mountain fire pits and a heated Tiki Bar right off Bear Peak, drinks and food the moment you click out.
• Red Parka Pub (Glen): The valley's most storied après spot, live bands and a pub room that's been going for decades.
• Tuckerman Brewing (Conway): A laid-back taproom pouring the valley's best-known craft beer, with live music nights.
• Sea Dog Brewing (North Conway): A big bar right in the village, live music, and later hours than most.
• Shannon Door Pub (Jackson): Irish tunes, bar pizzas, and a laid-back room, going strong for more than 50 years.
• The Met Coffee House: The quiet alternative, coffee and pastries for an early, easy wind-down.

Planning your trip to Attitash Mountain Resort

Attitash Mountain Resort accommodation

If staying on the snow matters most, the Grand Summit Hotel is the one place for it, the only ski-in, ski-out hotel on the mountain, right at the Bear Peak base. It has a year-round heated outdoor pool, hot tubs, a sauna, a fitness centre, and its own restaurants, which makes it an easy base for families who'd rather not load the car each morning. The Attitash Mountain Village condos sit within walking distance of the lifts, and Bartlett and Glen add more inns, lodges, and rental condos a few minutes' drive out.

Ten minutes east, North Conway has the broadest choice by far, hotels, motels, and condos within reach of the valley's shopping and dining, with the small trade-off of a short, easy drive to the lifts each morning. Self-catering is everywhere across the valley, and plenty of the rental condos and chalets come with a hot tub and a fireplace, which is hard to argue with at the end of a cold day.

Attitash Mountain Resort ski pass

Attitash is part of Vail Resorts and sits on the Epic Pass, which opens up a large network of resorts across the US, Canada, and partner mountains further afield. For a single trip you don't need a full season pass, Epic Day Passes and lift tickets cover as many days as you're skiing, and one ticket gives you both the Attitash and Bear Peak sides of the mountain.

When you book your Attitash Mountain Resort holiday through WeSki, it's worth checking the multi-day pass options to find the right fit for your trip.

Equipment hire

Ski and snowboard hire is available right at the base, where the Attitash Adventure Center runs a full fleet of Head equipment, from beginner packages to performance demos, so you can get fitted and ski straight out. If you'd rather sort your gear in town, North Conway has a cluster of full-service ski shops, Joe Jones Ski & Sports and Sun & Ski Sports among them, with custom boot fitting and a wider choice of demo skis and boards. Most of the valley shops also handle tuning and repairs, handy if anything needs attention mid-trip.

Getting around Attitash Mountain Resort

Attitash is a drive-to resort, and most visitors get around by car or rental. Both the Attitash and Bear Peak base areas have their own car parks, so you can pull up close to the lifts, and a resort shuttle loops between the two bases and the parking lots if you'd rather leave the car in one spot. Guests at the Grand Summit Hotel can walk to the Bear Peak base in their boots.

For the wider valley, restaurants, shops, the other resorts, a car is effectively essential. There's no regular local bus linking the valley's attractions, though taxis and some hotel shuttles operate, and Concord Coach Lines runs a daily service to and from Boston if you're travelling without one. The drive between Attitash and North Conway takes about ten minutes on Route 302, which stays well maintained through the winter.

How to get to Attitash Mountain Resort

The closest major airport is Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine, about 100km away and roughly a 90-minute drive. Most international visitors fly into Boston Logan (BOS), though, which has the widest choice of long-haul flights and sits around 220km south, about three hours by road. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire is a third option, about 165km out and a two-hour drive.

From Boston, the route heads north on the interstates and into the Mount Washington Valley on Route 16, with the final few miles to Attitash running west along Route 302 through Bartlett. From Portland, Route 302 leads straight into the valley, a scenic run through the White Mountains in winter.

WeSki can arrange airport car hire and private transfers to Attitash, both easy to add to your Attitash Mountain Resort holiday package for door-to-door travel.

Attitash Mountain Resort FAQs

Is Attitash good for beginners?

Yes. The learning area sits at the Attitash base, with a magic carpet (the Snowbelt) and gentle slopes where first-timers can get going in their own space. From there, the natural step up is the green runs off the Progression Quad, Counselor's Run and Inside Out among them, wide, groomed, and forgiving while you find your feet. The ski school runs group and private lessons from age 3 upward.

How does the North American trail rating system compare to European grades?

North American resorts use a different system. Green circles are beginner runs, broadly similar to European greens and easy blues. Blue squares cover intermediate terrain but span a wider range than European blues, so a confident intermediate may find some US blues quite demanding. Black diamonds are advanced (steep, challenging runs), and double black diamonds are expert-only, often with moguls, cliffs, or sustained steeps. There's no direct equivalent to the European red run.

Is Attitash good for families?

Yes, it's a popular family mountain. The two-peak layout gives beginners and stronger skiers terrain to suit each of them on one ticket, and the compact base makes meeting up through the day easy. Children's ski lessons run from age 3, though it's worth knowing Attitash has no daycare or nursery, so the youngest non-skiers need looking after within your group. Off the snow, the Grand Summit's pool and the wider Mount Washington Valley, with its family restaurants, shops, and the Nor'Easter Mountain Coaster, fill out the week.

What is the snow like at Attitash?

New England snow runs firmer and more variable than what you'd find in the Alps or Rockies, with icier patches at times and the occasional big dump from a nor'easter. Attitash leans hard on snowmaking to even that out, covering close to 98% of its terrain, which keeps it reliably open from late November into mid-April. Grooming is a strong suit here, and fresh corduroy is one of the real pleasures of skiing the mountain.

How does Attitash compare to other resorts in the Mount Washington Valley?

The valley has several ski areas close together, each with its own character. Attitash spans two connected peaks, which gives it a full range of terrain in one place, a dedicated beginner area, intermediate cruisers, and steep black runs, along with the valley's only ski-in, ski-out hotel and a central spot between Bartlett and North Conway. Wildcat, its sister resort on the same pass, is higher and steeper, about 25 minutes away; Cranmore sits right in North Conway and leans family and beginner; and Bretton Woods, the largest in New Hampshire, is a little further out. For a mixed-ability group wanting range and convenience together, Attitash makes an easy home base.

Is there any nightlife near Attitash?

Nightlife here centres on pubs, breweries, and live music, with most of it in North Conway and Glen. The Red Parka Pub in Glen is the valley's best-known après spot, going back decades and known for its live bands, and Delaney's in North Conway is a reliable choice for a relaxed evening. It's a low-key scene built around good beer, live music, and good company.

Do I need a car at Attitash?

Practically, yes. Attitash is a drive-to resort and the valley has no regular public transit network. Staying at the Grand Summit Hotel lets you walk to the Bear Peak lifts, but for restaurants, shops, and getting around the area, a rental car is the most practical option. Valley roads stay well maintained through winter, and distances between the towns are short.