Friends (and one happy dog) enjoy a pristine winter day while cross-country skiing in Maine’s 100-mile Wilderness.
As an avid skate skier, I have been closely following the imminent arrival of winter, snow, and miles of beautifully groomed cross-country ski trails. Here are a few of the online resources I use to keep tabs on cross-country, or Nordic, ski centers across the region.
Cross Country Ski Areas Association
National organization that provides overviews, links, and contact information for member ski areas (which includes the vast majority of those operating). Check out their national map of Nordic ski areas, which shows the preponderance of locations and opportunities in New England. You can also search by state from this page, which brings up an excellent and informative list of locations. This is the place to start to get a big-picture view of Nordic opportunities in New England.
New England Nordic Ski Association
Everything about New England cross-country skiing. The site offers a New England Nordic ski areas map, though it’s a bit cumbersome to use and does not provide ready links or easy-to-find information about specific locations. The strength of this site is its comprehensive listings of races and activities.
Western Massachusetts Cross Country Ski Association
Great site that encompasses the seven Nordic ski areas in western Mass and the Berkshires, including a good overview of locations and current conditions (conveniently listed on one page for easy reference).
XCountry Ski Vermont
Vermont boasts more than two dozen Nordic ski centers. This site provides daily conditions updates for all of them in a centralized place, as well as general information about the facilities. Not the best place to get a statewide overview of opportunities, though, if you’re not already familiar with the areas.
SkiNH
Comprehensive site covering both Nordic and downhill ski areas throughout the state. Snow conditions are all listed on a single page for easy reference.
Ski Maine Association
Another comprehensive statewide site covering both Nordic and downhill ski areas. The site offers a map of Maine ski areas as well as an A-Z list of Nordic ski areas.
Other Local Sites
For Boston-area residents, the closest Nordic ski areas are the Weston Ski Track and Great Brook Ski Touring Center in Carlisle. In Connecticut, your option is Winding Trails, located just west of Hartford in Farmington.