It’s that time of year again. The leaves are falling and frost is on the grass. It’s time to start planning your winter vacation. Whether you are an advanced skier, a novice snowboarder, or you just want to sip warm apple cider by a fireplace, Maine has a mountain for you.
Options for Winter Sports in Maine
Sugarloaf USA and its ski resort in Carrabassett, Maine offer skiing, lessons, a half-pipe, tubing, and even an anti-gravity complex. A fitness club, child care center, and all amenities are available at the resort. This is the most famous and most-visited ski area in Maine.
Camden Snow Bowl
The Camden Snow Bowl near Rockport, Maine offers skiing and snowboarding lessons for kids and adults. Group and private lessons are available and equipment can be rented. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, they also have a tubing hill and toboggan chute which can be a great way to have some fun without needing any skill. Camden is a city on the coast with many hotels if you do decide to stay nearby. Although I don’t suggest this as a relaxing vacation spot, it is a fun place to spend the day if you are in the area.
Sunday River
Sunday River is a ski mountain community located in Bethel in western Maine. The local mountains have 8 peaks and 131 trails for skiing, snowboarding, Nordic Cross-country skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing. The nearby Sunday River Inn is a cozy inn offering private suites, modest rooms, and sleeping bag dorms to fit your family and your wallet’s needs. Rustic cottages are also available.
Big Rock
Big Rock is located on Mars Hill near the eastern Maine and Canadian border. Beginner, intermediate, and expert skiing and snowboarding are available, as well as 20 acres of tubing terrain, a snowshoe trail, and a cross-country skiing trail. My Sunset Cabins offers private cabins and a bunkhouse. If you plan on bringing your dog, be sure to call early to reserve the one and only pet-friendly cabin.
Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake near Greenville and Mount Katahdin in central Maine is for the more nature-oriented winter Sporter. This area provides over 300 miles of snowmobile trails, ice fishing on the lake, and 50 miles of nature trails that can be hiked on foot or on snowshoes depending on the time of year. Moosehead Hills Cabins are newly built log cabins with breathtaking views of the lake and mountain. They offer dog sled adventures for a romantic or family trip into the Maine wilderness.
You can find more information on these and other Maine ski vacation destinations at www.visitmaine.com
