Crotched Mountain Ski and Ride - Bennington, New Hampshire

Sarah B.

I do not know how these folks do it, but year after year, they make this mountain fun! Be it snow from the clouds, or from their machines, some how they get it, move and care for it. I am impressed every year. And, just as important - despite the challenges of Vail, the staff are amazing. They figure things out, they make the systems make sense, and they help keep this a low stress place for my family. Thank you to everyone involved.

Jason C.

This is a good little ski area and I thought the lodge had a fairly good set up, it lacked character but it made up for it with space. The area where you boot up had an adequate seating and storage area which did not give me a feeling of claustrophobia which I have experienced at other ski hill/mountains.

The trails are good for intermediate level skiers as well as beginners if they stay on the lower side of the mountain. However, the summit is a bit difficult to navigate and is very steep even if you are trying to access a blue.

All things considered it is a great place to take the family on a day trip and I plan on going back.

Max C.

Had been to Crotched Mountain multiple times this 23/24 season. It’s a good-sized mountain to learn and progress for all levels of snowboarders/skiers. It opens all the way to 9 PM def allowing some fun time for night skiing/snowboarding. Sunset is one of my favorite times while snowboarding at Crotched Mountain, the mountain peak has some great spots for amazing views!

Sue

I’ve been to this Mountain 3 times this year as a 64-year-old woman who hasn’t skied in many decades. I have to say that it has been a very positive experience overall and especially today! I had a lesson on the mountain with Arianna and it was great! Arianna was knowledgeable and patient and so friendly! She put me at ease right away and I felt like she gave me really vital suggestions. I felt like she really watched me closely and saw what I needed to work on, and I left feeling much more confident, and I had so much fun! She was truly delightful and the experience left me excited to come back to Crotched Mt again. I also want to say that there was another instructor who helped me before I even got on the mountain when I was having an issue with my binding. He very kindly took me into the rental shop so that the guy in there who was also very kind could fix it for me! And I hadn’t even gotten my rentals there. I was really impressed with how friendly and welcoming
and helpful everyone was . Also, the woman on the bottom checking passes on the lift was really kind and friendly. Honestly, It was a very positive experience all the way around and It’s beautiful there! I look forward to going back!

Jan A.

Crotched Mountain at 615 Francestown Rd, Bennington, NH is a fun little mountain! It has a great, pretty long beginner run area for the hubs and some steeper, more challenging areas for me. They do a decent job with their snow for being a Vail Resort. There isn’t 100% snowmaking, so not all trails are open in low snow winters, but there is enough variety that you can get your legs tired by the end of the day. There is one bottleneck area though, that is ALWAYS icy and dangerous and a place you need to be careful…the area where Retro comes into Moon Walk and down to the top of Milky Way. This spot a narrow area with multiple angle fall lines and it’s confusing to beginners, who end up falling or stopping there and there is always a sheet of ice right in the middle making it harder for them. The more advanced skiers seem to blaze thru at too high speeds, leading to trouble for the newbies, so be aware. The staff are all friendly and welcoming, the lodge is decent. I like the large boot changing area downstairs! So convenient. The ski shop has all the necessities and the restaurant upstairs is pretty tasty. They have a basic variety of food that is reasonable and cooked well. The eating area is upstairs, but there is an elevator for people who need it. One of the things that makes the area challenging sometimes for newer skiers is that they host a lot of ski racing events. Almost every time we’ve been there has been a race. What happens is it bisects the ski area, making it difficult to get from one side to the other. Most of the lifts are old school, but they do have a high speed chair right in the middle of the resort. Apart from that, they have adequate parking and we like that you don’t have to climb to get up to the lifts, like at Bolton Valley or Waterville Valley for instance. I know it’s further south than most of the NH ski areas, but it is well worth a day on the slopes.

Alski O.

Good conditions overall considering it's spring. Groomed but icy. Was still good. Trails are really geared towards beginners and intermediate which is fine. Weekday was nice and quiet.

Syrah M.

This is a great place to ski on a weekday! No crowds! Small but nice mix of terrain 🎿
Easy parking!
Friendly staff!

Alicja

The steepness of the green, blue, and black trails are similar across the board, the main difference is that the greens have a few more turns. The blacks are basically the blues, just longer and slightly steeper. Pretty boring mountain, because it’s all the same: a line straight down. Not hugely beginner friendly.