Small Vertical-Drops Don’t Mean You Can’t Have Big Fun: 8 U.S. Ski Areas with the Least Vertical

Many skiers and riders want to hit the big mountains for the variety of trails and the big verticals they offer. It is a lot of fun cruising down a lazy green on a nice bluebird day that may take 15 minutes to get to the bottom of the mountain. It is also a lot of fun hitting those double black diamonds that are steep and narrow and keep you on the edges of your skis all the way down the mountain. However, some ski resorts do not have super-long trails and huge verticals, but that does not mean that you cannot have fun skiing or riding there either.

Smaller mountains with less than 200 feet of vertical drop offer plenty of fun and excitement. These resorts might not be nationally known as some of the larger resorts in the country, but to the people and locals who live by them, they offer more than enough opportunities to have a good time. Some of these may be considered a local ski hill, a small terrain park, or a ski area.

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Mount Holiday Ski Area, Michigan

Mount Holiday in Michigan mainly caters to new skiers and snowboarders while offering a terrain park for the more experienced. It was formed in 1949 when a group of local businessmen obtained permission to construct a ski run on state-owned land. A volunteer group formed Mt. Holiday, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, to purchase the area in 1999. Besides skiing and snowboarding, the resort offers hiking, biking, scenic lift rides, and year-round activities for families and individuals. It has a vertical drop of 200 feet.

Arrowhead Recreation Area, New Hampshire

Arrowhead Recreation Area in New Hampshire has a vertical drop of 120 feet. The resort is owned and operated by the city of Claremont, New Hampshire. It is a non-profit, volunteer-run recreation area that provides recreation opportunities, including tubing, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, and special events.

BigSnow American Dream, New Jersey

To most traditional skiers or riders, the idea of hitting an indoor ski facility may seem a little odd at first, and many questions would be in the mind of anyone thinking about trying an indoor ski facility for the first time. One advantage an indoor ski facility has over outdoor ski resorts is the weather is not a factor. The temperature inside the facility remains at a constant 28 degrees Fahrenheit; there is no rain or wind, and the conditions are consistent. It also allows skiers and riders the opportunity to go skiing in the middle of summer.

The facility has a beginner area, one main trail, and one terrain park at BigSNOW. The main trail is on the skier’s right and would be classified as a beginner slope, and is ideal to work on your form or practice some ski drills. The terrain park is one trail with a series of features for skiers or riders to hit on their way down the slope. The overall length of the trails is 1,000 feet with a vertical drop of 160 feet. While short, it does provide the ability to hit more runs more frequently. Big SNOW offers moguls on the last Friday of the month, something new since they first opened.

Four Lakes Alpine Snowsports, Illinois

Four Lakes Alpine Snowsports has just five trails and a 100-foot vertical, but it covers the basics in those few runs. Seven rope tows, two beginner trails, one intermediate trail, one advanced trail, and one terrain park make up this ski area in Illinois. The ski area is family-friendly and geared towards people learning to ski or snowboard. It has a Ski Patrol, First Aid services, rental facilities, a lodge, a cafeteria, and instruction services.

Powderhouse Hill, Maine

Powderhouse Hill is owned by the town of South Berwick, Maine, and is operated by volunteers. The ski area has been ferrying skiers and riders up Powderhouse Hill since 1939 when a local ski enthusiast built the first rope tow on the slope. Powderhouse is the smallest of Maine’s 20 ski hills, with three trails, one lift, and 175 vertical feet of family-friendly skiing. One great thing about this ski area is the cost to go skiing there. It only costs $5 per day and is open Wednesday and Friday nights from 7-9 and 12-4 on the weekends.

Standing Rocks Park, Wisconsin

Standing Rocks Park is a 524-acre park near Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It offers year-round activities, including downhill and Nordic skiing. The park has two beginner hills, one intermediate hill, and two expert hills. The longest run is approximately 1,200 feet, and a vertical drop is 125 feet. Downhill skiing is available every weekend throughout the snow season and weekdays during the Christmas holiday season, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tow ropes operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the scheduled downhill ski season. The lodge and ski shop are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. As with many smaller community ski areas, lift prices are inexpensive and family-friendly. The lift ticket price at Standing Rocks Park is $16.

Sawkill Family Ski Center, New York

Sawkill Family Ski Center is a great place to learn how to ski and ride. This recreation facility is located in the Catskill Mountain range near Woodstock and Kingston, New York. It is designed specifically for snowboarders, beginner skiers, and snowtubers. The ski shop offers rentals for snowboards, skis, and tubing needs, and the center also has ski and snowboard instructors. There are three trails to choose from. The ski area´s snowmaking system can cover 70% and maintain snow on the slopes from December to March. Sawkill has a total of 70 vertical feet of downhill slopes.

Four Seasons Golf and Ski Center, New York

Four Seasons Golf and Ski Center is a small ski area in Fayetteville, New York, that offers everything you and your family need to have fun in the winter. It has a vertical drop of 59 feet and four trails that cover 12 acres of skiable terrain. The snow tubing area has ten lanes. New York is home to 52 ski areas, which is the country’s most of any other state, and many of them are smaller community ski hills. These places are great for hitting the slopes for those who are looking for family-oriented fun. These smaller resorts might offer less terrain and trails, but that does not mean you still cannot have a great time there.

There are many ski resorts around the world that might not be the biggest, but that doesn’t matter. Most skiers can take this advice from legendary skier Dan Egan. He is currently the General Manager of Tenny Mountain in New Hampshire. He is one of the most influential skiers of our time, and he was inducted into the US Skiing & Snowboarding Hall of Fame in 2016. He has also skied all over the world, from big mountains to small ones. When asked by SnowBrains which mountain was his favorite mountain he has ever skied, Egan’s response was epic. “Whatever mountain I am skiing on at the moment is my favorite,” Egan said. Those words from a legend like Egan should resonate with skiers and riders who only want to hit the big mountains. We should all take a moment, have fun, and enjoy wherever we are skiing or riding right now.