The 9 Lowest Ski Areas in North America

It’s a fact that people love to ski and snowboard. While getting face shots on a remote Alaskan spine might be a thrilling goal, folks everywhere have fun on snow. Lots of high altitude resorts with huge amounts of skiable acreage get recognition, but what about the little guys?

Here are the 9 lowest ski areas in North America:

9. Sugarloaf Provincial Park, New Brunswick

Sitting on the border of the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, Sugarloaf Provincial Park sits at an elevation 161′ (49m) above sea level and is a great place for locals to experience and learn skiing. With 13 trails available for both day and night skiing, lift tickets are as cheap as $38.50 for the day or only $22 for an evening night skiing session. 

8. Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park, Prince Edward Island

With a base elevation of 141′ (43m) above sea level, Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park is Prince Edward Island’s only ski area. Named after Mark Arendz, a local Islander and Canadian who was an eight-time Paralympic medalist in cross-country skiing, the ski area offers 10 trails served by two lifts, in addition to cross-country skiing. 

7. Le Massif de Charlevoix, Quebec

Le Massif, Quebec, has the most vertical drop of any ski area on this list. Le Massif’s base is located 141 feet above sea level, while its summit sits at a lofty 2559 feet. In fact, Le Massif boasts the highest vertical in Canada east of the Canadian Rockies. Le Massif has 406 skiable acres. Its longest trail is a thigh-burning 3.17 miles. Interestingly, the developer of Le Massif is also the co-owner of Cirque du Soleil.

6. Ski Martock, Nova Scotia

Sitting at 125′ (38m) above sea level, Ski Martock is the closest ski area to the provincial capital of Halifax less than only one hour away. The small ski area offers 12 trails served by three lifts geared towards beginner and intermediate skiers. 

5. Yawgoo Valley, Rhode Island

Yawgoo Valley’s base area is at 118 feet of elevation, while its summit is at 299 feet. Yawgoo Valley is Rhode Island’s only ski and snowboard destination; however, Yawgoo Valley also offers eight runs for inner tubing, as well as a water park for summertime. Yawgoo Valley has two chairlifts and two surface lifts that access 36 acres of skiable terrain.

4. Ski Cape Smokey, Nova Scotia

Situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean, Ski Cape Smokey sits at 69′ (21m) above sea level and is the only ski area in Atlantic Canada to have a gondola. Located on Cape Breton just outside of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the ski area offers 15 trails with a 1050′ (320m) vertical drop, making this one of the tallest vertical drops in Nova Scotia. 

3. Marble Mountain, Newfoundland

Sitting at only 59′ (18m) above sea level, Marble Mountain claims the title of the third lowest-elevation ski resort in North America while having the biggest vertical drop (1700′ or 518m) of any ski area in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. Marble Mountain Resort is only one of three ski resorts on the island of Newfoundland and offers 45 trails served by four lifts. 

2. Ski Bradford, Massachusetts 

Sitting at only 46′ (14m) above sea level, Ski Bradford in Massachusetts holds the prestigious title of being the second lowest-elevation ski area in North America. Located only 45 minutes outside of Boston, the ski area offers 15 trails serviced by 10 lifts, including three chairlifts, a t-bar, three magic carpets, and two rope tows. 

1. Ski Ben Eoin, Nova Scotia

With a base elevation of only 36′ (11m) above sea level, Ski Ben Eoin in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, takes the dubious crown of being the lowest-elevation ski resort in North America. Founded in 1968 by a group of locals looking to create a regional ski area, the ski area still caters to locals who help volunteer to support the growth and prosperity of the ski hill. Ski Ben Eoin offers 11 trails served by two lifts.

From Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park in Prince Edward Island to Ski Ben Eoin in Nova Scotia, there are many lesser-known resorts at low altitudes all over North America. As human-driven climate change continues to affect winters, it is worth visiting these resorts before they no longer receive snow or weather cold enough to make artificial snow.