30 Best Winter Activities in New England

Winter is often seen as a hunker-down season, but in truth, there may be even more to do in this region when the ice and snow hit. Skiers and skaters rejoice in this time of year; so do fat-tire riders, tubers, hikers, snowshoers, and … well, the list just keeps going. Why hunker down when you and your family can climb a peak or test your mettle at an adventure park? The thrills await, as does the scenic, sparse beauty that defines the season. So get in on the action with this lineup of favorite spots around New England where you can discover winter’s true nature.

30 Best Winter Activities in New England: Snowy Adventures in All Six States

Winter Activities in Connecticut

Norbrook Farm Brewery in Colebrook: Fat-Tire Biking

In the realm of perfect combinations, a brew pub with groomed trails for winter biking is right up there. Norbrook’s 450-acre domain is crisscrossed with mountain bike trails, from beginner to expert, that make this a perfect place to conquer the snow on fat tires. Warm up at the pub with a hearty porter and a pizza—and if you plan ahead, you won’t even have to go home, since there’s an Airbnb cottage right on the property.

Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort in Middlefield: Snow Biking

And now, as Monty Python used to say, for something completely different. At Powder Ridge Mountain Park in Middlefield, the latest sport sensation is “snow biking,” a way to ski while sitting down. With a cushy seat, skis fore and aft (where bike wheels would be), and a mini ski strapped on each foot, riders renting or buying bikes from Powder Ridge take to the slopes after a mandatory one-hour lesson that includes a four-hour pass.

Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury: Winter Hiking

The steep start of the 2.5-mile Yellow Trail at Talcott Mountain is worth the effort, as it leads to a 1,000-foot summit where the historic Heublein Tower (closed in winter) offers clear-day vistas ranging from New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock to Long Island Sound.

WPAL Rink at Longshore in Westport: Ice Skating

For more than 25 years, the Westport Police Athletic League (WPAL) has sponsored this winter gem located just steps from Long Island Sound. Meeting NHL rink specifications, the outdoor facility is open to all, with daily, weekend, and season passes available. Visitors can find skate rentals and sharpening here, as well as figure skating lessons offered through the Westport Parks and Recreation Department that range from beginner to advanced levels.

Winter Activities in Maine

Black Mountain of Maine in Rumford: Snow Tubing

The Edge Tubing Park at Black Mountain of Maine adds variety to Rumford’s popular Alpine-and-cross-country-ski destination. Rocket down two nicely groomed 500-foot chutes, then ride the adjacent lift back to the top for the next run … and the one after that … and, heck, as many more as you can get in. Unlike some other tubing parks, there’s no time limit at The Edge.

Camden Snow Bowl in Camden: Tobogganing

Anyone who didn’t make the Olympic bobsled team can still roar down an icy track—just head to Camden Snow Bowl and its Jack Williams Toboggan Chute. The nation’s oldest chute of its kind is a 400-foot-long wooden trough that propels toboggans at speeds of up to 40 mph to a runout on Hosmer Pond. As long as there’s enough ice, the chute is open to the public on weekends (and very occasionally weekdays) after the U.S. National Toboggan Championships conclude in early February.

Moosehead Lake Area: Snowmobiling

If you drove a snowmobile 14,000 miles in a straight line, you’d be more than halfway around the Earth. Of course, you’d run out of snow—not to mention land. But that’s how many miles of snowmobile trails there are in Maine—more than a third of which can be found in the Moosehead Lake region, where Greenville’s Northwoods Outfitters rents new Ski-Doo snowmobiles and gear and offers free instruction, trail advice, and, with multiple-day rentals, even complimentary overnight stays at local lodgings.

Pineland Farms in New Gloucester: Snowshoeing, Fat-Tire Biking, and More

There’s something going on in every season at Pineland Farms—maple sugaring in spring, pick-your-own produce in summer, a corn maze in fall—and winter is no exception. Enjoy skating and sledding (both free), along with access to trails for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking (trail fees apply; season passes available). Start with breakfast or break for lunch at the on-site café, and bring home artisan breads and sweet treats from the Pineland Farms bakery. Extend your stay with a cozy overnight in the guest house. ;

Sebago Lake State Park in Cumberland County: Snowshoeing

Situated on and named for Maine’s second-largest lake, this state park offers several snowshoe routes. Trails follow the Songo River, a three-mile-long stream that connects Sebago with Long Lake via a 19th-century lock. The three-mile Songo Wilderness Trail is a favorite, as is the shorter Lookout Trail, which starts at the park road and rises to the highest point in the park, at 500 feet. Lake views from the summit are at their best in winter, with no obstruction from leaves.

The Thompson’s Point Rink in Portland: Ice Skating

Tucked onto a peninsula poking into the Fore River in Portland’s Libbytown neighborhood, the city’s premier open-air ice skating venue boasts a new chilling system and a Zamboni-groomed surface, while offering such amenities as skate rentals and sharpening. After skating, kids can warm up at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, a nearby Thompson’s Point attraction.

Winter Activities in Massachusetts

Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont: Snow Tubing

Weekends are tubing time at Berkshire East, where tube enthusiasts book online for 1½-hour stints on the resort’s three groomed lanes, each a full 500 exhilarating feet. No need to lug those big blue doughnuts back uphill, as the lanes are served by a ground-level “magic carpet” lift, just like the ones that whisk skiers uphill on beginner slopes. Even better: The snow tubing park is conveniently located near the West Lodge and has its own dedicated parking.

Forest Park in Springfield: Sledding

At one of the jewels of Western Massachusetts’s urban parklands, Springfield’s 735-acre Forest Park, sledding fans can find delightful downhills at the park’s amphitheater and on Barney Hill. Just to make things a little easier—and to keep sled-pulling climbers out of the way of the downhill traffic—one of the hills has a stairway. Sledders should remember, though, to wait till the park’s popular Bright Nights holiday display comes down in early January.

Frog Pond in Boston: Skating

“Frogpondians” is what Edgar Allan Poe called Boston’s literati, back when there really were frogs in this Boston Common pond. The frogs are long gone, but it’s as popular a spot for humans as ever. The Skating Club of Boston maintains the icy oval, located steps from Beacon Street in America’s oldest public park, and offers lessons as well as open skating. Overlooking the pond is the Frog Pond Café, a great spot to grab a burger and a hot cocoa.

Mount Hood Memorial Park and Golf Course in Melrose: Sledding

“Mount” might be a somewhat misleading name, although the upper reaches of this hilly park do offer views ranging from Boston to southern New Hampshire. There was once a ski area here and even a ski jump, but Mount Hood’s 300 acres now host a golf course, cross-country ski trails, and classic sledding slopes that attract enthusiasts from throughout eastern Massachusetts, who arrive with everything from plastic disks to vintage Flexible Flyers.

Worcester Common Oval in Worcester: Ice Skating

Massachusetts’s second-largest city boasts the state’s largest outdoor rink—at 12,000 square feet, it’s a third again as large as the one at New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Situated practically in the shadow of City Hall, the Oval offers skate rentals as well as adaptive aids for skaters with special needs. Food trucks set up shop nearby on weekends.

Winter Activities in New Hampshire

AMC Zealand Falls Hut: Winter Hiking

It’s not the shortest hike, but the trail to this White Mountains bunkhouse accommodates Nordic skis as well as snowshoes, and there’s a reward at the end: a stay at one of the few Appalachian Mountain Club huts that stay open all winter. There’s a caretaker who may fire up a woodstove in the evening; hikers bring their own food and bedding. To get there, hike three miles up Zealand Road (closed to traffic in winter) from Route 302 to the trailhead, then 2.8 miles to the hut. Reservations required.

Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway: Snow Tubing, Coaster Rides, and More

One of New England’s oldest ski areas offers the opportunity to enjoy several variations on winter thrill seeking in two different parks. Cranmore’s Tubing Park is the place for superb tubing on dedicated slopes, while the Mountain Adventure Park puts downhill cruisers on track for rail-hugging coaster rides at up to 25 mph. Also at the adventure park are a 700-foot zipline and a “Giant Swing” pendulum, which carries four seated riders and runs, well, like clockwork.

Franconia Notch in Lincoln: Snowmobiling

Up for renting a snowmobile, but hesitant to head out on your own? SledVentures in Lincoln rents machines for one-to-three-hour guided tours, catering to all levels of experience, along routes in the scenic Franconia Notch region of the White Mountains. Sleds are new 600cc Ski-Doos, and rentals include helmets and outerwear in adults’ and kids’ sizes (passengers must be at least age 5). Sled-and-stay packages are available, with six participating local lodgings.

Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center in Gorham: Fat-Tire Biking

Not far from the famed Mount Washington Auto Road lies this outdoor center’s extensive web of groomed carriage roads and forest trails—perfect for putting a fat-tire bike through its paces. The center rents bikes in adults’ and kids’ sizes (helmets included); bike trailers are also available for rent. Bikers will need an additional trail pass and are advised to check ahead for snow conditions and bike availability.

Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond in Portsmouth: Ice Skating

We’re not sure if early New Englanders enjoyed skating (they may have left that to the Hans Brinker crowd farther south, in New Amsterdam), but today you can enjoy gliding amid a setting they would have found familiar: the historic buildings of Portsmouth’s Strawbery Banke Museum. The rink on Puddle Dock Pond offers public skating, skate rentals, and sharpening services; the ice, meanwhile, is kept in tip-top shape by a chilling system and Zamboni grooming.

Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa in Bretton Woods: Snowshoeing

How to dial down the “roughing it” aspect of snowshoeing yet keep the idea of vigorous exercise in fresh mountain air? Make the sport part of a stay at the Omni Mount Washington. The grand hotel boasts its own groomed Nordic trails and is central to the 60-mile-plus Valley Trail System. Snowshoe rentals and trail passes are available at the resort, as are sessions at its full-service spa—a great way to make muscles forget every mile trekked.

Winter Activities in Rhode Island

Neutaconkanut Hill in Providence: Winter Hiking

There aren’t many places where you can view one quarter of a state from a single location. It’s possible in Rhode Island, from the highest point in Providence. Located in the northern section of 88-acre King Park, Neutaconkanut Hill features several miles of trails originally carved out by the Works Progress Administration. The best views are from the hilltop meadow accessible via the Pinnacle Trail, which also leads to a popular sledding hill.

The Providence Rink in Providence: Ice Skating and Ice Bumper Cars

There’s nothing like being out on the ice surrounded by city lights. Like its sibling capitals of Boston and Hartford, Providence boasts a skating rink right downtown, at Kennedy Plaza. The Providence Rink is a full-service facility, with skate and helmet rentals and sharpening, lockers, lessons, and skating until 10 p.m. daily. The rink is also home to ice bumper cars: Powered by electric motors and controlled with a joystick, these doughnut-shaped vehicles can turn forward, backward, in circles—any which way a rider wants, in order to whomp into other cars. Kids 6 or older who are at least 42 inches tall can ride alone; 3-to-5-year-olds can sit in an adult’s lap.

Wolf Hill Forest Preserve in Smithfield: Snowshoeing

Protected by the Smithfield Land Trust, this scenic Blackstone Valley preserve occupies the rocky ridge of Wolf Hill. The 300-acre property is laced with former farm roads that transform into easy snowshoe pathways in winter. Trails at the preserve’s southern reach are more rigorous but reward snowshoers with views of the Providence skyline. Farther north, a memorial marks the crash site of an ill-fated 1943 military aircraft.

Yawgoo Valley in Exeter: Snow Tubing

The Ocean State isn’t a mountain state, but it does have a ski area, the sole survivor among the five that Rhode Island once hosted. Yawgoo isn’t just about skiing, however: The area’s snow tubing park has eight parallel lanes and is served by a pair of rope tows and a snowmaking system. Need a push to get started? Park staff are on hand to give lightweights that extra oomph.

Winter Activities in Vermont

Jay Peak Ice Haus in Jay: Ice Skating

Few of us will ever get out on the ice in an NHL game jersey, but up near the Canadian border, there’s a professional-size rink where anyone can channel their inner Gretzky … or at least build up some speed on a 200-foot straightaway. Long known for skiing, Jay joined the ranks of New England’s select indoor skating venues with the addition of its Ice Haus. Rent skates and helmets, sharpen your own blades to custom specs, and enjoy time-outs at the heated snack bar and café.

Lake Morey in Fairlee: Ice Skating

One of the longest natural ice skating routes in North America is a 4.3-mile circuit around the perimeter of Lake Morey. Managed by the town of Fairlee, the loop is usually ready and cleared of snow beginning around mid-January. Whether you skate the whole route or just a portion, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding hills—not to mention freedom from typical rink traffic. Skates are complimentary for guests at Lake Morey Resort; visitors can rent them at the resort’s clubhouse. The lake loop itself is free.

Okemo Valley Area in Ludlow: Snowshoeing

Among several snowshoe centers easily accessible to Okemo skiers taking time off from the slopes, the closest to the resort is across Route 103 at the Fox Run Nordic Center. Seven miles of gentle, well-groomed trails ramble over hills and meadows, with lessons and rentals available; plus, dogs are welcome. Just a few miles away, the more rigorous six-mile out-and-back Healdville Trail courses through Okemo State Forest and offers gorgeous mountain vistas.

Stowe Area: Fat-Tire Biking

Long legendary for resorts built around Alpine and cross-country skiing, Stowe village and environs are gaining a reputation among fat-tire biking enthusiasts. There’s a broad range of “fat bike” opportunities, ranging from the 11 out-and-back miles of the Stowe Recreation Path to nearby sections of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, and to more challenging trails that thread through Sterling and Cady Hill forests. Stowe sporting shops, including Pinnacle Ski & Sports (pinnacleskisports.com), can set you up with rented wheels.

Stratton Mountain Resort in Stratton: Snow Tubing

Tackle the mountain at Stratton—part of it, anyway—by zipping down one of the four-to-six lanes at the resort’s Coca-Cola Tubing Park. The lanes are groomed to the same plush-corduroy standards as the ski trails, and unlike a lot of tubing venues, this one is illuminated after dark. Tickets are good for 50-minute sessions, while a few added dollars buy a slice of pizza and a bottle of … need we say?

This feature was originally published as “Snow Days” in the January/February 2026 issue of Yankee.

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