Lifelong skier and longtime ski journalist Moira McCarthy spends her winters skiing trails everywhere. And sure, she loves the steeps, but here’s a secret McCarthy can share: Some of the most beautiful moments on a mountain can be found on … wait for it … the green-circle trails. Here’s a list of the best easy ski trails in New England.
Wildcat Mountain’s wild Kitten trail, Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire Photo Credit : Wildcat Mountain
Stowe is famous for its gnarly brotherhood of expert trails called the “Front Four,” but skiers in the know head to the four-plus-mile-long, tree-lined beauty of a green that personifies the word “meandering.” Cruise along the winding curves of Toll Road to a clearing with a delightful stone chapel you can ski to. (And reflect in. It was built in memory of a young girl who loved to ski but lost her life to cancer.) Turn past thick woods, open vistas, and sometimes even a peek at some wildlife. Toll Road was cut in the mid-1800s as a natural way to the top of the mountain, and hasn’t been changed—because good things happen when you let nature lead the way. Stowe, VT.
This being Wildcat, you might have expected Polecat as the favored green. Not so. Wild Kitten is on the opposite side of the mountain and is even better. As you glide along this long yet gentle trail, you look right into the belly of Tuckerman Ravine and at the greatness that is Mount Washington. Like all good old-school Eastern trails, the Kitten isn’t wide, but it’s forgiving enough to let the skier feel at ease while taking in that incredible beauty. From top to bottom, it gives every skier a chance to experience all the awesomeness that is Wildcat. Breathtaking and gentle, all in one mellow run. Pinkham Notch, NH.
One of the original trails cut at classic Saddleback, Hudson Highway sweeps you out wide from the top of the mountain to the bottom, allowing you varied views of the Rangeley Lakes, which seem to go on forever. At 9,800 feet, it’s long enough to make you feel worthy, with a drop of a gentle 2,000 vertical over that length, keeping you moving just enough. It’s the only green circle from the top of the Rangeley lift and is known as a “must ski” by even the hardiest locals. As an early-day warmup or a late-day cruise to take in the distant alpenglow, Hudson is true green-circle goodness. Rangeley, ME.
Sure it has three names, but this long, pretty, varied trail flows from top to bottom as one. As you wind out with a view to the east, you take in majestic Mount Equinox. Then, as it turns you to face the west, the distant Adirondacks take up your view. This long run (8,000 feet total) swings you by all that is Stratton: lovely homes, thick woods, open views, past the mogul hill where you can watch World Cup–level bump skiers (and dream!), and yes, right into the base area, where you can ski up, grab a homemade empanada at a booth, and catch the lift to do it all again. Stratton, VT.
Bear Claw is a great green for group skiing. Not only is it fun enough to stand on its own (this winding trail is almost like a gentle roller coaster), but it also offers quick jumps onto more challenging trails—and then empties them back out onto Bear Claw. That means you can ski along and make choices as you cruise, always coming back to green again (or meeting up with those who veer off for a bit). It’s the longest run on Loon and is serviced by the comfortable gondola. It also has access to the resort’s Lil’ Stash, where nature meets park skiing—and where you can take a selfie with a statue of Paul Bunyan. Lincoln, NH.
