Driving around the North Shore, you see quite a few car window decals indicating everything from animal lovers to proud parents, but one sticker in particular stands out: Sunday River. Just a three-hour drive up I-95 from most locations north of Boston, Sunday River Resort is located in the quaint town of Newry, Maine. It’s becoming a top destination for couples and families looking for premier snow conditions, a variety of terrain for all levels, and space to explore. It’s no wonder the resort’s tagline is: Your Happy Place.
The word is out there,” says Sarah Devlin, director of communications for Sunday River Resort. “Sunday River offers dependable snow conditions all season long.” An uptick in both visitors and lodgers is testament to not only the record snowfall last season but also the size and scope of Sunday River’s offerings. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for long cruising runs, tree skiing, bumpy snow, or steeps. We have it,” Devlin says. With 135 trails across eight peaks, skiers can traverse the mountain from one side to the other across a series of interconnected trails, which make for a fun adventure.
For those who like to explore off the beaten path, the mountain boasts 2,000 acres of boundary-to-boundary skiing and snowboarding. Six terrain parks include a jump line, rail park, and a 600-foot superpipe, which is the longest in the East. “Another surprising bit about Sunday River is that you can see sunshine on White Cap (one end of the resort) and snow flurries in Jordan (the other end of the resort),” Devlin says.
Sunday River opened for the 2015–2016 season on October 19 and has a planned closing of May 1, which means six months of skiing and snowboarding for powder fanatics. Over the past several years, millions of dollars of investment have gone into expanding the mountain’s terrain and ever-important snowmaking capabilities with an astounding 1,900 snow guns. “Our snowmakers are dedicated to generating some of the best snow you’ll ski,” explains Devlin. Devotees of Sunday River’s daily mountain report can always count on detailed descriptions of snow conditions and how the top trails are skiing. And with an average of over 167 inches (14 feet) of natural snowfall each year, the conditions are consistently awesome.
And don’t worry if you get hungry on the slopes. The mountain is home to a plethora of dining options—from hot breakfast at the Waffle Cabin to a post-ski beer at base lodge favorites The Foggy Goggle and Shipyard Brew Haus. Slope-side lodging options include the Jordan Hotel and Grand Summit Hotel, which is also home to gourmet comfort food restaurant Camp. “On top of that, we have après activities all across the resort, from live music to family-friendly entertainment to major competitions to theme weeks with lodging deals,” says Devlin. The nearby community of Bethel is home to many of the area’s additional lodging and dining options and is just 10-minute drive from Sunday River Resort.
Whether you haven’t skied in years or can’t wait for another snowy season, now’s the time to start planning a trip to Sunday River. Lift tickets range from $59 for kids and seniors to $89 for adults per day, with multi-day pass discounts available. And beginners are in good hands with the Sunday River Perfect Turn Ski and Snowboard School. Devlin says one of her favorite times of the year to ski is early December. “It’s cold enough at night to make snow but warm enough during the day for the corduroy to be nice and soft. We see ‘hero snow’ all over the resort, and there aren’t that many people around.”