Sunday River

One of Maine's more popular winter venues, the Sunday River ski resort has eight different peaks and offers more terrain than any other East Coast skiing area. It is called the sister resort to Sugarloaf, and they are under the same ownership.

Flyers will use the Portland International Airport (Portland, ME) or Logan International Airport (Boston, MA). Motorists can use US Route 2 and State Highway 26 to drive into the resort area. The resort's proximity to Quebec makes it a popular Winter destination with Canadians, and guests from north of the border often receive deals on tickets and amenities.

One of New England's Larger Drops

The vertical drop at the Sunday River ski resort is the second-largest, just behind Sugarloaf. White Cap peak offers a verticle of 2,340 feet, which is also the sixth-biggest in the New England region. On the flip-side, North Peak is the shortest verticle rise in the ski area at 1,000 feet.

Each of the eight summits (White Cap, Locke Mountain, Barker Mountain, Spruce Peak, North Peak, Aurora Peak, Oz, and Jordan Bowl) have lifts and hold trails for skiers and snowboarders to explore. These peaks are interconnected, so guests can have unique experiences at one location while getting an overall sense of unity at Sunday River.

The ski area has 870 skiable trail acres to explore. That includes 135 trails and open-glades, with a trail length of roughly 53 miles. Its terrain ratings favor beginners and intermediates, with 30-percent rated green and 35-percent of the trails rated at blue. Advanced and expert skiers can conquer the mountain's 18-percent black diamond and 16-percent double diamond terrains.

Plenty of Enhancement

The Sunday River ski resort receives about 167 inches of snowfall each year. That means that the ski area's snowmaking capabilities provide plenty of extras across 522 acres on average 90 days a year. The Sunday River ski area uses 30 miles of hose, 80 miles of pipe, and over 2,000 snowguns. It has an output capacity of four acre-feet each hour.

There are 18 lifts across the Sunday River ski resort, offering access and interconnecting all eight peaks. The capacity of those lifts is nearly 33,000 guests each hour and includes a high-speed gondola and four surface lifts. North Peak uses the most ski lifts (six), while three of the peaks are serviced by only one.

The Sunday River ski resort has five terrain parks for guests to enjoy. Two parks, Who-Ville and Wonderland, are geared towards young skiers. Flow State, T72, and 3D gear towards adults and offer a progression of features to ski or snowboard.

Visitors can also enjoy 300 acres of developed tree skiing and countless undeveloped sections in the boundary-to-boundary area. Once a day is done, or a break is needed, visitors to Sunday River can enjoy the amenities. Slopeside snacks and lodge dining, drinks, and the spa help everyone relax. A shuttle ride will get folks into town for plenty of shopping, food, and entertainment.