The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Pleasant Mountain's summit reaches 1,899 feet, dropping 1,299 vertical feet to a base at 600 feet across 43 runs spread over 249 acres in Bridgton and Denmark, Maine. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent beginner, 20 per cent advanced and 10 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 100 inches. The resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation beyond its own New England Gold Pass. Six lifts, including one quad chair and three triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside two surface lifts.
Pleasant Mountain is the oldest major ski area in Maine, a heritage the resort has actively reclaimed after decades operating under a different name. Its modest snowfall total relative to other Maine mountains means the resort leans on snowmaking to sustain its roughly seventeen-week season. Night skiing and family-friendly terrain define much of its appeal for the nearby Lakes Region and Portland-area skier base.
The ski area first opened on 23 January 1938, when local students, Civilian Conservation Corps members and volunteers cleared a single trail on the mountain's western slope. A rope tow followed three years later, and the Pleasant Mountain Ski Club was born, cementing the area's status as Maine's original ski destination. In 1988, the resort was sold to Shawnee Mountain Corporation and renamed Shawnee Peak to link the Maine mountain with its Pennsylvania namesake.
For the 2022-23 season, the resort returned to its original name, Pleasant Mountain, a decision made specifically to honour its 84-year history and the mountain it calls home. Adult full-day tickets range from 35 to 79 US dollars depending on date, among the more accessible pricing structures in the region. This combination of historic identity and everyday affordability distinguishes Pleasant Mountain from Maine's larger, more heavily marketed resorts.
1,299ft
Vertical
43
Runs
249 acres
Skiable
8ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
43 runs across 249 acres skiable
Pleasant Mountain spreads 43 runs across 249 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 11 beginner runs to find your feet and 13 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
43
runs
43 runs across 4 grades
Beginner11 runs · 25%
Intermediate19 runs · 45%
Advanced9 runs · 20%
Expert4 runs · 10%
Time it right
When to visit Pleasant Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Pleasant Mountain ran from 12 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season. The resort's modest average annual snowfall of around 100 inches means snowmaking plays a significant role in sustaining conditions across the season, particularly given the length of the operating window relative to natural accumulation. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from late December through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions once snowmaking has built a consistent base. Night skiing extends the useful ski day for the resort's core catchment of Lakes Region locals and Portland-area day-trippers. Weekend crowds are generally heavier than weekdays, reflecting the resort's role serving both local residents and visitors from further afield.
The resort's own New England Gold Pass provides access to a network of affiliated mountains beyond Pleasant Mountain alone, extending its reach for season pass holders. As Maine's oldest major ski area, the resort's calendar leans toward family and ski school programming consistent with its long-standing accessible, community-focused identity. School holiday periods bring the heaviest family visitation.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. The 2022-23 return to the Pleasant Mountain name has been accompanied by a renewed emphasis on the mountain's 1938 origins as part of its seasonal identity. Its accessible pricing, with adult full-day tickets from 35 US dollars, continues to position the resort as an affordable option relative to Maine's larger destination mountains.
Season 2025 - 2026
12 Dec 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
114
Days open
8 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Pleasant Mountain, and where to stay
Pleasant Mountain sits across Bridgton and Denmark in the Maine Lakes Region, with a base elevation of 600 feet and a summit at 1,899 feet across a 1,299-foot vertical drop over 249 acres. This is a hilly, lake-dotted part of western Maine roughly 45 minutes from Portland, the state's largest city.
Bridgton is the nearest town, offering lodging, dining and services for resort visitors, with the broader Lakes Region providing additional recreation beyond skiing. Portland, Maine's commercial and cultural hub, supplies much of the resort's weekend and day-trip visitor base given the short drive between the two. The Lakes Region's mix of lake and mountain recreation gives Pleasant Mountain a distinct four-season appeal.
US Route 302 connects Portland to Bridgton and the broader Lakes Region, providing the main route for visitors approaching Pleasant Mountain. Winter driving conditions on Maine's rural roads can include snow and ice, though the main routes are generally well maintained given the area's steady winter traffic. No direct public transport service reaches the resort itself.
Portland International Jetport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly 45 minutes from the resort. This makes Pleasant Mountain one of the more accessible Maine ski areas for visitors flying into the state, though most day-to-day skiers are locals or Portland-area residents driving up rather than fly-in destination travellers.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Pleasant Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Pleasant Mountain's ski season?
Pleasant Mountain's 2025 - 2026 season typically runs from December 12 through April 5. That window is roughly 114 calendar days, though daily operations depend on snow cover, weather, and lift maintenance.
Resorts in Maine, Usa often announce firm dates closer to winter; check the live snow report before you travel if you are planning around opening weekend or spring closure.
How much skiable terrain does Pleasant Mountain have?
Pleasant Mountain lists about 249 acres skiable of marked terrain spread across 43 named runs (101 hectares alongside 249 acres skiable). That footprint is what most riders experience on a lift-served day. Side-country or hike-to terrain may sit outside these published numbers.
Use the trail map to see how the mountain is laid out and where the longest fall-line runs connect back to base.
What is the terrain like at Pleasant Mountain?
Trail grading at Pleasant Mountain breaks down roughly as 25% beginner, 45% intermediate, 20% advanced, 10% expert. The mix is balanced enough for mixed-ability groups, so learners can stay on marked green/blue (Green/Blue) terrain while stronger skiers peel off to steeper pitches.
Percentages describe the resort's published piste mix, not vertical feet. A mountain with modest "expert" stats can still feel demanding if the steep terrain is long or exposed. Read the trail map alongside these numbers when planning your route.
How many lifts does Pleasant Mountain have?
Pleasant Mountain operates 6 lifts across 3 lift types. The fleet includes 3 triple chairs, 2 surface lifts, and 1 quad chair.
Lift mix affects how quickly you can lap your favourite zones. Gondolas and trams move big crowds to mid-mountain, while shorter chairs and surface lifts often serve learning areas or local pods. Check the live snow report on ski days for real-time open/closed status.
What is the elevation and vertical drop at Pleasant Mountain?
Base elevation at Pleasant Mountain is about 600 ft (183 m), with the summit around 1,900 ft (579 m), giving roughly 1,299 ft (396 m) of vertical from base to top.
Higher start heights usually mean colder, drier snow holding longer into spring, but also thinner air and faster weather changes. Pack layers if you are riding from village level to summit lifts in one day.
How much snow does Pleasant Mountain get each season?
Pleasant Mountain averages about 100 inches (254 cm) of natural snowfall per season. That is a long-term climate figure. Any single winter can run well above or below it depending on storm track and temperature.
For trip planning, pair this baseline with the live snow report and webcams: fresh cycles show up in overnight totals and summit cameras long before season averages tell you much about today's surface.
Where can I buy Pleasant Mountain lift tickets and how much do they cost?
Published single-day adult pricing on SnowStash currently spans US$25 to US$79, depending on date band and whether you are buying peak or regular windows. Multi-day products (multi-day passes, season passes) usually lower the per-day cost if you are staying several days. Tickets can be bought online through the resort's official checkout (linked from our lift tickets page) or at on-mountain ticket windows, subject to availability.
Buying ahead of peak holidays and weekends generally saves money and guarantees access on sold-out days. Before you commit, scan the snow report and webcams so you are paying for conditions that match your expectations.
How can I check snow and mountain conditions at Pleasant Mountain before I go?
SnowStash pulls together 1 live mountain webcam, a downloadable piste map, and the daily snow report for Pleasant Mountain so you can plan from home. Webcams refresh on a short interval and are the fastest way to judge visibility, wind exposure, and whether storm snow is still falling.
The snow report adds structured totals, base depth where available, and lift/trail status when the resort publishes it. Use both together: cameras show what it looks like right now, and the report summarises numbers your group can compare day to day.
Does Pleasant Mountain have a trail map?
Yes. The downloadable PDF/image map is better for offline planning, marking meeting points, and understanding the full mountain layout at a glance.
Both versions are on the trail map page for Pleasant Mountain. If you are navigating with kids or meeting friends across separate lifts, screenshot or print the static map and keep the live map open on your phone for operational updates.
Where is Pleasant Mountain located?
Pleasant Mountain sits in Maine, Usa. That regional context matters for travel planning: airport transfers, snow tyres, and typical storm patterns all follow geography as much as resort marketing.
Browse nearby accommodation from the resort page if you are comparing village-base vs valley-base stays; where you sleep changes your first lift of the day more than most trail stats do.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
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4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
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Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
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Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
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1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026