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    Maine, Usa · Ikon

    Sunday River

    870 acres, 135 runs across 8 peaks near Bethel. Dependable snow, Ikon Pass, long season.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    13 Nov 2025
    Closes
    26 Apr 2026
    Days open
    164
    Annual snow
    15ft
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Sunday River's summit reaches 3,140 feet, dropping 2,340 vertical feet to a base at 800 feet across 135 runs spread over 870 acres in Newry, Maine, near Bethel. Terrain splits 36 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent beginner, 18 per cent advanced and 16 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 180 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass access across eight interconnected peaks. Eighteen lifts, including seven quad chairs, an eight-person chair, one six-person chair and three triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside one double chair, a gondola and four surface lifts.

    Sunday River's eight interconnected peaks give it one of the most extensive trail networks in the eastern United States, built up through decades of aggressive expansion from a single original mountain. The resort's reputation for dependable snow, supported by extensive snowmaking, has made it one of New England's most consistent options through variable winters. Its Ikon Pass affiliation reflects its status as a genuine multi-peak destination rather than a single-mountain resort.

    Sunday River was founded in 1959 by the Bethel Area Development Corporation as a modest ski area with a single T-bar on Locke Mountain, and by 1960 it offered four runs, a T-bar and a rope tow for a lift fee of 3.50 US dollars. Sherburne Corporation, parent company of Killington, acquired a controlling interest in 1972, before Les Otten purchased the resort in 1980 and began an era of aggressive expansion.

    Under Otten, the resort added North Peak in 1985, Spruce Peak in 1986 and White Cap in 1988, the latter featuring the steep White Heat trail and marking the fifth of what would become eight interconnected peaks by the decade's end. Sunday River and sister resort Sugarloaf were sold by American Skiing Company in 2007 for a combined 77 million US dollars, with Boyne Resorts managing and then fully purchasing both in March 2018. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 159 US dollars, with multi-day packages from 178 dollars.

    2,339ft
    Vertical
    135
    Runs
    870 acres
    Skiable
    15ft
    Annual snow
    Ikon
    Pass
    The Terrain

    135 runs across 870 acres skiable

    Sunday River spreads 135 runs across 870 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 36%, with 41 beginner runs to find your feet and 46 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    135
    runs
    135 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner41 runs · 30%
    Intermediate49 runs · 36%
    Advanced24 runs · 18%
    Expert22 runs · 16%
    Time it right

    When to visit Sunday River

    The 2025-26 season at Sunday River ran from 13 November 2025 to 26 April 2026, one of the longest seasons in New England at roughly twenty-three weeks. Average annual snowfall of around 180 inches, combined with extensive snowmaking across the resort's eight peaks, has built Sunday River's reputation as one of the Northeast's most dependable resorts for consistent conditions. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.

    Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most reliable natural conditions across the resort's varied terrain. As an Ikon Pass destination with eight interconnected peaks, Sunday River draws substantial visitor traffic from across New England and beyond, with holiday periods bringing the heaviest crowds. Weekday visits generally remain calmer, particularly on the resort's more remote peaks.

    The resort's early November opening date, among the earliest in the Northeast, reflects its substantial snowmaking investment built up through decades of expansion since the 1980s. This early and late operating window gives Sunday River one of the longest seasons in the region. School holiday periods bring particularly strong demand given the resort's extensive beginner and family-friendly terrain alongside its more advanced peaks.

    Specific event programming beyond standard lift operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Boyne Resorts' ownership since 2018, alongside sister resort Sugarloaf, has supported continued investment in the resort's seasonal infrastructure. Sunday River's eight-peak layout means conditions and crowd levels can vary meaningfully from one part of the mountain to another on any given day.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    13 Nov 2025
    Opens
    26 Apr 2026
    Closes
    164
    Days open
    15 ft
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Sunday River, and where to stay

    Sunday River sits in Newry, Maine, near the town of Bethel, with a base elevation of 800 feet and a summit at 3,140 feet across a 2,340-foot vertical drop over 870 acres spread across eight interconnected peaks. This western Maine location sits within a broader mountain and lakes landscape not far from the New Hampshire border.

    Bethel is the nearest town, offering lodging, dining and services for resort visitors, with a historic New England character distinct from the purpose-built base village at the resort itself. Portland, Maine's largest city, lies roughly two hours south, supplying much of Sunday River's weekend and holiday visitor base. The broader western Maine region combines skiing with lake and forest recreation beyond the winter season.

    US Route 2 and Maine State Route 26 provide the main routes into the Bethel and Newry area from Portland and the wider region. Winter driving conditions on these roads can include snow and ice, though the routes are well maintained given the resort's status as a major Ikon Pass destination. There is no direct public transport service to the resort itself.

    Portland International Jetport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly two hours south of the resort. This makes Sunday River reasonably accessible to fly-in visitors from across the Northeast and beyond, supporting its role as one of Maine's most visited ski destinations alongside sister resort Sugarloaf.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Sunday River, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

    View all news →
    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

    4 Sept 2026
    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

    2 Sept 2026
    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

    1 Sept 2026
    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    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

    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

    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

    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

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    26 Aug 2026
    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

    26 Aug 2026

    Sunday River Snow Report

    Snow Report
    Updated 3 Sept 2026
    3,140ft
    summit
    +0in
    new snow · last 24 hours
    Clear56°F / 67°F · W 13mph
    Snowfall
    24 hours
    0in
    48 hours
    0in
    7 days
    0in
    Base depth
    0in
    Season total
    0in
    Total lifts18

    Live open status isn’t available right now.

    13 Nov 2025 - 26 Apr 2026

    Hour by Hour

    Next 48 hours· Updated Sep 4, 2026 at 4:02 AM
    Fri6aNow8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pSat12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pSun12a1a2a3a4a5a
    Conditions
    Temp°F · feels
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    Snowfallin
    0
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    Precip chance%
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    23%
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    14%
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    8%
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    Precipin0000000000000000000000.00000000.00000.0000000000000000
    Wind / gustmph
    11G18
    10G15
    10G18
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    11G17
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    13G21
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    10G22
    9G21
    11G19
    10G21
    12G23
    11G22
    9G20
    11G17
    10G17
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    8G16
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    9G20
    10G20
    11G20
    10G18
    9G15
    9G14
    7G14
    7G19
    9G14
    9G17
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    7G17
    4G7
    4G12
    5G13
    5G10
    5G9
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    5G7
    6G8
    6G7

    Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo

    7-Day Outlook

    3,140 ftUpdated Sep 4, 2026 at 4:02 AMOpen-Meteo

    Days 1–7

    0.0"

    Days 8–14

    0.0"

    Unlock days 8–14

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    Fri, Sept 4

    Foggy
    Temp67° / 56°°F
    Snow0.0"(7%)
    Wind13 mph W

    Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.

    Understanding the Sunday River snow report

    Sunday River snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this Maine resort on the Ikon.

    Snow measurements

    Snow depth at Sunday River is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 713m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.

    Weather conditions

    Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Sunday River's base and summit.

    Data sources

    Snowfall and depth figures for Sunday River come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 18 lifts, including a 8-person chairlift and 7 quad chairlifts.

    When to check

    The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Sunday River's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.