Massachusetts, Usa
Butternut
22 runs, 110 acres in the Berkshires. No expert terrain, ten lifts, family-owned since 1963.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
128
Annual snow
10ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Butternut's summit reaches 1,801 feet, dropping roughly 980 vertical feet to a base at 820 feet across 22 runs spread over 110 acres in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Terrain splits 60 per cent intermediate, 20 per cent beginner and 20 per cent advanced, with no expert-rated runs. Average annual snowfall is modest at roughly 115 inches, meaning the resort relies substantially on snowmaking. Butternut carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation and remains independently, family-owned.
Ten lifts, including three quads, one double, one triple and five surface lifts, serve the 22-run network, a dense lift count relative to the resort's compact size. The heavily intermediate-weighted terrain, with no expert runs, gives Butternut a reputation as a learning and family mountain within the Berkshires. The resort leases part of its land, within the East Mountain State Forest, from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Its name comes from the butternut trees found in the mountain's basin.
Ski trails on East Mountain were first cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, developing into the G-Bar-S Ranch rope tow area that operated for roughly two decades before a fire and ownership troubles closed it in 1957. Channing and Jane Murdock took over the site in 1963 and named it Butternut Basin. Their son Jeffrey Murdock took over operations in 1994, and the resort remains Murdock family-owned today, one of relatively few independently held ski areas left in the Northeast.
With no major pass affiliation, Butternut sells its own day tickets and season passes directly. Adult full-day tickets range from 65 to 85 US dollars depending on date, with an Unlimited Season Pass at 399 dollars and a discounted Midweek Season Pass at 189 dollars. The resort suits Berkshires-area families and skiers from the New York and Boston metropolitan areas seeking an accessible, intermediate-focused mountain. Its continued family ownership since 1963 sets it apart from the region's larger, corporately owned resorts.
981ft
Vertical
22
Runs
110 acres
Skiable
10ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
22 runs across 110 acres skiable
Butternut spreads 22 runs across 110 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 60%, with 4 beginner runs to find your feet and 4 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
22
runs
22 runs across 4 grades
Beginner4 runs · 20%
Intermediate13 runs · 60%
Advanced4 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Butternut
The 2025-26 season at Butternut ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week window supported substantially by snowmaking. The resort's modest natural snowfall means season length depends heavily on temperatures suitable for artificial snow production. Season dates can shift based on early and late-season weather. This is a comparatively long season for a resort with Butternut's snowfall totals.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 115 inches is modest for the Berkshires, meaning Butternut depends on snowmaking for the majority of its season-long conditions rather than natural accumulation. This makes temperature, more than storm cycles, the key variable in the resort's operating reliability. Base depth is maintained artificially across most of the season. Specific snowmaking coverage percentage is not confirmed in available resort information, though it is understood to cover the great majority of terrain.
Midwinter, from late December through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions once snowmaking has built a consistent base. Weekend crowds are heavier than weekdays, given the resort's role serving both Berkshires locals and weekend visitors from New York and Boston. Late-season visits into April can be inconsistent as temperatures warm and snowmaking becomes less viable. School holiday periods bring the heaviest family visitation given the resort's beginner and intermediate focus.
Butternut's calendar centres on ski school and family programming rather than festival events, consistent with its long-standing role as a learning mountain. The resort's continued family ownership under the Murdocks since 1963 keeps operating priorities focused on accessible skiing over destination-style programming. Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. As one of the Berkshires' more family-oriented resorts, the calendar leans toward reliable, beginner-friendly conditions throughout the season.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
10 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Butternut, and where to stay
Butternut sits in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, within the East Mountain State Forest, with a base elevation of 820 feet and a summit at 1,801 feet across a vertical drop of roughly 980 feet over 110 acres. This is the Berkshires, a hilly, forested region in western Massachusetts. The resort leases part of its terrain from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Great Barrington itself is a well-known Berkshires town with a strong arts and culture scene alongside its winter recreation.
Great Barrington is the nearest town, offering lodging, dining and the broader Berkshires cultural scene beyond the ski area itself. The wider Berkshires region draws visitors year-round for its arts institutions, historic villages and outdoor recreation, with skiing as one part of a broader tourism economy. New York's Hudson Valley and Connecticut's northwest corner lie within a short drive, extending Butternut's practical catchment area. Boston lies further east, a roughly two and a half hour drive.
US Route 23 and other local roads connect Great Barrington and Butternut to the broader Berkshires highway network, including the Massachusetts Turnpike further north. The drive from New York City takes roughly two and a half hours, while Boston is a similar distance in the opposite direction. Winter driving conditions in the Berkshires can include snow and ice on rural roads, though main routes are generally well-maintained. No direct public transport service reaches the resort itself, though regional bus and rail services serve nearby towns.
Albany International Airport in New York is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly an hour's drive from Butternut. Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, offers a further alternative. Boston's Logan International Airport provides more extensive flight options but sits considerably further away. Most visitors drive to Butternut from the New York or Boston metropolitan areas rather than flying into a specific regional airport.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Butternut, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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
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 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
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
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Butternut Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 2 Sept 2026
1,801ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast58°F / 65°F · SE 10mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts10
Live open status isn’t available right now.
6 Dec 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 44 hours· Updated Sep 2, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,801 ftUpdated Sep 2, 2026 at 4:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Wed, Sept 2
Overcast
Temp65° / 58°°F
Snow0.0"(31%)
Wind10 mph SE
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Butternut snow report
Butternut snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this Massachusetts resort.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Butternut is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 299m 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
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Butternut are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
We pull Butternut's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 10 lifts, including 3 quad chairlifts.
When to check
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Butternut.