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
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 13 Aug 2026
1,801ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Mainly Clear60°F / 75°F · W 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 36 hours· Updated Aug 13, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,801 ftUpdated Aug 13, 2026 at 4:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Thu, Aug 13
Light Drizzle
Temp75° / 60°°F
Snow0.0"(57%)
Wind10 mph W
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.