Wachusett Mountain
27 runs, 125 acres near Boston. Session-based tickets, extensive night skiing, family-owned since 1969.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
128
Annual snow
8ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Wachusett Mountain's summit reaches 2,005 feet, dropping roughly 1,000 vertical feet to a base at 1,007 feet across 27 runs spread over 125 acres in Princeton, Massachusetts. Terrain splits 63 per cent intermediate, 19 per cent beginner and 18 per cent advanced, with no expert-rated runs. Average annual snowfall is modest at roughly 100 inches, so the resort relies heavily on snowmaking. Wachusett carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation and remains independently, family-owned.
Eight lifts, including three quads, one triple and four surface lifts, serve the 27-run network. Session-based ticketing, split across morning, midday, afternoon and night windows, is a distinctive feature reflecting the resort's role serving after-work and evening skiers from the Boston area. Extensive night skiing runs alongside daytime operations. The mountain is close enough to Boston that the city's skyline is visible from some trails.
Ralph D. Crowley won a competitive bid for the ski area's lease in 1968 after a family ski trip to Vermont's Mount Snow sparked his children's interest in the sport; his then ten-year-old son David reportedly suggested the winning bid amount of 16,002 US dollars for a five-year lease. The Crowley family has run Wachusett since 1969, now into a third generation, making it one of the longest continuously family-run ski areas in New England. David Crowley Sr., who spent nearly 50 years in the ski industry, passed away in November 2024.
With no major pass affiliation, Wachusett sells tickets through its own session-based structure rather than a single day-rate model. Adult session tickets range from roughly 59 to 99 US dollars depending on the time window and date, with a Gold Season Pass priced at 699 dollars. The resort suits Boston-area skiers seeking the closest major mountain to the city, particularly for evening and night sessions after work. Its long-standing Crowley family ownership since 1969 distinguishes it from the region's larger corporate-owned resorts.
997ft
Vertical
27
Runs
125 acres
Skiable
8ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
27 runs across 125 acres skiable
Wachusett Mountain spreads 27 runs across 125 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 63%, with 5 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
27
runs
27 runs across 4 grades
Beginner5 runs · 19%
Intermediate17 runs · 63%
Advanced5 runs · 18%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Wachusett Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Wachusett Mountain 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 given Wachusett's snowfall totals.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 100 inches is modest for New England, meaning Wachusett depends on snowmaking for the majority of its season-long conditions. This makes temperature, more than storm cycles, the key variable in operating reliability. Base depth is maintained largely through machine-made snow across the season. Specific snowmaking coverage percentage is not confirmed in available resort information, though it is understood to be extensive.
Midwinter, from late December through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions once snowmaking has built a consistent base. Evening and night sessions draw heavy demand from Boston-area commuters throughout the week, not just weekends. Weekend daytime crowds are generally heaviest given the resort's proximity to a large metropolitan population. Late-season visits into April can be inconsistent as temperatures warm and snowmaking becomes less viable.
Wachusett's session-based calendar, split across morning, midday, afternoon and night windows, is itself a distinctive seasonal feature reflecting demand patterns from its Boston-area customer base. The resort's continued Crowley family ownership since 1969 has shaped this operating model over more than five decades. Specific festival or event programming beyond standard session-based operations is not confirmed in available resort information. As the closest major ski area to Boston, the calendar centres on maximising accessible hours across the working week.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
8 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Wachusett Mountain, and where to stay
Wachusett Mountain sits in Princeton, Massachusetts, with a base elevation of 1,007 feet and a summit at 2,005 feet across a vertical drop of roughly 1,000 feet over 125 acres. This is central Massachusetts, close enough to Boston that the city's skyline is visible from some trails on clear days. The mountain sits within Wachusett Mountain State Reservation. This proximity to a major metropolitan area, combined with a genuine mountain setting, is unusual in New England skiing.
Princeton itself is a small town, with Worcester, Massachusetts' second-largest city, serving as the more substantial nearby service centre. Boston lies further east, the resort's primary source of visitors given the mountain's status as the closest major ski area to the city. The region carries a suburban and semi-rural central Massachusetts character rather than a dedicated ski-town identity. Route 495 and Route 2 corridors connect the area to greater Boston.
Route 62 and other local roads connect Princeton to Route 190 and the broader central Massachusetts highway network. The drive from Boston takes roughly an hour under normal conditions, a key factor in Wachusett's popularity for after-work and evening skiing. Winter driving on the approach roads can include snow and ice, though routes are generally well-maintained given traffic volume from the Boston area. No direct public transport service reaches the resort itself.
Boston Logan International Airport is the nearest major airport with extensive commercial and international service, roughly an hour and a half from the resort by road. Worcester Regional Airport offers a smaller, closer alternative with more limited flight options. Most visitors reach Wachusett by car directly from the Boston metropolitan area rather than flying into a specific regional airport. No rail service reaches the resort directly.
Where to stay
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Latest News
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Wachusett Mountain Lift System
Wachusett Mountain runs eight lifts: three quad chairs, one triple chair and four surface lifts, serving 27 runs across 125 acres. This is a dense lift network for the resort's compact size, supporting high visitor turnover from the nearby Boston metropolitan area. Quad chairs provide the main uphill capacity, while four surface lifts serve beginner and terrain park zones. There is no gondola or six-pack chair given the resort's modest scale.
The lift network has grown under continuous Crowley family ownership since 1969, developed to handle heavy day-trip and evening visitor volumes from Boston. Night skiing lighting covers a substantial share of the lift-served terrain, supporting the resort's session-based ticketing model through evening hours. Quad and triple chairs distribute skiers across the mountain's intermediate-heavy terrain. The four surface lifts give Wachusett a strong beginner-lift ratio relative to its size.
All lifts return to a single base area given the compact 125-acre footprint and roughly 1,000-foot vertical drop. There is no mid-mountain facility, consistent with the resort's modest scale. The dense lift spacing supports quick access for skiers arriving for a single session rather than a full day. This layout suits a resort built around high-frequency, shorter visits from a large nearby population.
Under continuous Crowley family ownership since 1969, lift investment has tracked the resort's role serving the Boston market's after-work and evening skiing demand. No major recent lift additions beyond the current eight-lift network are confirmed in available resort information. Night skiing infrastructure investment has likely been a higher priority than daytime-only capacity given the resort's session-based business model. Further lift changes are not confirmed in available resort information.
8lifts across 3 types
3
Quad Chairs
1
Triple Chair
4
Surface Lifts
Wachusett Mountain lift system
Wachusett Mountain is served by 8 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Wachusett Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.