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Pats Peak's summit reaches 1,460 feet, dropping roughly 771 vertical feet to a base at 689 feet across 28 runs spread over 115 acres near Henniker, New Hampshire. Terrain splits 50 per cent beginner, 21 per cent intermediate, 18 per cent expert and 11 per cent advanced, with average annual snowfall of roughly 80 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Six lifts, including three double chairs and three triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside two surface lifts and three t-bars.
Pats Peak stands out among New England ski areas as one of the very few still owned by the family that founded it, a genuinely rare continuity in an industry increasingly dominated by large corporate operators. The resort's substantial beginner terrain and extensive night skiing reflect a deliberate, decades-long focus on learn-to-ski accessibility.
In 1962, four Patenaude brothers, Joe, David, Wayne and Stuart, tired of standing in lift lines elsewhere, decided to build their own ski mountain on land owned by their father, Merle Patenaude, on Craney Hill in Henniker. The brothers combined Yankee ingenuity with resources from their family's various businesses, hand-fashioning the resort's lodges from lumber cut on the mountain itself and hewn at the family sawmill, with beams reaching 30 feet in length. Pats Peak opened for skiing on 5 January 1963 after the brothers purchased the original 200-acre plot from their father.
The resort has remained continuously in Patenaude family hands since its 1963 opening, with three of the original four brothers eventually selling their shares to the fourth, keeping ownership consolidated within the family. Wayne Patenaude, one of the founding brothers, passed away in December 2025, marking the end of an era, though the resort remains in the family's hands. Adult daily tickets run from 65 to 85 US dollars.
Total Runs
28
Total Area
115 ac
46.5 ha
Pats Peak runs six lifts: three double chairs and three triple chairs, serving 28 runs across 115 acres near Henniker, alongside two surface lifts and three t-bars. This substantial lift count relative to the resort's compact acreage reflects more than six decades of steady, family-funded investment.
The lift network has grown considerably since the four Patenaude brothers built the original ski mountain by hand in 1962 and 1963, hand-fashioning the resort's lodges from lumber cut on the mountain and hewn at their family sawmill. This resourceful, hands-on founding approach set the tone for the resort's development in the decades that followed.
The double chairs and triple chairs distribute skiers across Pats Peak's beginner-weighted terrain, while the three t-bars and two surface lifts provide extensive additional capacity for the resort's substantial learn-to-ski programming. This combination of lift types reflects the resort's long-standing focus on accessible, entry-level skiing.
Under continuous Patenaude family ownership since 1963, most recently following the death of founding brother Wayne Patenaude in December 2025, investment has continued to support this six-lift network. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Pats Peak's lift infrastructure remains a testament to more than six decades of hands-on family stewardship.
Total Lifts
11
Lift Types
4
The 2025-26 season at Pats Peak ran from 13 December 2025 to 22 March 2026, a roughly fourteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 80 inches. Extensive night skiing extends the useful ski day considerably for visitors from the surrounding southern New Hampshire region throughout the season.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Pats Peak's beginner-weighted terrain. As an Indy Pass resort, Pats Peak draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass alongside its core southern New Hampshire visitor base drawn to the mountain's family-friendly, accessible character.
The resort's substantial night-skiing programme and award-winning learning terrain make it a particular favourite for beginners and families throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given this deliberate focus on learn-to-ski accessibility. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Concord and southern New Hampshire region.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. Following the December 2025 death of founding brother Wayne Patenaude, Pats Peak remains in the Patenaude family's hands, continuing more than six decades of continuous family ownership dating to the resort's 1963 opening. This rare family continuity remains central to the resort's identity each season.
Current Season
2025 - 2026
Opening Day
12/13/2025
Closing Day
3/22/2026
Days Open
100
Pats Peak sits near Henniker, New Hampshire, on Craney Hill, with a base elevation of 689 feet and a summit at 1,460 feet across a roughly 771-foot vertical drop over 115 acres. This central New Hampshire setting places the resort within a genuinely rural, community-oriented part of the state.
Henniker, home to New England College, provides local lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort. Concord, New Hampshire's state capital, lies within a reasonable drive as well, providing a larger regional population base for the resort's visitor draw.
Local roads and New Hampshire State Route 114 connect Henniker to the resort, with Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 providing broader regional access from the Concord and Manchester areas. Winter driving conditions on regional roads can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled routes are regularly maintained given the resort's popularity with the southern New Hampshire market. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, within a reasonable drive, is among the nearer airports with commercial service, making Pats Peak accessible for visitors flying into the region, though the resort's visitor base is overwhelmingly drawn from nearby communities rather than fly-in travellers.
