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    New Hampshire, USA · Indy

    Pats Peak

    115 acres, 28 runs near Henniker. Family-owned since 1963, night skiing, learn-to-ski focus.

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    Live Pats Peak conditions, webcams & maps. Opens straight here.

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    Season 2026 - 2027
    Opens
    5 Dec 2026
    Closes
    28 Mar 2027
    Days open
    113
    Annual snow
    80in
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    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.

    771ft
    Vertical
    28
    Runs
    115 acres
    Skiable
    80in
    Annual snow
    Indy
    Pass
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    The Terrain

    28 runs across 115 acres skiable

    Pats Peak is a compact hill at Henniker, New Hampshire, with 28 runs across 115 acres (47 hectares). The vertical is 770 ft (235 m), from a 690 ft (210 m) base to a 1,460 ft (445 m) summit. Half the terrain is beginner at 50%, with 21% intermediate, 11% advanced and 18% expert, a lopsided mix with a surprisingly steep end. Snowfall averages around 80 inches a year. Short runs and a large learning area make it a natural pick for first-timers and families, and the main mountain runs under lights at night.

    Most trails are named after winds, including Cyclone, Hurricane, Twister, Tornado and Duster. Hurricane is one of the steeper runs in the region and counts as expert terrain. Beginners get the only novice run in New Hampshire that stays open both day and night. Terrain parks include Turbulence Park, with jumps, rails and boxes that change through the season, and Microburst Park for beginners. Pats Peak suits learners, families and night skiers, while strong skiers get a steep pitch or two but only a short vertical.

    Terrain split
    28
    runs
    28 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner14 runs · 50%
    Intermediate6 runs · 21%
    Advanced3 runs · 11%
    Expert5 runs · 18%
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    Time it right

    When to visit Pats Peak

    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.

    Season 2026 - 2027
    5 Dec 2026
    Opens
    28 Mar 2027
    Closes
    113
    Days open
    80 in
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Pats Peak, and where to stay

    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.

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    Pats Peak Trail Map

    Downloadable Pats Peak trail map

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    Live Pats Peak conditions, webcams & maps. Opens straight here.

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    Live Pats Peak conditions, webcams & maps. Opens straight here.

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    Pats Peak trail map↓ Download PDF
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    Terrain split
    28
    runs
    Beginner50%
    Intermediate21%
    Advanced11%
    Expert18%
    115 acres skiable47 hectares
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    Resort Stats
    Elevation
    Base689ft
    Summit1,460ft
    Annual snowfall
    80in
    Season
    2026 - 2027
    5 Dec 2026 - 28 Mar 2027
    Trail coverage
    28 runs
    115 acres (47 ha)
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    About Pats Peak's trail map

    Explore Pats Peak's full trail map with 28 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗

    More Pats Peak intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.