Ragged Mountain
250 acres, 57 runs near Danbury. Uncrowded slopes, affordable family skiing, now locally owned.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
4 Dec 2026
Closes
4 Apr 2027
Days open
121
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.
Ragged Mountain's summit reaches 2,251 feet, dropping 1,250 vertical feet to a base at 1,001 feet across 57 runs spread over 250 acres near Danbury, New Hampshire. Terrain splits 37 per cent advanced, 30 per cent beginner, 26 per cent intermediate and 7 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 97 inches. Five lifts, including one quad chair and one six-person chair, serve the mountain alongside one triple chair and two t-bars.
Ragged Mountain has weathered a genuinely turbulent operating history, including a bankruptcy and a period of closure, before emerging as a value-focused, community-oriented ski area under a succession of committed private owners. Its recent transition to local ownership after 60 years of operation reflects the resort's enduring appeal to skiers seeking uncrowded slopes at an accessible price.
Ragged Mountain Ski Area opened in 1965 with seven runs, a T-bar and a Hall double chair, though the site had been considered for skiing development as early as the 1930s. Amid limited natural snowfall and the absence of snowmaking equipment, the resort went bankrupt in 1974, was purchased by the state, and was then sold to private investors who operated it for roughly a decade before it, too, failed and the mountain closed.
Developers Al and Walter Endriunas purchased Ragged Mountain, reopening it in 1988, expanding the terrain onto adjacent Spear Mountain, and installing New Hampshire's first six-person chairlift. In November 2025, marking the resort's 60th year of operation, new local owners purchased Ragged Mountain for 6.4 million US dollars, pledging to preserve its character. Adult daily tickets run from 69 to 89 US dollars, with free access for children aged 5 and under and seniors aged 80 and over.
1,250ft
Vertical
57
Runs
250 acres
Skiable
8ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
57 runs across 250 acres skiable
Ragged Mountain near Danbury, New Hampshire, covers 250 acres (101 hectares) across Ragged and Spear Mountains, with 57 runs. The vertical is 1,250 ft (381 m), from a 1,000 ft (305 m) base to a 2,250 ft (686 m) summit. Advanced terrain leads at 37%, followed by 30% beginner, 26% intermediate and 7% expert, an unusual weighting for the region. Snowfall averages around 97 inches a year. The Summit Six Pack and the Spear Mountain Express high-speed quad move skiers up between the two peaks.
Beginners have Blueberry Patch, Lower Easy Winder and Cardigan, while Exhibition and Flying Yankee are favourite intermediate runs, and Sweepstakes and Showboat serve experts. With 17 glades, trees are a major draw: Reggae Glades and Moose Alley suit newcomers to tree skiing, Rags to Riches and Pel's Pass link terrain between the two peaks, and Miss Behavin' and Not Too Shabby add more. Three terrain parks round out the mix. Ragged suits families, glade skiers and strong intermediates looking for variety and space, and the two-peak layout gives plenty of room to spread out.
Terrain split
57
runs
57 runs across 4 grades
Beginner17 runs · 30%
Intermediate15 runs · 26%
Advanced21 runs · 37%
Expert4 runs · 7%
Time it right
When to visit Ragged Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Ragged Mountain ran from 13 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 97 inches. This season also marked a significant ownership transition, with new local owners purchasing the resort in November 2025 as it turned 60 years old.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Ragged's advanced-and-beginner-weighted terrain. As an independently operated resort without major multi-resort pass affiliation, Ragged draws a value-conscious, regional New Hampshire visitor base seeking uncrowded slopes at accessible pricing.
Free access for children aged 5 and under and seniors aged 80 and over reflects the resort's long-standing commitment to affordable, family-friendly skiing. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given this generous pricing structure and the resort's varied terrain. Weekend crowds draw primarily from central New Hampshire given the resort's roughly 90-minute drive from Boston.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Following the November 2025 sale to new local owners, who have pledged to preserve the mountain's character after 60 years of operation, Ragged continues building on a history shaped by both hardship and resilience since its 1965 founding. This renewed local ownership remains a defining point of interest for the resort's community this season.
Season 2026 - 2027
4 Dec 2026
Opens
4 Apr 2027
Closes
121
Days open
8 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Ragged Mountain, and where to stay
Ragged Mountain sits near Danbury, New Hampshire, with a base elevation of 1,001 feet and a summit at 2,251 feet across a 1,250-foot vertical drop over 250 acres spanning both Ragged Mountain and adjacent Spear Mountain. This central New Hampshire setting places the resort within a genuinely rural part of the state.
Danbury and the surrounding central New Hampshire communities offer modest local lodging and services within a short drive of the resort. New London and the broader Lake Sunapee region lie within a reasonable drive as well, providing additional visitor amenities.
Interstate 89 provides access to the broader region, with local roads connecting to the resort itself near Danbury. Winter driving conditions on regional roads can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled routes are regularly maintained. 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 Ragged accessible for visitors flying into the region, though the resort's visitor base is drawn predominantly from central New Hampshire and the greater Boston area by car.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Ragged Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
9 Oct 2026
Kelly Canyon, Idaho, Adds Snowmaking, a Bigger Terrain Park and More Parking for 2026-27
Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.
9 Oct 2026
Valle Nevado Extends Season to November 8 After 108 cm in 48 Hours
Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.
9 Oct 2026
Alps Snow Forecast: Cold Front Brings Thursday Snow to the High Alps
The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.
8 Oct 2026
California Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Mammoth Leads, Tahoe Follows
Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.
7 Oct 2026
Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: A-Basin and Keystone Race to Be First
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
5 Oct 2026
Dolomiti Superski 2026-27: Four New Gondolas, New Reservoirs and an €89 Peak Day Pass
Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
4 Oct 2026
Ragged Mountain Lift System
Ragged Mountain runs five lifts: one quad chair, one six-person chair and one triple chair, serving 57 runs across 250 acres near Danbury, alongside two t-bars. This network has been rebuilt substantially since the resort's turbulent early history, including a bankruptcy and period of closure in the 1970s and 1980s.
The original 1965 opening featured just a T-bar and a Hall double chair serving seven runs, modest infrastructure that proved insufficient to sustain the resort through a lack of snowmaking investment and the 1974 bankruptcy that followed. Following purchase by the state and a subsequent decade of private operation that also ultimately failed, the mountain closed entirely before its 1988 reopening.
Developers Al and Walter Endriunas, who purchased and reopened Ragged Mountain in 1988, expanded the terrain onto adjacent Spear Mountain and installed New Hampshire's first six-person chairlift, a significant technological leap for the region at the time. This six-person chair remains a notable feature of the current lift network.
Following the resort's sale to new local owners in November 2025, marking Ragged's 60th anniversary, continued investment is expected to support this five-lift network under the new ownership's stated commitment to preserving the mountain's character. Specific further planned lift projects are not confirmed in available resort information.
5lifts across 4 types
1
6-Person Chair
1
Quad Chair
1
Triple Chair
2
T-Bars
Ragged Mountain lift system
Ragged Mountain is served by 5 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 Ragged Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.