
Wildcat Mountain
225 acres, 48 runs in Pinkham Notch. Epic Pass access, spectacular Mount Washington views.
Wildcat Mountain's summit reaches 4,059 feet, dropping 2,112 vertical feet to a base at 1,949 feet across 48 runs spread over 225 acres in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. Terrain splits 46 per cent intermediate, 33 per cent advanced and 21 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs, and average annual snowfall of roughly 103 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Five lifts, including one quad chair and three double chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Wildcat Mountain is renowned for offering some of the most spectacular views in the Northeast, with the summit looking directly across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. This dramatic outlook, combined with the resort's considerable 2,112-foot vertical drop, gives Wildcat a genuinely scenic and challenging character among White Mountains resorts.
The resort's founders, George Macomber, Brooks Dodge, Malcolm McLane and William 'Mack' Beal Jr, first envisioned Wildcat while sitting on Lunch Rocks in nearby Tuckerman Ravine during the 1950s, looking across Route 16 at a trail originally cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Macomber and Dodge had each raced on two US Olympic teams, McLane brought legal expertise, and Beal contributed experience in forestry, development and banking, a genuinely well-rounded founding team that opened Wildcat Mountain Ski Area in 1957.
On 25 January 1958, Wildcat became the first ski area in North America to install a gondola lift, a landmark achievement in American lift technology. In 2019, Wildcat and its sister resort Attitash were purchased by Vail Resorts, bringing both mountains into the Epic Pass network. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 139 US dollars.
Wildcat Mountain looks across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington, with 48 runs over 225 acres (91 hectares) and a vertical of 2,110 ft (644 m). The summit sits at 4,060 ft (1,238 m) and the base at 1,950 ft (594 m). Terrain is 21% beginner, 46% intermediate and 33% advanced, a spread that tilts toward confident skiers. Snowfall averages around 103 inches a year. The Wildcat Express quad carries most of the traffic to the top, so the layout is simple to read and easy to lap.
The Wildcat trail, cut in 1933 as one of the first ski racing trails in the United States, remains the mountain's namesake run. Polecat is 2.75 miles long and the longest novice trail in New Hampshire, a beginner-friendly descent that shows off the Presidential Range views. Strong skiers have the mountain's solid advanced share to work with, and the 2,110 ft of vertical gives long laps from top to bottom. Wildcat suits intermediates and advanced skiers wanting real vertical, and beginners can still enjoy the long Polecat run.
The 2025-26 season at Wildcat Mountain ran from 6 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 103 inches. Wildcat markets itself as offering one of the longest ski seasons in New Hampshire, aided by its considerable elevation and reliable natural snow.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Wildcat's intermediate-and-advanced-weighted terrain, with spectacular views across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington throughout. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Wildcat draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside visitors specifically seeking its dramatic mountain scenery.
The resort's genuinely challenging terrain profile, with no beginner-only easy option beyond its 21 per cent beginner share, tends to draw a more experienced skier base relative to some White Mountains competitors. School holiday periods bring some family visitation, though the mountain's character skews toward intermediate and advanced skiers seeking Mount Washington views. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Boston and southern New England region.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' 2019 acquisition alongside sister resort Attitash, Wildcat has continued operating as part of the Epic Pass network, building on nearly seven decades of history dating to its 1957 founding. The mountain's dramatic Pinkham Notch setting remains central to its seasonal appeal.
Daily snow reports at Wildcat Mountain go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Wildcat Mountain sits in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, directly across from Mount Washington, with a base elevation of 1,949 feet and a summit at 4,059 feet across a 2,112-foot vertical drop over 225 acres. This dramatic setting gives Wildcat some of the most spectacular mountain views in the Northeast.
Jackson and North Conway, both within a reasonable drive, offer the nearest substantial lodging, dining and services, with the broader Mount Washington Valley region surrounding the resort. Pinkham Notch itself, part of the White Mountain National Forest, offers extensive additional hiking and outdoor recreation immediately adjacent to the ski area.
New Hampshire State Route 16 runs directly past the resort through Pinkham Notch, providing straightforward access from both the north and south. Winter driving conditions through the notch can include snow and ice, particularly given the area's elevation and exposure, though the well-travelled route is regularly maintained. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Specific nearest commercial airport details are not confirmed in available resort information, though Wildcat's White Mountains location keeps it within a reasonable drive of the greater Boston metropolitan area's major airports for visitors travelling from further afield.
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Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.

Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.

The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.

A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.

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Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
Opening day for the winter 2026 - 2027 season is scheduled for Nov 28, 2026 (subject to change). Lift tickets at Wildcat Mountain typically go on sale well before the start of the ski season.
Day passes start from US$69, with peak rates up to US$139.
Experience Wildcat Mountain's spectacular views of Mount Washington and challenging terrain in dramatic Pinkham Notch. This Epic Pass resort offers expert terrain, stunning Presidential Range vistas, and authentic New England skiing character in the White Mountains.
Buy passYouth lift tickets at Wildcat Mountain provide access to challenging Epic Pass resort terrain with spectacular Mount Washington views. Perfect for young skiers and riders ready for advanced terrain in dramatic Pinkham Notch setting.
Buy passChildren's lift tickets at Wildcat Mountain offer access to Epic Pass resort with stunning Mount Washington views. While known for challenging terrain, Wildcat also provides terrain suitable for developing skiers in spectacular White Mountain scenery.
Buy passWildcat Mountain Epic Pass provides unlimited access to Wildcat plus 40+ Epic resorts worldwide including Vail, Whistler, and European destinations. Includes 20% off food, lodging, lessons, and rentals at all Epic resorts with no blackout dates.
Buy passWildcat Mountain Epic Local Pass offers unlimited access to Wildcat plus 30+ Epic resorts with some holiday restrictions. Perfect for New England skiers wanting multi-resort access including other Epic destinations and challenging terrain.
Buy passMore Wildcat Mountain intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.