Butternut Ski Area and Tubing Center

"I was going to be in the area for a family event so I decided to make a stop at Butternut and go skiing for the first time in 20 years. I figured this would be an appropriate location considering the small size of the mountain and my dubious skiing abilities. I purchased a day pass for $40 and rental equipment for $60. Obtaining the pass was extremely easy - there are kiosks that scan a QR code from your phone and print out your pass in seconds. Obtaining the rental equipment was a bit more convoluted. The "Ski Rental" house did not have great employees, they were a bit aloof and disinterested in helping. For example, no one *actually* checked if I purchased rental gear. The cashier in front didn't want to see my online receipt, and none of the gear people cared whatsoever. I think the rental equipment was fine for beginners. The boots were TOUGH to get my feet in and out of - it felt like I was getting Chinese foot binding done to my feet trying to push them in. The skis were adequate, nothing special. After retrieving my boots and skis from the employees, no one directed me to grab ski poles (again, indicating how lame the workers here were) so it wasn't until I got out and put my skis on that I realized I forgot them. I couldn't be bothered to go back and ask, so I went the whole day without poles. The mountain and skiing were great for what they were. In addition to 1 chairlift for the baby hill, there were only 2 other lifts running up the main mountain. I felt like there was a lack of "beginner" slopes that went all the way down the mountain - there were only like 1 or 2. After 3-4 hours I was feeling pretty wiped out and called it a day. Overall, great way to fulfill the itch to go skiing without making a huge commitment."

"I really liked it there today. It feels very family-friendly and beginner-friendly and it was priced perfectly. Great conditions and really friendly crowd of people. They do a really amazing job. I learned to ski there as a kid and hadn’t been back since before covid. I was so impressed and I can’t wait to go back with more friends who want to learn to ski or board. Can’t say it enough."

"Went skiing for the first time ever this weekend at Butternut and had a great experience here. I rented skis, poles, and a helmet and my friend rented a snowboard. Both had a wide range of sizing options available. I took an adult group skiing lesson with Mark. He was knowledgeable, professional, and kept it light-hearted. I ski-ed away feel like I'd gained a lot from the lesson and was better prepared for the slopes because of it. In addition to bigger slopes, Butternut has a range of bunny slopes (with a small lift) and carpets to practice on. These are awesome features of the mountain as they allowed me to practice without the difficulty of the green slopes. Also the lift operators Will and Juan were encouraging, safety-conscious, and great with beginners. They set a good tone for the other skiers. I saw a lot of lessons being given and generally the crowd was respectful and friendly. It did get busy, but wasn't overwhelmed. Only went on one green slope (Cruiser) and it was a bit narrowed than expected for a green, but again, I'm a novice. The only complaint is that my friend took a beginner snowboarding lesson and he felt that the instructor wasn't well-versed in how to snowboard herself (we saw her getting a very introductory lesson right before she "led" the group herself) and the entire group was held-back due to the limitations of one learner (his group never progressed from the carpets to the lift). The variability in the instructors' skill level is a real consideration given the lesson's cost. Overall will definitely be back."

"Ski Butternut is such a great mountain! We went for 3 days this week - two kids did lessons and all of us enjoyed skiing. The instructors are very helpful, rental staff is friendly, and everyone is so kind and helpful. Recommend for first time skiers and experts!"