Nashoba Valley

Pros: Close to Boston, good for young children, night skiing available
Cons: Very small, runs not challenging, pricey

Nashoba Valley, In Westford Massachusetts is the closest full service ski area to Boston (it takes under 45 minutes from the city). And while that may seem appealing to city skiers who don't want to travel far, the only people who will really ...

Pros: location, snowmaking, ski school, racing
Cons: grooming is too good, can get very crowded afternoons.

Nashoba Valley Ski Area may have the
smallest vertical of any ski area
I have been to and yet they do more
at this area than mountains 4 times
its size.

Nashoba has terrain for all abilities
and the largest ski...

Pros: Night skiing, Great place to learn
Cons: Small, Not much terrain

Nashoba Valley is a very small local ski area. It is a good place to go to get warmed up for the new ski season, but it lacks in the amount of trails to go down and you can get bored very quickly. If you are an experienced skier it will take you like 3...

Pros: Good starting place for the ski season.
Cons: Crowded lodge at lunch.

Our annual "skiing tune up" always starts with a visit to Nashoba Valley before Christmas Vacation. The closeness of the area to Boston and the varied terrain get you prepared for the first trip "up north" to the big ski areas.
...

Pros: Close to Boston and cheap
Cons: Poor equipment rental, sales, lessons, and trails.

Want to ski 45 minutes from Boston?

Ok, head to Nashoba Valley.

But if you want anything else (decent snow, trails, equipment rental, food), keep driving west to Mount Wachusett.

Some comments on Nashoba:

The...

Pros: Major Ski Area Amenities
Cons: Don't Look Up!

A big parking lot; a nice lodge; a huge upstairs restaurant and bar; a full-size Ski Market store; lots of snowmaking capacity; a big rental complex; three triples, a double, and a t-bar all converging on the summit; countless beginner lifts just serving...

Pros: Close, some good trails, racing, lessons, cheap, good grooming
Cons: Not Enough Trails

Nashoba Valley is a very good mountain if you are a beginner or intermediate. They have a few greens that are short and easy, and there are some blues on the right side that are perfect for the intermediate skiers. Then on the left side there is the...

Pros: Location
Cons: Height

I happen to live in Westford, where Nashoba Valley ski area is located so I definately know a lot about it. I am going to tell you right away that if you want to go big country skiing, or are any kind of a serious skiier then this isn't the place for...

Pros: Good scenic views
Cons: Choppy trails / real icy

I have been to many ski resorts, and Nashoba Valley isn't the best. The price for food is ridiculous and the cafateria is really messy. The soda is always watery, and when you need the ketchup thing to be filled, they never do it. But there is a...

Pros: Ski school for kids
Cons: No vertical, Saturday crowds

Nashoba Valley is a nice local area with a 200 ft vertical and has an excellent ski school. They have over 250 instructors and cater their lessons to kids from the Boston area schools. A great deal for families learning to ski, and not willing to drive...

Pros: Intimate, friendly, NO LINES!!
Cons: Short runs, some trails were closed

I've been skiing for years, but never snowboarded and this was a perfect intimate place to feel good about trying! The people are friendly, there are no lines for both day and night and even though the runs are quick, it's a great ski if you're intimidated by the bigger joints- which I've been to. What a nice change of pace without any egos and "look at my new outfit" attitudes. We plan on going back in two weeks.