The resorts we work with in United States of America and Canada are a truly first-class option for a ski trip, and some of the best ski resorts for school tours you will find on the planet.
In North America, you are sure to get bang for your buck whether you are a beginner or an expert with mountain trails carefully cut to cater for all. Throw in traditional ski lodges, incredible must-see city stopovers, delicious American food, great customer service and, best of all, a well thought-out organised set up which keeps wait times to a minimum and you have incredible memories for all!
Here at Activ4, we specialise in the best ski resorts for school tours in the United States and Canada – ensuring you have the best value, most inspirational destinations to make skiing in North America a realistic option for your next school trip!
Read on for some of our top picks…
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
This picturesque, traditional New Hampshire valley offers quaint New England lodges, plenty of incredible evening entertainment and – the real jewel in the crown – its friendly, open people. It’s a gorgeous place to be, the people are open and friendly and there is plenty of entertainment on hand.
The heart of this valley is the Waterville village, nestled amongst the 4000 foot peaks on either side, and offering views of the fabulous Mount Tecumseh ski trails. The charming Town square overlooks the frosty Corcoran Pond and the twinkling tree, cozy outdoor fire pit for toasting marshmallows. In the Town Square you will find an ice skating rink which offers both skating and the opportunity to watch a local ice hockey match for a truly American experience. The safe town centre, with its traditional ice cream parlour and surrounding stores and shops, gives a sense of 1950’s America and will delight anyone who has ever seen an old American movie!
Although not a large ski area, featuring just 52 trails, this resort is a true testament to the great quality customer service the US is known for. Groups travel by American School bus up the mountain – an exciting experience for small and big kids alike!
Sugarloaf, Maine
In the east of the Rockies, and with a reputation that proceeds it for school trips, Sugarloaf is the largest ski area which offers a huge range of ski terrain for skiers of every ability! Well-cut trails offer great access to the mountain, even for beginners, and the sheer winding length of some of the trails will keep both intermediate and expert skiers happy!
As with all North American resorts, Sugarloaf Mountain offers an incredible range of evening activities, from “snowshoe safaris”, where you explore the area by foot, and traversing the mountain by Snowcat, to tubing and time in the anti-gravity centre which includes a climbing wall, skateboard park, courts, trampolines and workout centre.
The food on offer in Sugarloaf is exactly what you would expect of an American resort; delicious, plentiful and comforting. Tour leaders will find options to keep everyone happy!
Sunday River, New Hampshire
With eight incredible peaks and 820 acres of ski terrain, Sunday River is so much more than just a mountain. The sheer range of trails – 135 at last count! – will keep skiers of all levels happy, with the longest trail offering an incredible 3 miles of skiing. The space and efficient design of Sunday River means that the 63 runs and 66 lifts are never too busy, keeping queue time to a minimum.
Accommodation options are also numerous at Sunday River, with two large Grand Summit hotels, The Snow Cap Inn and The Snow Cap Youth Lodge. Staff at these hotels are warm and friendly, and The Snow Cap Inn is welcoming to school groups with freshly baked American cookies readily available in the afternoon and a layout made for groups with central fireside lounge areas to meet and plan. Just next door you will find The Snow Cap Lodge which is reminiscent of an old American boarding school. It offers separate seating areas for groups and a bunk house with a single bedded option for schools. The Snowcap properties are also close to options for evening entertainments, including the ice skating rink and Tubing Hill. Sunday River also offers more chilled-out options at the Wellness centre, including a range of spa treatments. We recommend you sneak off if you can find the time!
Jasper and the Rockies, Canada
Looking for an authentic Rocky Mountain experience? The stunning UNESCO World Heritage Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, will offer just that and is the perfect location for those looking to experience skiing at the Marmot Basin!
The Marmot Basic has the highest base elevation in all of Canada’s skiing areas, and offers 86 trials and 3000 vertical feet of superb skiing and boarding across all ability levels – from beginner to expert! On these trails, you will find some incredible long runs stretching from top to bottom of the mountain, with some stretching over three miles long!
The space and warm, welcoming atmosphere can be found both on and off the mountain, and our tour leaders are always thrilled with the lack of waiting in lift lines meaning even more time on the slopes for all! After a long day on the slopes, the accommodating town of Jasper offers a range of evening entertainment, from skiing and movie nights to canyon ice walking for the more adventurous!
Mont Saint Anne, Canada
Just half an hour from Quebec City, and offering a long season with great quality snow, Mont Sainte-Anne in the Laurentian mountain range is a spectacular skiing and snowboarding destination. Known for its nighttime skiing – with Canada’s highest vertical drop for night time skiing – and elevation of up to 2625ff, 71 trails with the longest coming in at over 3 and a half miles and three snow parks, Mont Sainte-Anne is ever-popular with our tour leaders.
The resorts snow record is second to none. However, like everywhere else in our north American programme there is state of the art snow making facilities should a back up ever be required. Mont
For beginner skiers, Mont Saint Anne has a range of nursery slopes served by drag lifts and this well-planned resort offers pleasant trails at the mid station to encourage beginners to progress. The mountain also has a Magic Carpet lift, meaning that skiers spend time on the slopes and not on the lifts – helped of course by the lack of queues!
Stoneham
Spread over three mountains, Stoneham ski resort is again close to Quebec city meaning that it is perfect for a city and ski school trip! Offering summit elevation of 1946ft, 42 trails – of which 60% are for novice skiers – and nearly four miles of cross-country ski trails, Stoneham is one of our best ski resorts for school tours, especially ones with lots of beginners! Don’t worry though, there’s still plent of skiing options for intermediate and expert skiers.
Where Stoneham Mountain Resort really shines is in its night skiing – it is Canada’s premier night skiing destination with 16 trails illuminated covering nearly 10 miles (16km) of piste. Stoneham is also well known for its snowboarding opportunities, with an Olympic sized superpipe with 17 foot (five metre) walls, wall-ride, rails, pyramids, rolls, boxes, tabletops and, junior park. There’s also a 40-foot school bus slide which offers a variety of ramps.
There are four restaurants at the base of the mountain, offering both North American and French cuisine – something to keep everyone happy!
Inspired to get out on the mountain? Get in touch today to let us help you get to one of the best ski resorts for school tours
