Skiing, possibly the most Zen activity of sports: picture yourself, the lone skier: festooned with the newest technologies, yet at one with nature; dwarfed by the scenery, experiencing the rush that comes with carving down the powdery, snow covered slopes of the Berkshires legendary and tempting terrain. Alone, yes, but surrounded by other individuals experiencing the same thrills; the vivid colors, the snap of brisk air, the dangling by a thread over the snowy hills. If you've visited the Berkshires in the winter, you understand the intense power that the snowflake wields. From the top of Widow White's Peak at Jiminy Peak in the Northern part of the county, to the Catapult at Catamount at the Southern tip of the Berkshires, bordering New York, passionate snowriders have been diving into the fluffy powder that graces our slopes for decades.

Visitors to the Berkshires have every reason to plan their winter vacations here during the cold season. As you read on, use this as your Interactive Winter Vacation Planner. In all of New England with an abundance of lodging, dining, shopping and spa getaways, the number of reasons to return to the Berkshires again and again start to multiply. Just as every snowflake is different, so are the varieties of winter sports. The Berkshire's varied terrain provides winter sports enthusiasts with a pleasingly vast choice of resort types, activities and events. Visitors can plan a customized vacation to suit their unique desires.

For the "regulars"; memories of conversation in the lodge, bundled up in reindeer print sweaters in front of a log fire, sipping drinks and looking out the window as the next batch of skiers gracefully shushes to the end of the course, Welcome Back! To our new guests; come to where skiing is believing. Give our unique and beautiful mountains a try, and you will become a believer. With the high level of service and expertise and the accessibility of our resorts; (within a few hours drive from New York City, Boston, and Montreal and an hour from the Albany International Airport), we make visiting the Berkshires convenient and hassle-free, allowing you and your family more time on the slopes and with more time to enjoy surrounding attractions.

Western Massachusetts is indeed blessed by natural topography; the Berkshires themselves provide ample opportunities to get out for fun in the winter. And, with advances in artificial snowmaking and grooming, and the many advances in high technology equipment, the skiing conditions are superior and much more highly controlled than in the past, greatly increasing the enjoyment and safety of the overall experience. The downhill skiing experience in Western Massachusetts has something to offer everyone, from the "lone eagle" slicing through Double Black Diamond drops, to the value conscious parent looking for a fun and healthful diversion for the whole family. Many of the ski areas have a sophisticated web presence, so we encourage interested people to use the web to plan vacation times and compare prices and stats. For sheer pulse pounding thrills and an athletic challenge to accommodate everyone, downhill skiing in the Berkshires is "where it's at!"

• Bousquet Ski Area
  
• Brodie Mountain
  
• Butternut Basin
  
• Catamount
  
• Jiminy Peak
  
• Otis Ridge