Now that the holidays are over, we’re staring winter straight in the face. I’m personally a big fan of hibernating in winter, but if you have energetic family members who like to get outside, this list is for you! Keep reading for a list of family-friendly outdoor activities on the North Shore or a short drive away!

 

Winter Outdoor Activities on the North Shore

 

 

Ice Skating (Outdoor Rinks)

1. 1. The Rink at MarketStreet (Lynnfield, MA) – Open daily through February 23, 2025. Hours vary by day with extended hours during school vacation week. General admission $12 and free for ages 3 and under. Skate rentals $6, skating assist rental $10.
   2. Skate @ Canal District, Kendall (Cambridge, MA) – Open daily, mid-December through mid-March, weather permitting. Hours vary by day. Admission $6 for adults and $1 for ages 13 and under. Skate rentals $10 for adults and $6 for ages 13 and under.
   3. Boston Common Frog Pond (Boston, MA) – Open daily, weather permitting. Hours vary by day. Admission $10 for people 58-inches and over, under 58-inches skate free. Skate rental $15 for adults and $10 for kids. Skating aid $18 an hour.

 

Skiing & Snowboarding

Approx. 1 hour drive from North Shore (depending on your town)

1. Ski Bradford (Bradford/Haverhill, MA) – Open daily, hours vary by day with extended hours for school vacation week. Check the Snow Report. Featuring 15 trails, a terrain park, magic carpet and night skiing. Lift tickets start at $22. More info on ticket prices.
2. Nashoba Valley Ski Area (Westford, MA) – Open daily, except Mondays. Hours vary by day with extended hours for school vacation week. Featuring 4 chairlifts, 2 magic carpets, and 4 rope tows to 17 trails. Nashoba Valley also offers night skiing and has a Snow Tubing Park in Littleton, MA. Check the Snow Report here. Lift tickets start at $42. More info on ticket prices.
3. Blue Hills Ski Area (Canton, MA) – Open daily, conditions permitting. Hours vary by day with extended hours for school vacation week. This is a great, small mountain for beginners! Chairlift, magic carpet and night skiing available. Lift tickets start at $30. More info on ticket prices.

 

A little further (1-2 hours driving distance)

1. Wachusett Mountain (Westminster, MA) – Open weekdays 9am-9:30pm and weekends 8am-9:30pm. Featuring 8 lifts, 2 magic carpets, 2 terrain parks and 27 trails. This a good mountain for beginners and advanced skiers alike. Wachusett offers night skiing too. Lift tickets start at $46. More info on ticket and rental prices.
2. Ski Ward Ski Area (Shrewsbury, MA) – Open daily, hours vary by day. This is a smaller mountain with 9 trails, 4 lifts and a magic carpet. Ski Ward Ski Area also has a Tubing Park see details below in Tubing section. Lift tickets start at $22 and ages 5 and under are $12 with the purchase of an adult ticket. More details on tickets.
3. McInytre Ski Area (Manchester, NH) – This is a small mountain with 2 lifts, servicing 11 trails, 2 magic carpets with a large beginner area, and a terrain park. Open daily, hours vary by day. Lift tickets start at $25. More details on tickets. MyIntyre is also home to the 5-lane Snowtubing Bonneville Family Thrill Hill.
4. Crotched Mountain (Bennington, NH) – Open Sundays & Mondays 9am-4pm and 9am-9pm the rest of the week. Get the Snow & Weather Report. Features 5 lifts, a magic carpet and 25 trails, plus 2 terrain parks. Night skiing also available.Lift tickets start at $79. More ticket info. This is a larger mountain that is part of the Epic Pass program.
5. Pat’s Peak (Henniker, NH) – Open daily, hours vary by day. Featuring 11 lifts (2 are magic carpets), 28 trails and a terrain park. Get the Snow Report. Lift tickets start at $56 (or free for kids 5 and under during the week (M-Th) and only $20 on weekends). More ticket details. Pat’s Peak also has a Snow Tubing Park.
6. Gunstock Mountain (Gilford, NH) – Open daily, hours vary by day. Get the Ski Report. Featuring 5 chair lifts and 3 magic carpets with 49 trails and terrain parks. This mountain has less beginner trails and may be better suited to intermediate and advanced skiers. Lift tickets start at $44. More ticket details.
7. Mount Sunapee (Newbury, NH) – This is another larger mountain. Open daily, hours vary by day and lift. Featuring 8 lifts, 4 terrain parks and 67 trails. Lift tickets start at $83 and Mount Sunapee is also part of the Epic Pass program. Find ticket details.

 

Snow Tubing

1. Nashoba Valley Tubing Park (Littleton, MA) – Open 1-9pm Wednesday-Fridays, 9am-9pm on Saturdays and 9am-5pm on Sundays. Up to eighteen lanes are serviced by four lifts and maintained by Nashoba’s experienced grooming fleet, the park provides ideal tubing conditions for thrill seekers of all ages. Must be 6 years old and 42″ tall to tube. Tickets start at $48 for two hours. More info on ticket prices.
2. Winter TubaSlide at Ski Ward (Shrewsbury, MA) – Tubing Park is open Thursdays – Sundays, plus school holidays. Times vary by day. Includes 12 lanes, 2 lifts and over 200 tubes. Must be 6 years old and 42″ in height to tube. Tickets start at $20 for one hour. More details on tickets.
3. Snowtubing Bonneville Family Thrill Hill at McIntyre Ski Area (Manchester, NH) – Open for 2-hour sessions Thursdays-Sundays and school vacation week. Hours vary by day. Must be 5 years old and 42″ to tube. Tickets start at $35.
4. Pat’s Peak (Henniker, NH) – 6 lane Tubing Park. Open Thursdays – Sundays and school vacation week. Hours vary by day. Open all days of school vacation week 9am-9pm. Must be 5 years old and 44″ to tube.
5. Gunstock Mountain (Gilford, NH) – Open Wednesdays – Sundays, hours vary by day. Must be 42″ to tube and riders under 14 years old must be accompanied by a participating adult. Tickets start at $38 for 2 hours.

 

Other Outdoor Events & Attractions

1. So Salty (Gloucester, MA) – Celebrate the fish city’s recognizably salty character with local cultural institutions and businesses during the 4th Annual Gloucester’s So Salty festival on January 25 and 26, 2025 from 10am–5pm! The Cape Ann Museum is partnering with Discover Gloucester and several local cultural institutions and businesses to offer two full days of free programming in the coldest part of the year. Inspired by the annual Salem’s So Sweet event, this two-day event will include ice sculptures, live music, salty treats, free kids’ art activities, and much more. Free admission.
2. Ice Castles (North Woodstock, NH) – The castles are located an approximate 2 hour drive from the North Shore. Explore ice caverns and walk beneath archways adorned with hand-placed icicles that dangle overhead like a beautiful, winter chandelier. Slide down ice slides and crawl through ice tunnels. Definitely a unique winter experience! Opening weekends and some weekdays beginning January 10th, hours vary by day. Tickets start at $15 for children ages 4-11 at off-peak times, and $23 for peak times. Ticket details.
3. Weston Ski Track (Weston, MA) – Weston Ski Track is great place to cross-country ski or snowshoe. Run by Charles River Recreation, who is dedicated to providing affordable and accessible outdoor recreational opportunities in the Boston area. Open daily with extended hours on weekends and holidays. Reservations required. Featuring one of the largest cross-country ski snowmaking systems in New England, lessons, and group outings. Get the Ski Report here. Adult tickets are $13 and ages 16 and under are $8. Rentals start at $16. More information on tickets and rentals.
4. Great Brook Ski Touring Center (Carlisle, MA) – Featuring over 10 miles of machine-groomed trails for cross country skiing from December 1 to March 31, snow conditions permitting. Follow them on Facebook @greatbrookski for trail conditions. Adult admission is $20, ages 7-14 is $12 and under age 6 is free. Rentals start at $18. View more information on rates.
5. CraneOutdoors (Ipswich, MA) – Taking place on Saturdays and Sundays, January – March, times vary by day. These walks will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. The dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. They offer one of the most accessible dune landscapes in New England and trails that provide a firsthand look into the delicate and ever-changing dune habitat. This includes numerous lookouts offering stunning views of Choate Island and the varied ecosystems of Castle Neck, including Pitch Pine forests and naturally occurring cranberry bogs. Prices vary by walk with a discount for members.
6. Hike & Seek: Magic in the Winter Forest at Stevens Coolidge House & Gardens(North Andover, MA) – Have you ever wondered what happens in nature during the winter months? Do you have questions like, “where do certain animals go” or “why does it snow”? Register with the Stevens Coolidge House & Gardens, between 2/16 and 3/1 to receive a self-guided, winter-themed, family-friendly activity bundle via email, to use along the Stevens-to-Stevens trail in North Andover and discover the magic within the Winter forest. $9 for member families, $15 for non-members. Bundle of winter-themed activities includes maps, scavenger hunt, crafts, additional reading list and recipes.

 

Did I miss your favorite outdoor activity? Email it to [email protected]!