Nashoba Valley Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nashoba Ski Resort |
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Nashoba Valley Ski Area
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| Location | Westford, Massachusetts, US |
| Nearest city | Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Coordinates | 42°32′31.11″N 71°26′38.77″W / 42.5419750°N 71.4441028°W |
| Vertical | 240 ft |
| Top elevation | 422 ft |
| Base elevation | 194 ft |
| Runs | 17 |
| Lift system | 10 lifts: 4 chairlifts, 5 surface |
| Terrain parks | 2 |
| Website | Nashoba Valley Ski Area |
Nashoba Valley Ski Area is a cool place to ski and snowboard in Westford, Massachusetts. It's been open every winter since 1964 and has 17 different trails for all skill levels. You can find it at 79 Powers Road, right next to Littleton, Massachusetts.
Besides skiing and snowboarding, Nashoba Valley also has an awesome tubing park! It has 16 lanes for snow tubing, which are served by two special lifts. The tubing park has its own entrance on Route 119 in Littleton.
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Discover Nashoba Valley's Past
Nashoba Valley Ski Area first opened its doors in 1964. Back then, it was quite simple! There were only rope tows to pull skiers up four slopes. The first winter was very warm, so the ski season only lasted 14 days. The main building had a gravel floor and was heated by a wood stove. Staff even had to pack the snow by hand with shovels because there were no grooming machines yet!
Growing with New Lifts
In the 1970s, Nashoba Valley started to grow. They added a T-Bar lift in 1972, a double chairlift in 1977, and a triple chairlift called "The Wardance Triple" in 1978. More chairlifts were added later, like the "Chief" Triple in 1986 and the "Sundance" triple in 1994. Today, Nashoba Valley has four chairlifts, two conveyor belts, and three rope tows. This means they can move 11,600 people up the hill every hour!
A Pioneer in Snowboarding
Nashoba Valley was one of the first places in the United States to welcome snowboarders. In the 1980s, they hosted big snowboarding events. Famous snowboarders like Jeff Brushie and Jason Ford competed there. Even a very young Todd Richards showed off his skills at Nashoba!
More Than Just Winter Fun
Nashoba Valley is a full-service ski area. This means they offer lessons, equipment rentals, and lots of fun for skiers and snowboarders. But it's also busy all year long!
- Snow Tubing: The snow tubing park opened in 2001. It's the biggest snow tubing spot in New England! It has two lifts and over 600 snow tubes.
- The Outlook Restaurant: This restaurant is open all year. It's a great place to eat and relax, with views of the slopes.
- Witch's Woods: In October, Nashoba Valley turns into a spooky Halloween park called Witch's Woods. It has haunted hayrides and other scary attractions.
- Summer Activities: During the summer, Nashoba offers a day camp for kids, a volleyball league for adults, and a private swim club.
Getting Up the Mountain: Lifts at Nashoba
Nashoba Valley has a mix of lifts to get you up the slopes. There are 4 chairlifts, 4 conveyor lifts (like moving sidewalks), and 3 rope tows. The top of the mountain can only be reached by the chairlifts. All the medium and hard trails are accessible from any chairlift.
The beginner area is for new skiers and snowboarders. It only goes about a quarter of the way up the hill. This area has 3 rope tows and four Sun-Kid conveyor belt lifts. The longest trail at Nashoba is 1400 feet long.
Chairlifts to the Top
- Chief Triple: This is a triple chairlift made by Borvig.
- Wardance Triple: This CTEC triple chairlift replaced an older rope tow that went to the top.
- Snowdance Double: This is a double chairlift made by Savio.
- Sundance Triple: This is another CTEC triple chairlift.
Fun Surface Lifts
- Papoose: This is a Sun-Kid conveyor belt lift. It replaced an older gasoline-powered rope tow.
- Totem: This is another Sun-Kid conveyor belt lift, right next to Papoose.
- Pow Wow: This is a unique rope tow. It was built using parts from an old dump truck! It has two ropes that run side-by-side.
- Peace Pipe: This rope tow is similar to the Pow Wow tow, but it only has one rope.
- Lil'Hawk: This Sun-Kid conveyor belt lift helps people get around the base of the mountain.
- Tahu: This Sun-Kid conveyor belt lift was added in 2014-2015. It connects the beginner area to the Nashoba Slope.
Explore the Trails
Nashoba Valley has trails for all skill levels, marked by different colors.
Black Diamonds: (These are the hardest trails!)
- Lobo
- Warrior
- Chief
- Bull Run
- Wardance
Blue Squares: (These are medium difficulty trails.)
- Tomahawk
- Big Bow
- Dog Leg
- Nashoba Slope
- Nashoba Glades
- Sundance (Often used for freestyle terrain like jumps and rails!)
- Indian Run
- Nashoba Trail
Green Circles: (These are the easiest trails, perfect for beginners! You can only reach them by rope tow or magic carpet.)
- Papoose
- Pow-Wow
- Peacepipe
- Tahu
Nashoba's Tubing Park
The tubing park is located at a separate entrance at 179 Great Rd, Littleton, MA 01460. It has 18 lanes for tubing fun! A conveyor belt and 2 rope tows help you get back up the hill. The tubing park also has its own lodge and a restaurant.
Places to Eat at Nashoba
The Outlook at Nashoba
The Outlook Restaurant and Lounge is a cozy spot right at Nashoba Valley Ski Area. It has big windows where you can look out at the slopes. In winter, there's a warm fireplace. The restaurant also hosts special events, like a New Year's Celebration with fireworks!
The Sunset Tiki Bar and Grill
The Sunset Tiki Bar and Grill is another family-friendly restaurant. It opens in late May and stays open all summer. It's on a deck next to a pond with a sandy beach. Kids can swim while a lifeguard is on duty. There's also a stage for live music in the evenings. They host fun events like Lobster Fest and the Pig N' Pepper Festival.
