Hidden In A Breathtaking Mountain State Park Is New Hampshire's Highest Ski Resort

New Hampshire's White Mountains are full of opportunities for outdoor fun, so it's no surprise that you would find one of the East Coast's best ski resorts hidden among its snowy peaks. Franconia Notch State Park is home to the spot where the famed Old Man of the Mountain rock formation once stood, chilly lakes, gorgeous hiking trails, and the Cannon Mountain Ski Area. There are easy, family-friendly spots to ski here, but if you're looking for a thrilling experience on the slopes, you can certainly find it at Cannon Mountain. Not only does it have the highest summit you can ski from in New Hampshire at 4,080 feet, it also has the steepest slope to truly test your skills. 

Cannon Mountain Ski Area is included in the Indy Pass, so make sure to take that into consideration if you're still deciding which ski season pass is best for you. Whether you're there for a heart-pounding run to show off your skills at top speed or an easy trail down the mountain, you'll want to pause to take in the scenery around you. This place is more prone to snow than the surrounding areas, so you'll likely feel like you're stepping into a winter wonderland when you arrive. The staggering mountain views and woodsy landscape make for a postcard-worthy backdrop for your day out on the slopes.

The Cannon Mountain Ski Area is in Franconia Notch State Park, a beautiful stretch of New Hampshire nature. While skiing is certainly the star of the show at Cannon Mountain in the wintertime, you'll find outdoor enthusiasts there all year, rock climbing, biking, swimming, birdwatching and hiking. In the warm weather, one of the big attractions is the impressive Flume Gorge, where wooden boardwalks take you through a cool, misty gorge, with a rushing river below and natural rock walls stretching up 90 feet above.

If you come for the skiing, you may find some of the more exciting hiking routes, like the Flume, closed for the offseason, but you can still take in the beauty of this wild landscape from man-made heights: The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway. This sky tram was actually the first in the entire United States, and it serves the same purpose now as it did in 1938 — taking skiers from the bottom of Cannon Mountain to the top. No matter what time of year you arrive, you can use the aerial tramway to reach the observation platform at the mountain's summit, hike the surrounding mountain trails, and, of course, admire the view of the landscape falling away below you as your cable car climbs up higher and higher into the sky.