Best guide for reasons to visit Sunday River Maine

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Sunday River, located in Newry, Maine is arguably one of the best all-around ski and snowboard mountains on the east coast.

The mountain itself is the second largest in Maine and has a vertical drop of 2,340-ft, sixth largest in New England. It has 870 skiable acres with 135 trails and glades and a little something for everyone. Though I recommend going during the week if you want to avoid some of the crowds. Lift tickets at the window for adults are around $75 for a full day, however, this mountain is also on the Ikon pass as well.

If you need a lesson or two before setting out on your own, they do offer both group lessons and private lessons for adults and kids.

Now that we have the basic mountain info out of the way, these are the 5 reasons you should head to Sunday River for your next trip.

Ski in/Ski out Lodging at Sunday River

There are two main resorts based right at the mountain as well as various condos for rent for those that enjoy ski-in/ski-out. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it, there really is nothing like getting up, putting on your gear and walking out the door and directly onto the slopes.

The Grand Summit Hotel

Located at the base of White Cap and Locke peaks the Grand Summit Hotel has everything you need. The staff is super friendly, the rooms are clean and the onsite wellness activities are on point.

After a full day on the mountain you can leave your board or skis at the ski check just inside the hotel. It’s located right as you are heading out to the mountain or returning for the day. There is no extra charge unless you want to leave a tip. This way you don’t have to lug your board up to your room every day.

I highly recommend purchasing a room that includes breakfast. Save yourself some money. The buffet breakfast is huge. They have an omelete station, various cooked foods, breads, meats and cheeses, smoothies, etc.

Then there is the fitness center. If you haven’t been punished enough by the mountain for the day you can head to the fitness center for a solid workout. Or, like me, you can hit the sauna, pool and hot tub. The set-up couldn’t be more perfect. A quick sauna, then head into a small indoor area that is nicely heated and is the entrance to their heated pool.

Head through the curtains into the main pool area before pulling yourself into the hot tub. It is the perfect way to end the day and work out those sore muscles. From the pool and hot tub you have the perfect view of the groomers at night, doing their thing, preparing the mountain for you for the next day.

The Jordan Hotel

On the other side of the mountain, located at the bottom of Jordan’s Bowl, is the Jordan Hotel. A beautiful hotel with an awesome outdoor heated sauna and the best beer on tap I have ever had.

The only downside, is the drive in and it’s kind of inconvenient from other places. It is a ski in/ski out but Jordan’s Bowl is a little out of the way and takes some work to get to and out of. Also, some of the lifts close early.

However, they make up for this inaccessibility with having everything you really need right there. With multiple restaurants, ski in/ ski out, a great hot tub and pool, and one of my favorite areas on the mountain to snowboard, what more could you need?

Getting Around

Even if you are staying right at the mountain, you will definitely want to get out and try some of the restaurants nearby. Instead of driving, there are two fantastic options for getting around.

Sunday River Resort shuttles

The mountain has shuttle service to take you between resorts, base lodges and parking areas. They run regularly all day, so if you wanted to check out the main lodge for dinner you can grab this free shuttle.

There are 3 base lodges to choose from and the shuttle runs in a scheduled loop, so you can always rely on it being there to take you back to your hotel.

Mountain Explorer shuttle

I was so impressed by this. The town of Bethel offers a free shuttle service to various places from Sunday River into the town of Bethel. You can grab a schedule from the front desk of your hotel.

It makes stops at places like the Matterhorn restaurant (which I highly recommend) and Sunday River Brewing Company. A great way to taste the local brews without needing to drive.

Trail options at Sunday River

I loved Sunday River the most of all the mountains I have visited on the east coast thus far for the simple fact that there is so much skiable terrain. With 8 peaks you could spend several days and still not explore all the terrain.

For beginners

For families with little kids and for those just starting out North Peak is the place to be. Consisting of mostly all green circles and the occasional blue square, North Peak is halfway up the mountain. But make sure to also check out Lollapalooza over at Jordan’s Bowl too, it’s a long and fun run.

There are a couple of double black diamond tree runs mixed in there, so watch out for people popping out of the woods.

For experts

If you are an expert, like tree runs or want to test your skills on some double black diamonds make sure to hit both White Cap and Oz. Both of those peaks are mainly all double black diamonds, though each peak has its own blue square or green circle in the event that you feel your skillset isn’t quite up to the challenge.

My personal favorite was White Heat, a double black diamond on White Cap. Other recommendations include Obsession, also on White Cap and Airglow over at Aurora Peak.

For those in between

If you consider yourself intermediate or approaching expert, there is so much available terrain for you. Each peak has blue square trails, with the exception of Oz, and I highly recommend checking them all out.

Risky business and Lazy River were two of my favorite blue square trails on the mountain.

Best ski town in America

If you have time, make sure to take the Mountain Explorer shuttle into Bethel. USA Today named Bethel “Americas Best Ski Town.” It really is a cute little ski town with lots of restaurants, shops and cafes it’s worth checking out.

Special events at Sunday River

It’s not just a ski mountain. Sunday River also knows how to throw a party. Below are just a few examples but for a complete list of events make sure to check out their events page for dates and more details.

Spring Fest Weekend

This huge party is a celebration of the return of spring, complete with live concerts, food and drinks for all.

Pond-a-palooza

The question is, what’s spring skiing without pond skimming? At Sunday River, every spring people dress up and ski or ride into a huge manmade pond at the bottom of the hill to see how far they can go.

Concluding Thoughts

Sunday River quickly became my favorite mountain in the east. There is just so much terrain to choose from, for all skill levels. I really felt like I had the opportunity to work on my skills while I was there. And it was also the first time I rode a black diamond and a double black diamond.

Which east coast mountain is your favorite? For a complete list make sure to check out my east coast mountain recommendations. And keep checking back, because that list keeps on growing as I explore more of the east coast terrain.