A New England winter can be cold, harsh, and sometimes just miserable; a New England winter, when done right, can also be magical. These three New England towns ooze winter magic and remind us just how beautiful a fresh blanket of white snow and a full day of winter adventure feel in New England.
A fresh ranking of America’s “top 10 destinations in the US for snow lovers” ranked three New England towns among the top 10 places in the nation for snowy retreats.
Top 10 snowy towns in America
The town of Stowe, Vermont, ranked at number 7 on the list, and is also recognized as one of the “most beautiful small towns in the world.” At number 5 is North Conway, New Hampshire, the closest destination to Boston on the list, and boasting the nation’s number one ski resort. Just ahead is Caribou, Maine, one of the snowiest towns in New England—with an annual average snowfall of 118 inches—and a wealth of winter activities.
Stowe is about 3 hours from Boston, and Caribou—as the record snowfall suggests—is far up in Northern New England, about 6 hours from Boston by car. Here are the top “top 10 destinations in the US for snow lovers” according to USA Today readers:
- Upper Peninsula of Michigan
- Frisco, Colorado
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Caribou, Maine
- North Conway, New Hampshire
- Aspen, Colorado
- Stowe, Vermont
- Lake Placid, New York
- Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada
- Winter Park, Colorado
While not New England, Lake Placid in New York’s picturesque Adirondack Mountains, is just under a 5-hour drive from Boston, and even closer if you’re in Western Massachusetts or Vermont. This Scandi-inspired retreat is an idyllic place to stay in Lake Placid.
Methodology
USA Today editors independently selected a list of America’s best snowy destinations based on their travel expertise; the team pooled together combined travel and research on winter destinations across the country.
The list is then released to over 200,000 USA Today readers who vote on the final 10, compiling the list of America’s top winter destinations for snow lovers. The factors considered for the best snow towns are the variety of winter activities, snow landscapes, and of course, amount of snowfall!