Waterville Valley, NH – Teen ‘n Tween Approved

     The Waterville Valley, New Hampshire ski area, situated in the White Mountain National Forest, stands at 4,004 feet high with a vertical drop of 2,020 feet.   It offers a range of trails at all levels, including moguls as well as half pipe and superpipe options for snowboarders.   Overnight lodgings are not permitted within the National Forest so the base village, known as the Town Center,  is a short shuttle ride away.  It includes a range of moderate, teen, tween and family friendly lodging options such as the Black Bear Lodge and the Snowy Owl Inn.  

Waterville Valley skiing and snowboarding is teen and tween approved

    Most of the lodgings are rental condos that show some wear and tear but are fine for families that want the space and access to the mountain.  This is not a luxury resort so don’t go if you want a lot of pampering.   There are a handful of restaurants that can get crowded at peak hours.   The food is mostly basic pizza, bugers  or casual dining and service varies depending on the time of day and the mood of the staff.  A good tip is to bring your own breakfast and snacks, grab lunch while you are out during the day, then order in pizza for dinner or save time and money and cook your own. 

Self-Contained Resort Offers Teens and Tweens Independence

     What makes this set-up teen and tween approved is that the rather isolated and compact nature of the village allows parents to give their teens and tweens some freedom.   Teens and tweens can walk to just about everything in the village from their condo and can take the free shuttle back and forth to the mountain.  Parents can ski or spend time at the White Mountain Athletic Club .   In our case, we were in Waterville for a hockey tournament and it was a fabulous location for a group of teens to explore on their own.  

For teens and tweens with little ski or snowboard experience, a private lesson will get them on the slopes quickly

      Just two hours from Boston, Waterville has a strong following among families who start their kids skiing early.  The group lessons and kids camps are well attended and many of the younger ski instructors grew up skiing the mountain.   As a hockey playing family, most of our winter weekends find us at the rink so our kids ski rarely.   At the last minute, we discovered the tournament schedule had enough open time for us to spend a few hours at the mountain, rather than the rink.  The Waterville ski school staff got an A+  in our book for providing an enthusiastic private lesson snowboard instructor for hockeyprincess on very short notice.  The rental shop was very efficient and friendly even in the middle of a busy Saturday.  Within a half hour of starting the lesson she was riding the JBar and starting to carve turns!

Waterville Valley Ski Weekend Best for Teens and Tweens with Friends

     Given its size, Waterville Valley  is really a weekend destination rather than the type of place you would take teens for a week.  It is a great place for teens and tweens to learn to ski or snowboard or to go with friends and other families.   If you live in or visit Southern New England and are looking for a low stress way to introduce your teen or tween to skiing or snowboarding Waterville Valley is a great option.  And while you are there, check out the hockey rink for public skating or to watch one of the great youth hockey tournaments that take place there all season long!

     Click this link for more information on our “Teen ‘n Tween Approved” review program and to check out our listing of recent reviews and our editorial policy.  Note that we paid for our visit to Waterville out of our own pocket and received no compensation from the resort prior to the publication of this review.