From the lodge you can be on three different mountains inside 40 min, and they are different — not three versions of the same hill. Loon is the polished, close, family-and-everyone resort 6 min away. Cannon is the state-owned, steeper, colder, old-school mountain in the notch, 16 min north, with the tallest vertical drop in New Hampshire. Waterville Valley is the tucked-away all-rounder at the end of its own valley, 40 min south, with a high-speed six-pack and a village.
Our skiing guide profiles each in depth. This page is the head-to-head — the version you read the night before, with the numbers side by side and a clear answer for each kind of skier.
The numbers, side by side
Loon Mountain: about 2,190 feet of vertical, 403 skiable acres, 73 trails, a gondola and high-speed lifts, three peaks (Loon, North, South). 6 min from the lodge. Opened November 21 in 2025.
Cannon Mountain: roughly 2,200 feet of vertical — the largest in New Hampshire — around 280 skiable acres, about 72 trails, ten lifts, state-run inside Franconia Notch State Park. 20 min north. Opened November 20 in 2025. The aerial tramway is retired for replacement; the ski lifts run as normal.
Waterville Valley: 2,020 feet of vertical from a 4,004-foot summit, 265 acres, 62 trails, a high-speed six-pack bubble chair and a high-speed quad, a base village. About 40 min southeast via I-93 and Route 49.
Terrain and personality
Loon is the groomer's mountain — long, wide, immaculately maintained cruisers, a serious terrain-park program, and enough variety across three peaks that a mixed-ability group never splits up for long. It is also the busiest of the three, and it knows it: the infrastructure is built for volume.
Cannon is steeper, colder, windier and rawer — the front-face trails off the top are real expert terrain, the notch funnels weather, and the grooming philosophy is old New England. Locals and strong skiers love it precisely for that; intermediates find plenty too, but it rewards commitment. Waterville is the balanced one — mostly intermediate cruising, well-laid-out, a fine bump run or two, and a sheltered feel at the end of its valley that keeps wind down.
Crowds, lines, parking
Loon fills on holiday weekends and its lots are a scene by nine; the flip side is that its lift capacity is the highest of the three, so lines move. Cannon is quieter most days and its state-run pricing helps — but the summit lifts close in high wind more often than at the others, and when they do the whole mountain compresses. Waterville draws its own loyal crowd and rarely feels crushed; the six-pack keeps the main line short.
The universal fix is midweek. A Tuesday at any of the three is a different sport from a Saturday.
The drive and the day
Loon: 6 min; you can go back to the lodge for lunch. Cannon: 16 min up the parkway, weather-dependent — check the notch forecast, which is its own thing. Waterville: 40 min down I-93 and up Route 49; a full-day commitment, and Route 49 in a storm deserves respect.
For a three-day trip, the classic pattern is Loon on arrival day (close, easy), Cannon on the best-weather day (the views from the top of the notch are the payoff), and Waterville as the change of scene.
Answers by skier
First-timers and mixed families: Loon, no contest — the learning terrain, the lifts and the proximity. Strong skiers chasing steeps and the New England feel: Cannon. Couples who want relaxed cruising and a village to walk after: Waterville. Budget: Cannon's state-run pricing usually wins, and it is the least crowded per dollar. Worst weather day: Loon or Waterville over Cannon, whose exposed summit is the first to close.
Nordic and snowshoe alternatives for the non-skier in the party live in our trail directory. And Bretton Woods, an hour north, is the fourth option — the biggest acreage in the state, gentler vertical, and the grand-hotel setting — for the day you want a drive.
Where to stay
Loon's lifts are 6 min from the door — near enough to ski a morning, come back for the fireplace, and go out again. Cannon and Waterville are day trips in the 16-to-40 min class. Midweek winter dates here are the easiest of the year to book.
Sources & official info: loonmtn.com · nhstateparks.org · waterville.com · skinh.com
— Launchpoint Lodge, From the lodge
