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Abenaki Ski Area, New Hampshire: Wolfeboro's town-owned hill since 1940

Wolfeboro, NH

Part of Skiing and Snowboarding in the United States

Part of Skiing New England

Abenaki Ski Area is operated by the Town of Wolfeboro's Parks & Recreation Department, per the department's own Recreation page, which lists an "Asst. Director of Parks & Recreation | Abenaki Operations Manager" staff position. Hike-up skiing at the site preceded organized operation in the 1930s, and Abenaki's first lift-served season, 1940-41, is old enough that New England Ski History calls it "one of the oldest ski areas in the country."

  1. A town-owned community hill in Wolfeboro, skiable since 1940-41.

  2. A nonprofit World War II museum on Center Street, open seasonally.

  3. A Center Street museum on New Hampshire's boating heritage.

  4. A lakeside natural history museum, described by its own site as the state's oldest.

  5. The Historical Society's museum complex, anchored by the 1817 Clark House.

Idle periods, then investment

Abenaki's ski operations closed during World War II, one of the "idle periods" New England Ski History records for the area, attributed there to variable snowfall and funding challenges. Night skiing followed the war, likely for the 1946-47 season -- New England Ski History hedges the exact year rather than stating it as certain -- and a ski jump installed circa 1970 remained in use for about two decades. A temporary, "makeshift" snowmaking system was assembled in 2007, replaced by a permanent HKD system in 2011, and a new base lodge was built for the 2015-16 season. The Friends of Abenaki, a volunteer group whose efforts helped fund the snowcat and snowmaking upgrades, was started in 2005, per New England Ski History.

In Wolfeboro

The Wright Museum of World War II, on Center Street, describes itself on its own website as "a nonprofit educational institution dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions and enduring legacy of WWII-era Americans," and operates seasonally, open May 1 through October 31, per its own website. The New Hampshire Boat Museum, also on Center Street, carries the tagline "Discover New Hampshire's Boating Heritage" on its own website and operates two vintage tour boats, the Millie B and the Miss Lauren. The Libby Museum of Natural History, on North Main Street, describes itself on its own website as "the oldest natural history museum in New Hampshire," and its founder, Dr. Libby, intended the museum's lakeside land to "remain open to the public in perpetuity," according to the museum's own website. The Wolfeboro Historical Society's Clark House Museum Complex, on South Main Street, includes the Clark House -- donated to the town by Greenleaf Clark and home to three generations of the Clark family "for over one hundred years from 1817 to 1917," per the Society's own website -- alongside the Clark Museum Barn and an authentic one-room schoolhouse. In 2025, the Society received a proclamation from New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte honoring "100 years of Excellence in Museum Management, Community and State Education, and History Preservation," per the Society's own website.

Frequently asked questions

Who operates Abenaki Ski Area?
The Town of Wolfeboro's Parks & Recreation Department operates Abenaki; the department's own staff listing includes an "Asst. Director of Parks & Recreation | Abenaki Operations Manager" position, per the department's own Recreation page.
How old is Abenaki Ski Area?
Hike-up skiing at the site predates organized operation, occurring in the 1930s, and Abenaki's first lift-served season was 1940-41 -- old enough that New England Ski History calls it "one of the oldest ski areas in the country."