Ratings of Cross Country Ski Areas in Connecticut

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Ratings are submitted by skiers who have visited the areas listed in Cross Country Ski Areas in Connecticut.

Number of ratings for this region: 21
The latest 20 ratings are listed below

Name of XC Area: Winding Trails
Area number: CT17
Times that I have skied there: A few times
I last skied there in: Feb, 2005
Trails that I skied: Nature's Trail, Field Crossing, Scout Trail, Main street, Power Line, Little Brook, Martin's Way, Great Scott, Phantom Trail, Edge Trail, Winding Hills, Pine Needle, Pine Grove, Pine Hollow, Big Rock, Roosen's Run, Ironwood, Canal Trail, Shea Schuss, and Pond Trail.
My favorite trails: Roosen's Run, Great Scott, Little Brook, and Scout Trail.
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: There was something for every ability, the scenery was beautiful, and there were many different trails to choose from. The equiptment was also good. The trails were really fun to ski on. The staff was friendly and helpful. The lessons are well taught and helpful.
What I disliked: I think that it is all good.
Comments: Some of the trails (mostly the ones that were marked the most challenging) had very steep, curvy hills, and there were also parts of some of the intermediate trails that were difficult. The easier trails were great for beginners.
Submitted by: TM
from:
Date submitted: Feb 25, 2005

Name of XC Area: Woodbury Ski Area
Area number: CT19
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Jan, 2005
Trails that I skied: The only one! A 1/4 mile loop along the road.
My favorite trails: None
Trail marking: Fair
Trail grooming: Poor
Rating: 0.5 star
What I liked: The length of the trails listed on this website and theirs is way off. There was on small loop that could not have been more than 1/4 mile. $15!!!!
What I disliked: Not as advertised. What a ripoff.
Comments: Stay away. Go to a state park or White Memorial Foundation.
Submitted by: JH
from: Cheshire, CT
Date submitted: Feb 10, 2005

Name of XC Area: Winding Trails
Area number: CT17
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Feb, 2005
Trails that I skied: Main Street Chapel Hill
My favorite trails:
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: Scenery was nice. Width of trails great. Well maintained.
What I disliked:
Comments: No complaints. Nice area.
Submitted by:
from: Sharon
Date submitted: Feb 8, 2005

Name of XC Area: Pine Mountain Ski Touring
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Jan, 2005
Trails that I skied: We started at The Lodge, beared straight, then beared left at the T.
My favorite trails: Haven't tried 'em all, but what we skiid was GREAT.
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: There were noted discrepancies on the map, but the trails were gorgeous and well-marked. Very private with few signs of humanity. A good find, thanks to this site!
What I disliked: Frankly, it's a drive to East Hartland, so prepare. It's a good two hours from coastal CT. Noted discrepancies on the map, though this didn't affect us. Unfortunately, it's now closed for the rest of the year. It's last day of operation for 2005 was Jan.31st. We lucked out.
Comments: Closed due to insurance rates. Will probably be around next year, but call ahead. You've probably noticed an awful lot of outdoor activities have been curbed in recent years thanks to wanton litigation. Skating, snowmobiling, sledding, snowboarding, horseback riding have all fallen victim to this horrible trend. Did you know there's only two stables left in CT that offer riding? Pathetic.
Submitted by: MP
from: Durham, CT
Date submitted: Jan 31, 2005

Name of XC Area: White Memorial Conservation Center
Area number: CT18
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: Feb, 2004
Trails that I skied: Catlin Woods, Beaver, Cranberry, Fawn, Little and Teal Ponds
My favorite trails: Beaver Pond
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Fair
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: White Memorial Foundation has excellent trails for skiing. Well marked and beautiful scenery. You can drive and park to various trailheads on the property. Free, but we donate. One of the top places to ski in Connecticut, and we've gone there almost exclusively for ten years.
What I disliked: Not groomed, but this adds to the experience as it tests your abilities. Usually somebody has already been there and blazes the trail for others. This may be problematic for children. Hikers don't always respect the trails and I don't know if signs will help. No rentals on site, but that's not what the Foundation is about.
Comments: Unfortunately, a local sports shop on Rt.202, The Wilderness Shop, has now closed. We were going to return here this past weekend but could not reach another local rental shop. Too bad. We were looking forward to the trails and a stop at Haight Vineyards!
Submitted by: MP
from: Durham, CT
Date submitted: Jan 31, 2005

Name of XC Area: Pine Mountain Ski Touring
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: ,
Trails that I skied:
My favorite trails:
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: pretty area varied ability
What I disliked:
Comments:
Submitted by: terrry
from: newington
Date submitted: Jan 28, 2005

Name of XC Area: Pine Mountain Ski Touring
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: ,
Trails that I skied: Most of them
My favorite trails: The one to Beaver Pond
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: Great scenery, good terrain, wonderful place
What I disliked: People who bring their dogs
Comments: Far and away the best ski area in the state. None of the crowds of Winding Trails, with more challenging terrain.
Submitted by: RK
from: Avon, CT
Date submitted: Feb 7, 2004

Name of XC Area: Pine Mountain Ski Touring
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: A few times
I last skied there in: Jan, 2000
Trails that I skied:
My favorite trails:
Trail marking: Fair
Trail grooming: Fair
Rating: 3 stars
What I liked: Area holds snow well and is scenic.
What I disliked: Fairly small center with old style grooming.
Comments: An old time Mom and Pop operation run out of a barn. However, the snow is good in the area and with the few centers in CT it is worth a visit.
Submitted by: RUS
from: Stamford, CT
Date submitted: Dec 10, 2003

Name of XC Area: Cedar Brook Farms
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: Mar, 2003
Trails that I skied: all
My favorite trails: all
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: hott
What I disliked: nothing
Comments: ne
Submitted by: ck
from: ct
Date submitted: Dec 6, 2003

Name of XC area: Pine Mountain Ski Touring
Area number: CT16A
Times that I have skied the trails: Few
Date that I last skied the trails: Feb, 2002
Trails that I skied: Most
Trail marking: Fair
Trail maintenance: Fair
Rating: na
Favourite trails:
Commnets: Services are limited, but natural snow tends to be good in the area. With the limited number of XC areas in CT it is worth a visit. Mom and Pop side job operation. Submitted by: RUS
from: Stamford, CT
Date submitted: Dec 1, 2003

Name of XC Area: White Memorial Foundation
Area number: CT18
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: ,
Trails that I skied: All
My favorite trails: Most
Trail marking: Fair
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: Possibly the best backcountry XC skiing in Western CT.
What I disliked: Foundation could afford to put up a few signs asking non-skiers to stay out of the ski tracks.
Comments: Town of Litchfield is just to the North and makes a nice visit. I understand their is a sporting goods store with XC equipment near the main entrance.
Submitted by: RUS
from: Stamford, CT
Date submitted: Dec 1, 2003

Name of XC Area: White Memorial Foundation
Area number: CT18
Times that I have skied there: A few times
I last skied there in: Jan, 2003
Trails that I skied: Trail head off of route 63, Morris
My favorite trails:
Trail marking: Fair
Trail grooming: Fair
Rating: 3.5 stars
What I liked: A wonderful hidden freebie
What I disliked: Watch out for footprints in the tracks
Comments: White's woods can be accessed from several points.
maps can be bought at the museum and (hopefully) local business
Submitted by: Bill
from: Bristol, CT.
Date submitted: March 6, 2003

Name of XC Area: Winding Trails
Area number: CT17
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Feb, 2003
Trails that I skied: Dunning, Great Scott, Pond, Oak Hill, Chapel Hill, Ridge, Big Rock, Scout, Canal
My favorite trails: Pond, Oak Hill, Scott
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: Variety, scenery, snow conditions
What I disliked: No real long hills
Comments: Great rental facility, retail ski shop, dining area
Submitted by: Tom
from: Oakdale, CT
Date submitted: Feb 22, 2003

Name of XC Area: Woodbury Ski Area
Area number: CT19
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Feb, 2003
Trails that I skied: "Trails" are not named.
My favorite trails: None.
Trail marking: Poor
Trail grooming: Poor
Rating: 0.5 star
What I liked: They were very short so the experience was over fairly quickly. No map was available, but none was needed.
What I disliked: Unmarked "trails" are straight up and straight down alongside downhill skiing and snow tubing areas. There is nothing of interest except unmarked sharp turns at the end of icy (on the day we skied) downhills. More of the "trail" goes through a parking lot than through wooded areas -of which there are none.

Comments: Although they advertise 20 km of trails, there are nowhere near that many km. I would be surprised if there were 5. Before you go, make sure you read the sign that says "NO REFUNDS." Believe it. If you ask for a refund you will probably hear about how expensive the snow-making equipment is. I did. [To the editors of this web page: This place should not be listed here. It is misleading to characterize it as a legitimate cross country ski facility.
Submitted by: Paul
Date submitted: Feb 21, 2003

Name of XC Area: Winding Trails
Area number: CT17
Times that I have skied there: Weekly
I last skied there in: Feb, 2003
Trails that I skied: Mama's Butt
My favorite trails: Mama's Butt
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked:
What I disliked:
Comments:
Submitted by:
from:
Date submitted: Feb 13, 2003

Name of XC Area: Woodbury Ski Area
Area number: CT19
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Jan, 2003
Trails that I skied: cross country
My favorite trails: no favorite
Trail marking: Fair
Trail grooming: Fair
Rating: 1 star
What I liked: There was not much to like.
What I disliked: The trails were simply a series of groomed paths circling the downhill skiing and snow tubing hills. They also were not cross country trails,but short steep hills. The two trails could be skied in about an hour at most. Not a true cross country skiing experience at all.
Comments: It was way too expensive for what it was, and parts of the trail were over blacktop.
Submitted by: Cara
from: New York, NY
Date submitted: Feb 8, 2003

Name of XC Area: Woodbury Ski Area
Area number: CT19
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Feb, 2003
Trails that I skied: Cross country ski trail
My favorite trails: none
Trail marking: Poor
Trail grooming: Fair
Rating: 0.5 star
What I liked: Unfortunately there was nothing I liked about the trails.
What I disliked: The trails were very limited. There are two. One trail is up and down the snow tubing area and the other is up and down the down hill ski area. We could see ashpalt patches through some areas of snow.
Comments: It was fairly expensive for a trail ticket ($15) and rentals ($26) considering what the trails were like. That's $82 for my husband and me. After going once around the tubing area we were really disappointed. It wasn't worth the effort to make another trip around the very short loop. There was nothing to see and we encounted dead ends that we actually had to completely turn around and back track. We went in to talk to the owner and find out if we could get some of our money back, at least for the trail ticket. He was not very responsive at all and basically just kept telling us how much money he spent on different pieces of grooming equipment. Even if he didn't give us our money back he could have at least listened to us as customers. For me to talk to an owner is a big deal! I've never done that in my life. But that's how disappointed I was.
Submitted by: Anne Bruno
from: New Milford, CT
Date submitted: Feb 8, 2003

Name of area: Woodbury Ski Area
Area number: CT19
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Jan, 2003
Trails that I skied: None skiable
My favorite trails: N/A
Trail marking: Poor
Trail grooming: Poor
Rating: 0.5 star
What I liked: N/A
What I disliked: Trails were unskiable. Icy, poorly maintained, with large dirt stretches on some. "Snow making" happens on the alpine trails; you are expected to ski straight up and come straight down.
Comments: None of this would have bothered me if I had been informed of conditions by management; however, I was told trails were in great shape when I called ahead. Furthermore, they do not offer refunds, so after 10 minutes of "skiing" (more walking to avoid ice/cross dirt), I asked for my money back and was told, essentially, tough luck. If you have any choice, go to Winding Trails in Farmington, where there is courteous, knowledgeable staff and decent trails.
Submitted by: M.G.
from: Massachusetts
Date submitted: Jan 26, 2003

Name of area: Winding Trails
Area number: CT17
Times that I have skied there: Once
I last skied there in: Jan, 2003
Trails that I skied: Dunning Trail, Forest Hills, Raccoon Road
My favorite trails: Dunning Trail, Raccoon Road
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: Scenery, helpfulness of people who worked there, trail layouts
What I disliked: On some trails some houses could be seen through the trees
Comments:
Submitted by: CK
from: Norwich CT
Date submitted: Jan 20, 2003

Name of area: Cedar Brook Farms
Area number: CT16
Times that I have skied there: Several times
I last skied there in: Feb, 99
Trails that I skied: all
My favorite trails: all
Trail marking: Very good
Trail grooming: Very good
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: -close to Hartford area.
-reasonable costs.
-soup, coffee, hot chocolate.
-rentals for a modest fee.
-great place to teach children.
What I disliked: -it may be closed, waiting to hear if opening for 2003.
Comments:
Submitted by: mom
from: south windsor
Date submitted: Jan 3, 2003