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Looking down the Powderhouse Hill slope (2015)
Powderhouse Hill
South Berwick, Maine
Status: Open
First Season:1939-40
Vertical Drop:175 feet
Standing Lifts:Surface lift
Past Lifts:
Left: Looking down the Powderhouse Hill slope (2015)
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Located near downtown South Berwick, Powderhouse Hill may be one of the oldest lift served ski areas in New England.

Powderhouse Hill's skiing history possibly dates back to 1939, when William Hardy reportedly installed a rope tow on Herbie Day's land. Other accounts have this happening as late as the 1950s or 1960s.

Powder House Ski Club was established as a non profit company in Maine in December of 1964, roughly around the same time as the development of nearby Mt. Agamenticus. The area may have shut down in the 1970s, again around the same time as Mt. Agamenticus.

In subsequent decades, the ski club was reinvigorated and the property purchased by the town of South Berwick.

Powderhouse Hill (2008)
Powderhouse Hill (2008)

The area faced possible closure in 2009 when liability insurance concerns surfaced due to the area being operated by a non-profit organization. To keep the area open, it was absorbed into the town Recreational Department.

Powderhouse Hill (2015)
Powderhouse Hill (2015)

The rope tow was rebuilt for the 2010-11 season to improve reliability. In 2013-14, the ski area experimented with a small snowmaking system.

Powderhouse Hill continues to operate its 1938 Ford rope tow for both day and night skiing sessions.

NewEnglandSkiConditions.com Reports
Month Average Percent of Terrain Open
February100%    (1 report)100 Open
Recent Conditions Reports
Feb. 14, 2015 by rocket21
Packed Powder, Powder
Powderhouse Hill on NewEnglandSkiConditions.com


Year by Year History
Adult Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket; Adult Full Price Unlimited Season Pass
2020s Ticket Price Season Pass Price
Pass Payback
Opening Day
Closing Day
Skier Visits
2022-23$5.002022-23 Ticket Price Graph2022-23 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 25March 182022-23 Skier Visit Graph
2021-22$5.002021-22 Ticket Price Graph2021-22 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 7March 62021-22 Skier Visit Graph
2020-212020-21 Ticket Price Graph2020-21 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 19February 212020-21 Skier Visit Graph
2019-20$5.002019-20 Ticket Price Graph2019-20 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 4February 232019-20 Skier Visit Graph
2010s Ticket Price Season Pass Price
Pass Payback
Opening Day
Closing Day
Skier Visits
2018-19$5.002018-19 Ticket Price Graph2018-19 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 20March 132018-19 Skier Visit Graph
2017-18$5.002017-18 Ticket Price Graph2017-18 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 27March 252017-18 Skier Visit Graph
2016-17$5.002016-17 Ticket Price Graph2016-17 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 31March 262016-17 Skier Visit Graph
2015-16$5.002015-16 Ticket Price Graph2015-16 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 3February 142015-16 Skier Visit Graph
2014-15$5.002014-15 Ticket Price Graph2014-15 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 9April 12014-15 Skier Visit Graph
2013-14$5.002013-14 Ticket Price Graph2013-14 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 15March 222013-14 Skier Visit Graph
2012-13$5.002012-13 Ticket Price Graph2012-13 Season Pass Price GraphDecember 282012-13 Skier Visit Graph
2011-12$5.002011-12 Ticket Price Graph2011-12 Season Pass Price GraphJanuary 132011-12 Skier Visit Graph
2010-11$5.002010-11 Ticket Price Graph2010-11 Season Pass Price Graph2010-11 Skier Visit Graph
2009-10$5.002009-10 Ticket Price Graph2009-10 Season Pass Price Graph2009-10 Skier Visit Graph
2000s Ticket Price Season Pass Price
Pass Payback
Opening Day
Closing Day
Skier Visits
2008-09$5.002008-09 Ticket Price Graph2008-09 Season Pass Price Graph2008-09 Skier Visit Graph
1970s Ticket Price Season Pass Price
Pass Payback
Opening Day
Closing Day
Skier Visits
1969-70$1.501969-70 Ticket Price Graph1969-70 Season Pass Price Graph1969-70 Skier Visit Graph


Visitor Memories
"back when i was young myself and siblings use 2 look forward 2 slideing down that hill when we visited my cousins and my uncle herbie and aunt mary what a great time 2 grow up things were much slower then and you made your own fun outdoors know computers ans sitting on your but all day those memories are forever we really had some great times on that hill its a shame they cant slide there now it was so much fun"
matthew day, Sep. 5, 2015
"I stopped by Powderhouse Hill for an afternoon of skiing last winter. The main slope has great groomed conditions for carving, while the trees on skiers right added some variety. Well worth the whopping $5 ticket price!"
Jeremy Clark, Sep. 4, 2015
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External Links
  • Powderhouse Hill - official site
  • Powderhouse Hill - New England Lost Ski Areas Project
  • Powderhouse Hill - SmallSkiAreas.com
  • Last updated: November 25, 2016

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