Bluewood

As a thriller and romance author, I spend a lot of time looking for places that help me reset, especially in winter. Bluewood Ski Area has become one of those places for me, and I’ve skied here several times. Bluewood has a straightforward layout that works well. There’s one main lift and a side lift that services another part of the mountain, which keeps things simple and efficient. Two long cruiser trails wrap around the mountain, with the skier’s-right option being the easiest and longest run. It’s a great trail when you want a sustained descent instead of short laps. The beginner area is well set up, with a proper bunny hill and a magic carpet. The base area facilities are larger than you might expect, with a full rental operation where you can get skis, boots, and everything you need to get on the mountain without hassle. One of the best features is how close the lift is to the parking lot. You step out of your car and you’re basically there, which matters on cold days. The lodge is spacious and comfortable. There’s a large dining area upstairs, and they serve breakfast earlier in the day before switching over to lunch. Prices are very reasonable compared to bigger resorts. There’s also a bar in the lodge, which gives adults a nice place to relax, and outside there’s a fire pit with chairs that makes it easy to unwind between runs. The overall vibe is relaxed and very chill. The staff has always been friendly and helpful, from ticketing to rentals to the shop. The gift shop has a fun selection of clothing and gear, and lift ticket prices are fair, especially if you catch something like Toyota Free Ski Friday. Terrain-wise, Bluewood offers a good mix of intermediate and advanced runs, including some legitimate black diamond options. The mountain is north-facing, so it can stay cold and hold snow well, which makes dressing appropriately important. Overall, Bluewood feels like a local mountain done right. Easy access. Solid terrain. Fair prices. Friendly people. It’s a place I genuinely enjoy returning to when I need time on the snow and a break from writing.

— Aaron Linsdau Thriller Author

Not a bad hill, lift is pretty slow (about 12 min to the top and its only 1k feet of gain) but lines were very reasonable, didnt wait longer than 10 min and no wait most of the times on a Saturday. Granted conditions were pretty average Took me 20 min to get my lift ticket and I was 2nd in line which wasnt great Groomed runs were great, thin cover and icy in some sections. The shortest run is extremely quick (took me 3 min and im not that fast), the longer runs took me around 10 Food is decent and way cheaper than most resorts

— Sanchit Batra

I always love visiting here to ski- it’s so much more intimate than the high priced tourist areas. The nature and scenery are so beautiful and you can see how much effort they put into taking care of the area. 100% recommend visiting here if you have the chance to ski/ snowboard!

— Tabitha Heckman.

I have been skiing at Blue Wood since I was 10 years old (30+years). The pros: It is so wonderful to have a ski area so close to home. I really like the updated cafe. So many more options for food then in the past! The cons: The chair lift is still pretty similar to when I was a kid. It is not enclosed and takes a while to get to the top of the mountain (brrr). I noticed this year that the prices have REALLY gone up. Blue Wood got some new equipment (like ticket scanners) but dang, lift tickets and lessons are so much more money than a few years ago. We recenty went up on a Thur morning, got up there early. I was hoping to put my kids in lessons but they only had one option at 1pm. I wish they had a morning lesson offered. Other than price I think Blue Wood is a great option for local towns. It is not a huge resort style ski destination (and that is fine by me). I just wish the prices weren't similar to a big fancy ski resort.

— jennifer caso

Overall great experience. The hills in this area tend to be pretty sharp (but this isn't a bad thing), but do be careful with your less experienced skiers. Ski lifts are a bit dated and there are not many amenities, but for the cost of the lift tickets, Bluewood is a great value.

— Adam Dispenza