August 10, 2019 (New Hampshire) – New England’s Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center in the White Mountains of New Hampshire has built a great reputation as day-ski area. With the opening last fall of The Glen House, a new 68-room hotel at the foot of spectacular Mt. Washington, the cross-country skiing opportunities there became much more diverse.

With outstanding skiing on some of the most delightfully flowing, scenic, whimsy-filled trails (check out the names!) in the region are similar to 19th-century carriage roads – gentle, forested and scenic. Designed with a sense of humour and history as well as an eye to beauty, the trails need as little as 4”/10cm of firm snow to operate.

When the area opened in December 1994, the entire operation wasn’t just new – it was state-of-the-art. Everything was designed with fun, aesthetics, environmental stewardship and longevity in mind. It’s the closest I’ve ever known to outdoor recreation poetry.

The Outdoor Center gives you a trails experience, including fatbiking, snowshoeing, tubing and snowcoach tours up to the treeline of Mount Washington in winter, with biking, hiking and so on to enjoy other seasons.

Years ago, there was a hotel on site (actually four in succession, beginning in 1852, all eventually consumed by fire). As of September 2018, the new 68-room Glen House fills that lodging niche with panache. And that makes it a Nordic destination of note.

Howie Wemyss is general manager of the entire multi-faceted operation (the Center, hotel, Mount Washington Auto Road) and has been with the company for 32 years. With the Glen House, he said, “We’ve become a cross-country resort.”

Visually, the Glen House resembles its predecessors, with three stories, shingle roof, clapboard exterior, shutters and balconies. As with the trails, the hotel is unique – handsome, environmentally responsible and decorated with just a touch of delightful quirkiness (witness the hilarious faux moosehead mounted on the massive stone fireplace in the lobby/bar).

While the hotel is new its design and feel blends well with the history of the area as well as the landscape. The rooms are bright and spacious, with views from one side of the Presidentials and the Great Gulf Wilderness, from the other the Carter-Moriah range. Other attractions include a restaurant, an outdoor deck and an indoor saltwater swimming pool.

Hotel manager Tom Spaulding, a longtime hospitality professional, adds that “Sustainability is in mind for everything we do.” That’s not just the familiar recycling, but also includes local products on the menu, as well as geothermal heating and cooling, on-property hydroelectric power, biodegradable paper and even bags in which you can take soap home.

When you stay at the Glen House, your recreation is included in the package – and it’s ski-in/ski-out. We can’t wait to visit again.

Just the Facts
The Glen House: website here, 603-466-3420
Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center: website here, 603-466-3988