Big Rock - Maine
Established in the 1960, Big Rock Ski Area was purchased in 2000 by the Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) through grants available from the Portland, Maine-based Libra Foundation. Libra has a long-term commitment to the development and promotion of winter sports in northern Maine, and has overseen the creation of a cross-country ski and biathlon complex in the towns of Fort Kent and Presque Isle.
Once a popular activity for many families in Aroostook County, alpine, or downhill, skiing, declined in popularity over the years as rising prices made it difficult for the average family to "hit the slopes" for a day or weekend. Big Rock and the Maine Winter Sports Center want to once again make skiing an activity for the whole family to enjoy by offering improved facilities and state of the art equipment at family-friendly prices.
Big Rock has taken many steps to make the facility the ultimate place for individuals and families to learn to ski. The ski school gives both beginner and experienced skiers the instruction they need to improve. Extensive brush clearing, trail reconditioning, improved snowmaking capabilities, reconditioned lifts, and new grooming equipment have made the slopes more enjoyable for all skill levels. To add variety to everyone's winter sports experience, Big Rock has added Cross-country and snowshoe trails. Big Rock's lodge has been expanded to include a new rental shop, ticket counter, and café with food hot off the grill along with homemade soups and snacks.
| MOUNTAIN STATISTICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Base Elevation: | 661 ft | (201 m) |
| Summit Elevation: | 1,641 ft | (500 m) |
| Vertical Drop: | 980 ft | (299 m) |
| Skiable Area: | 60 acres | (24 hectares) |
| Annual Snowfall: | 160 in | (406 cm) |
| Longest Run: | 6,000 ft | (1,829 m) |
| Snowmaking: | 65 % | |
| Number of Lifts: | 4 | |
| Uphill Lift Capacity: | 1,800 per hour | |
| Types of Lifts: | 1 Carpet Tow 1 Handle Tow 1 Poma Lifts 1 Double Chair 1 Triple Chair |
|
| Number of Trails: | 28 | |
| TRAIL RATINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Easiest: |  |
20% |
| More Difficult: |  |
60% |
| Most Difficult: |  |
20% |
| Experts Only: |  |
0% | Trail ratings indicate the relative difficulty of the runs within a given ski area and are not meant to be used for comparison between ski areas. |
| AREA DETAILS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Skiing: | Yes | ||||||
| Snowboarding: | Yes | ||||||
| Required: | Yes | ||||||
| Night Skiing: | Yes | ||||||
| Cross Country: | 9 km | ||||||
| Snow Tubing: | Yes | ||||||
| Snowshoe Trails: | Yes | ||||||
