Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Berkshire East that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Berkshire East stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Berkshire East review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Berkshire East
Total (3.0)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Berkshire East is a great mountain that skis like a smaller version of southern Vermont. Easily my favorite place to ski in Massachusetts/Southern NY, and CT. Great steeps and plenty of variety and glades, and solid blacks. Great snowmaking and operations, has a new high-speed detachable that is a game-changer. Their lifts and the trail layout work well together when you want to mix up laps. It is super fun to rip down their groomers - even their extra-wide green exhibition is steeper than most blues at other resorts allowing for some speed fun. The only negative for families and folks new to skiing is the limited greens, as they only have a bunny hill and the two trails that wrap around the mountain. Hopefully that will change with the planned expansion. Berkshire East is more a ski area and not a resort - they don't have offering like the big places have (ice skating, movie theater, fine dining, etc). Charlemont doesn't have much going on, a few decent restaurants and that's it.
Aj James
Super cozy New England resort. Great for a day trip, always has more snow than expected. Chill vibe, yet family oriented. When I went they were hosting a special Olympics event and that was really cool. If only they had more beer selection, and more campfires.
George Rapp
Don’t ski here. The focus is racing, not families. They will take up half a trail or close the middle of the mountain to run a weekend race and your stuck either on one side or the other. The mountain has been ice forever. Thunder will scare your kids and they you have to walk to just get back to the lift. Oh yeah #2 broken for days again!! If you want to get to the bunny slope be prepared to walk from the learning carpet around the lodge by maintenance or all the way in front on the lodge around the pond and hope you don’t get hit by a skier flying down. Don’t forget the rude patrol yelling at people, blowing by you on the hill and cutting lines all day. Don’t believe the 120” snow that’s inflated area only averages 60”. Elevation is fiction, topo maps say 1520 summit and 620 base 900 ft not 1180. Go north for real snow and family friendly skiing without tons of racers.
James Owen
Berkshire east is a great small mountain. It is a short 45 minute drive from Amherst. While it is small, it is very steep for its size and its expert runs are great. The lines are never long and the price is cheap. It does not have the best glades or terrain park. The food is pretty good, especially at the Crazy Horse Bar & Grill. Also a cool fact about it is that it is 100% renewable energy, but that doesn't effect the skiing. What does effect the skiing is that is has 100% snowmaking coverage.
stephen worth
It ain't Sarajevo, but we're not Bill Johnson either. Just a fun mountain for most skiers who just want a nice skiing fix without the travel time and expense of the larger resorts in the area. Very customer friendly.
ericausand
I am an expert skier with over 40 years experience, and have skied all over the world. That being said, this mountain is a great day tripper to get your fix. I was pleasantly surprised by how steep the front 3 runs are, I was alone on them all day going as fast as I wanted, which is pretty fast considering the pitch and the fact that conditions were top notch. The Very well groomed slopes provide plenty of grip for the high G turns I like to rip. We even befriended a ski patrolled names John who showed us some of the glades, which were OK, but with only 1000 Vertical, your in and out of them before you know it. Based on what this mountain is, i think they do a five star job in providing the customer with a great experience. The mountain is family owned and you can even see a romantic picture of the owner Roy and his lovely wife above the fire at the Crazy Horse bar, where we got very yummy sandwiches, and hot cocoa at a great price. I went on a Sunday and the crowds were minimal, the parking lot is a very short walk to the slopes and there was no one in line at the ticket window. Coming from CT I usually do Magic for day Trips, but we will be mixing in BE in the future.
Ben Schaeffer
I attended college in Amherst, and Berkshire East was about 45 minutes from campus to slopes. My parents owned a home in southern Vermont, which was about an hour and a half from campus; and I prefer VT skiing. I liked Berkshire East in terms of what it had to offer terrain-wise and the fact that I could do it as an easy day-trip from campus, or turn it into an overnight and combine Berkshire East with Mt.Snow & Haystack for a weekend (or extended holiday weekend) away. I preferred Jiminy Peak in nearby Hancock overall as my favorite Berkshire ski resort, but BE was a close second (and Butternut third). I haven't skied at BE since the 98/99 season, and I live in Northern California and ski Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mainly now, but I will ALWAYS love New England skiing, because it's how I grew up skiing.
Christine Robidoux
It is not worth the trip even if it is close. They lie about the number of trails that they have opened . They will not give you your money back nor will they give you a credit for another time. When my kids call home to tell me they did not have half the trails the claimed open, I could not believe the arrogance the place had toward me.Go to Wachusett and not here. Wachusette will give you a credit for another day if you don't like the ski conditions and they have better snow making.
Brian
Wonderful, old style, family owned, New England skiing. I'm 70 and have skied France, Switzerland, Italy, the Sierras and the Rockies in Canada and US. This feels like coming home to my childhood in New England.
Jared Reid
Berkshire east is a family run mountain and it shows. The Beginner area is great for learning. The West lodge is a great lodge for beginners and families away from the main lodge which is often filled with ski racers. Berkshire east has invested in the mountain and it keeps getting better. The snowmaking gets better years after year. There has been additions to the mountain including tubing, mountain coaster, high and low ropes course, and zip lines. This resort should be considered for families that don't want to pay the hundred dollar lift ticket prices.
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