Loon Mountain Trail Map Guide: How to Navigate New Hampshire's Largest Ski Resort

Loon Mountain Resort sits in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, offering one of the most varied ski experiences in New England. With 73 trails spread across 403 skiable acres and a vertical drop of 2,190 feet, Loon is the largest ski area in New Hampshire by trail count—and one of the most technically rewarding. But for first-timers, it can also be surprisingly disorienting. Three interconnected peaks, a gondola, multiple base areas, and terrain that shifts from wide groomed cruisers to steep mogul runs all contribute to a resort that rewards skiers who study the official Loon Mountain trail maps before they click in. This guide breaks down the mountain’s layout and gives you the navigational foundation to make the most of every run.

Why Loon Mountain Is Challenging to Navigate

Most New Hampshire ski areas are relatively compact: one main face, one base lodge, a predictable lift network. Loon Mountain is different. The resort spans three distinct peaks—North Peak at 3,065 feet, Loon Peak at 2,733 feet, and South Peak at 2,807 feet—each with its own lift access and trail character. Skiers who ride the gondola to the main summit may not immediately recognize that they can traverse toward North Peak or drop into the East Basin area. Beginners following wide blue runs off the central face can unknowingly drift toward steeper convergence zones lower on the mountain, where trails from multiple difficulty levels merge before the base. According to the Loon Mountain Ski Resort history on Wikipedia, the resort expanded steadily from its 1966 opening through the 1980s and beyond, adding new terrain areas over time—which is exactly why today’s trail map feels more layered than a single-peak resort. Understanding how the three peaks interact is the first step to navigating Loon efficiently.

Understanding the Trail Map

The trail map divides Loon into several recognizable zones. The main peak—accessed by the signature gondola from the primary base lodge—is the heart of the resort. From the gondola summit, you look out over the central face, which hosts the majority of the mountain’s blue-rated intermediate terrain. This is the widest, most accessible part of Loon, with long groomed runs that are ideal for high-mileage intermediate days. Bear Claw, the resort’s longest trail at 2.5 miles, winds its way from near the summit all the way to the base, making it one of the best warm-up routes on the mountain.

North Peak sits to the skier’s right and requires taking the North Peak Express Quad or traversing from the gondola summit. It’s where Loon’s most demanding terrain lives. The trail map marks three specific runs with a bold M for moguls: Lower Flume (which follows the North Peak Express Quad lift line), Rolling Bear, and Angel Street (located near the East Basin chairlift). These three designations make it easy to target—or avoid—the mountain’s burliest bumps. If you see the mogul marker on the map, expect ungroomed, leg-burning terrain regardless of how recent the last snowfall was.

West Basin occupies the far left edge of the trail map and functions as Loon’s dedicated beginner zone. It has its own chairlift, surface lifts, and carpets, and it’s intentionally separated from main mountain traffic. This makes it an excellent starting point for new skiers who want to build confidence without competing for space with faster intermediates and experts.

Navigation Tips for Different Skill Levels

Beginners should start in West Basin and stay there until they’re comfortable with turning and stopping. When ready to move up, the gondola ride to the main summit is the next step. Stick to the central face, where green and easy blue trails are clearly labeled on the map. Bear Claw is long but manageable—it’s a good confidence-builder that lets you cover real vertical without committing to anything steep. Watch for trail convergence zones near the base, where faster skiers from blue and black runs merge with gentler terrain. The map marks these junctions, and recognizing them before you’re in the middle of them makes a real difference.

Intermediate skiers will find Loon heavily weighted in their favor—53% of all trails are rated blue. The main gondola face and the South Peak area offer the best groomed cruiser terrain. A full day here can be genuinely satisfying: load the gondola, pick a different central-face trail each time, and gradually explore how far left or right you can push before the terrain character changes. When the groomed runs start feeling easy, the map’s black diamond trails on North Peak are a natural progression.

Expert skiers should head directly to North Peak and the East Basin for the mogul-marked runs. Lower Flume and Rolling Bear are the two most accessible, reachable via the North Peak Express Quad. Angel Street near the East Basin lift requires a short traverse but delivers a different fall line angle that challenges even regular mogul skiers. Loon also features glade skiing in designated tree areas across the mountain—look for the glade symbols on the trail map to identify them.

Planning Your Routes

A smart day at Loon starts early. Ride the gondola before the lift line builds and take a couple of warm-up laps on the central face to calibrate your legs. Then take the North Peak Express Quad for morning mogul laps while the bumps are still freshly formed. Midday, return to the main face for a break and some groomer runs. Afternoons are a good time to explore South Peak terrain or lap the West Basin area if you’re skiing with a mixed-ability group.

For groups with different skill levels, West Basin is a practical meeting hub. Experienced skiers can reach it from the main mountain, while beginners start there naturally. The trail map shows the connection routes clearly, and a pedestrian path links West Basin to the main base lodge. Plan your meeting times and locations before you head up—cell service at elevation is inconsistent, and the three-peak layout means you can lose track of group members quickly.

One tactical note: several black diamond runs feed into blue-rated catwalks as they approach the base. If you’re skiing hard and fast on North Peak, be prepared to transition to a more cautious pace as you merge toward the base lodge. The trail map marks these zones, and mid-mountain awareness pays off during busy holiday periods when traffic picks up near the bottom.

Comparing Loon to Other New England Resorts

Loon’s three-peak structure puts it in the same navigational category as the Northeast’s most complex ski areas. The MountainMap app provides detailed interactive trail maps for dozens of major ski resorts, making it easier to compare layouts before you travel. Skiers looking to benchmark Loon against other large Eastern destinations can explore the Stowe Mountain Resort trail layout or the Killington mountain map—both are multi-peak resorts with comparable navigational complexity. For a full list of covered resorts, the MountainMap resort directory includes trail breakdowns for mountains across New England and beyond, and the Killington Resort page offers a useful reference for what a six-peak layout looks like in comparison.

Loon Mountain rewards preparation. Study the trail map, know which peak holds the terrain you’re after, and plan your day around the gondola’s position as your central hub. With 2,190 feet of vertical and 73 trails across three peaks, there’s more mountain here than most visitors cover in a single day—which is exactly why it’s worth coming back.