Nashoba Valley Ski Area

Directions to

Westford's Nashoba Valley Ski Area

Many of our rides and walks visit the sites of long-abandoned ski slopes; you may remember trudging or pedaling to the top of Cat Rock, Prospect Hill, Featherland, and/or Punkatasset Hill with us. This one's different. It's a working ski area. In summer, of course, the attention of its grooming fleet and "snow farmers" turn to chores other than snowmaking, the pond associated with it opens to swimmers, and all of this, its website claims, without compromising the "rather comforting aspect" of the "tree-lined trails (tall white pines for the most part) which give the area a park-like feeling". And that's not all; the complex includes a base lodge whose restaurant and bar are open Monday through Friday in the summer after 5 pm (sorry) but whose restrooms are likely available all day long. We'll see!

To get there try the directions given below or, better yet, ask MapQuest or a suburban atlas how best to proceed from your starting location to "151 power road" in "Westford". For what it's worth, MapQuest suggests anyone leaving from our home in Burlington should drive west on Route 3, then south on 495 to Route 110, and then engage in some terminal navigation; estimated driving time is 32 minutes. MapQuest will explain the final gymnastics if you ask it; in practice we wouldn't choose this route but would, instead, do this:

To get to Nashoba Valley from the intersection of Routes 128/95 and 4/225

Take Exit 31 from 128/95 to Route 225 westbound, then drive through Bedford and Carlisle Centers, continuing on Route 225 west from Carlisle Center through the stop lights at Route 27 and continue to Power Road; the distance from Route 128/95 to the stop sign at the 225/Power Road intersection is about 12.2 miles. Turn left on Powers Road and drive a mile to the ski area's entrance road; it'll be on the right, prominently marked by a Nashoba Valley sign. Drive through the capacious parking area to the vicinity of the beach and park as anonymously as possible.

If not the fastest way to the Valley, this is certainly the most scenic.

An alternative: Routes 2 and 2A

If starting from a location where access to Route 2 is fast and natural, then consider driving west on it toward Acton and Fitchburg (from Route 128/95 take Exit 29) 3.9 miles from Route 128, where it makes a sharp left at a set of lights. From here, continue another 4.5 miles to the Concord Rotary and take the second exit onto Route 2A/119. Once on Route 2A, drive it 5.5 miles (through the lights at Route 27) to Powers Road. Turn right onto Powers Road and follow it 0.4 miles to the ski area, which will be on the left. Park as above.

According to MapQuest, using this strategy a law abiding citizen can drive from Weston's town hall to Nashoba Valley in 30 minutes.

A curious, Massachusetts-only note:

At its Acton end, where drivers coming up Route 2A will encounter it, "Powers Road" is the thoroughfare upon which Nashoba is situated. As soon as it transitions to Westford, however, the road's name changes to "Power". Why drop the "s"? Your guess is as good as ours.

*** Good Luck !!! ***