Do You Know About Augusta, Maine’s Lost Ski Areas?

When someone mentions ski areas in Maine, the first two that pop in your mind are probably Sunday River and Sugarloaf.

More than just ski areas, these monsters are ski resorts.  In addition to the slopes, they offer nearby lodging, bars, restaurants, and shops.  During the height of the ski season, they also offer daily (and nightly) entertainment.

Most avid skiers know that there are several medium-sized ski areas spread across the state.  These include Auburn's Lost Valley, Bridgton's Pleasant Mountain, and Mars Hill's Big Rock Ski Area.

Even those who have skied or boarded their entire lives may be surprised to find that Augusta was once home to not one, but three ski areas!

Augusta, Maine's Lost Ski Areas

Maine's capital city was once home to a trio of small ski areas that catered to the people who lived in those parts of the city.

Additionally, there were also ski areas in Winthrop, Chelsea, and Vassalboro

According to Colby College and NELSAP.org, these Central Maine ski areas were:

-Sand Hill in Augusta

-Western View (at the golf course) in Augusta

-Maine Top Ski Tow in Augusta

-Silver Hills in Chelsea

-Gilmour's Hill in Winthrop

-Oak Grove School in Vassalboro

All of these were small operations that operated in the 1950s and 1960s.

If your parents and/or grandparents were originally from Central Maine, I bet they skied at these resorts.  Or, maybe you are old enough to remember when these ski areas were operating.

Check out this video about skiing in Maine in the 1950s