| Location | Great Barrington, Massachusetts, US |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°10′41″N 73°19′01″W |
| Top elevation | 1,800 ft (550 m) |
| Base elevation | 820 ft (250 m) |
| Vertical | 1,000 ft (300 m)[1] |
| Number trails | 22 |
| Longest run | Pied Piper, to Crosstown, and then to cruiser. |
| Liftsystem | 5 Chair lift, additional 4 carpet lifts. |
| Terrainparks | 2 |
| Snowfall | 115 in (292 cm)[2] |
| Snowmaking | 100% |
Ski Butternut, also known as Butternut Basin, is a ski resort in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, US, on Warner Mountain in The Berkshires.
Channing and Jane Murdock took control of the area in 1963, naming the area Butternut Basin after the large groves of butternut trees in the basin of the mountain. The Kennedys, family friends of the Murdocks, visited Butternut. [failed verification][3][4] The Murdocks' son Jeffrey took over the resort in 1994.[5]
The mountain has 22 trails, ten ski lifts including five quad lifts, two terrain parks, an area for tubing in winter, and a PSIA-affiliated ski school. In the off-season, the mountain hosts a number of summer concerts and festivals, including the annual Berkshires Arts Festival.
Lifts
Main Lifts
| Name | Type | Make | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Flight | Quad | Garventa-CTEC | 1993 |
| Highline | Quad | 1994 | |
| Cruiser | Quad | 2005 | |
| Jane's | Quad | Skytrac | 2026 |
| Paddy's | Quad | CARLEVARO-SAVIO | 1969 |
1995 Tornado
During the 1995 Great Barrington Tornado, Ski Butternut sustained extensive damages to ski lifts and trails. [6][7] The tornado caused a total of $2 million in damages, affecting 18 trails, and 5 lifts. [8]
References
- ^ Ski Butternut Ski Reports, Snow Conditions and Weather - SnoCountry Mountain Reports
- ^ "Ski Butternut Ski Resort Area Overview - OnTheSnow"
- ^ Brief history from Butternut Basin's 2003 Fortieth Anniversary Brochure
- ^ Brief History of Jug End Ski Area, South Egremont, MA, on "New England History" website.
- ^ https://theberkshireedge.com/ski-butternut-to-celebrate-its-60th-anniversary/
- ^ Russo, Nick (2025-05-29). "30 years since strong tornado struck Great Barrington, Massachusetts". WJAR. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
- ^ Cowgill, Terry (2020-05-23). "Remembering the 'great' Great Barrington tornado 25 years later". The Berkshire Edge. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
- ^ Staff, Advocate (2008-01-31). "FreeSport: The Ups and Downs". Valley Advocate. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
External links
- Ski Butternut - Official site
- G-Bar-S Ranch - New England Lost Ski Areas Project
- Butternut - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com - Ski area and CCC trails history