Sunday River

Sunday River Road
Bethel, Maine
800-543-2SKI
sundayriver.com

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Located in Maine's Western Mountains, Sunday River is too remote to be a viable choice for all but the most intrepid or crowd-fearing weekend warriors. A large resort (8 separate peaks) spread out -- some say too spread out -- over 667 acres and serviced by some of the most effective lift and snow-making systems in the East, Sunday River is much more of a come-and-spend-the-week type place for serious skiers, and is consciously moving and expanding to meet that market. Complaints about the shortage of dining and après-ski options are generally compensated for by the overall quality and quantity of the skiing experience and the manageable-sized crowds.

MOUNTAIN INFO
Base elevation: 800 feet
Summit elevation: 3,140 feet
Vertical drop: 2,340 feet
Skiable acres: 667
Lifts: 18 (4 high-speed quads, 5 fixed quads, 4 triple chairs, 2 double chairs, 3 surface lifts)
Trails: 131
Trail breakdown: 33 percent beginners, 36 percent intermediate, 19 percent black diamond, 12 percent double diamond
Must-ski trail: Celestial
Snowmaking capability: 92 percent of skiable acres

HOURS

Weekends 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

PRICING

Full day: $72 adult (19 and over), $61 young adult (13-18), $49 junior (6-12) and senior (65 and over)
Half day: $54 adult (19 and over), $47 young adult (13-18), $39 junior (6-12) and senior (65 and over)

Season passes
Gold Maine pass (unlimited, any time, also good at Sugarloaf): $849 adult, $699 youth, $599 junior, $449 senior (pricing until Nov. 30; TBA afterward)
Silver Maine pass (same as above except for 12 blackout dates): $549; price TBA after Nov. 30
Bronze Maine pass (unlimited, weekdays): $349; price TBA after Nov. 30
Student pass: $340 (age 6-12), $390 (13-18); price TBA after Dec. 10
College pass: $299; price TBA after Nov. 30


Rental rates
$36 full package adults, $25 juniors

Lessons
First Experience (age 15 and older): $80; $74 (age 7-14)
Three-day learn to ski: $180
(all include limited access lift ticket)

Special deals and packages
Ski and Stay packages (1-7 nights) begin at $69 per person per night

OTHER SNOW ACTIVITIES

Snowboarding: five terrain parks and one superpipe
Snowtubing: at the White Cap Fun Center, daily 5-9 p.m., $15 per session
Ice skating
Cross-country skiing
Snow mobiling
Dog sledding

FOR THE KIDS

Special 3-year-old program for ages 3-6: $75 full day, $60 half-day (includes lift ticket and lunch), ages 7-14 $72 full day, $55 half-day.
Three daycare facilities (6 weeks-5 years), full day $60, half day $40

ON-SITE LODGING

Two modern, full-amenity mega-hotels, The Grand Summit Resort Hotel and the Jordan Grand Resort Hotel, and the older, traditional Snow Cap Inn, plus 700 condo units ranging from studio to three-bedroom in seven complexes scattered about the resort. All slopeside with direct access, and include kitchens, and access to indoor or outdoor pools.

OFF-SITE LODGING

Bethel Inn & Country Club: Inn and townhouse accommodations in a country inn with its own dining room located on the town common; heated outdoor pool, health club and cross-country skiing. On the Common, Bethel, ME; 800-654-0125.

Sudbury Inn: Circa 1873 unpretentious country inn with 14 rooms, including 7 two-bedroom suites perfect for families; two restaurants on site. 151 Main St., Bethe; 800-395-7837.

River View Resort: Thirty-two two-bedroom housekeeping suites with kitchens overlooking a picturesque river and featuring a heated indoor pool. 357 Mayville Rd., Bethel; 888-224-8413.

Norseman Inn & Motel: Reasonably priced facility with a large common living room and daily warm breakfast. 134 Mayville Rd., Bethel; 207-824-2002.

Victorian Inn: Fourteen period furnished guest rooms, all with private baths, in an unabashedly romantic Victorian guesthouse in the center of town. 32 Main St., Bethel; 888-774-1235.

ON-SITE FOOD AND DRINK

Each of the four base lodges has its own food court, plus there are 10 other restaurants: Foggy Goggle and South Ridge Pizza in the South Ridge Lodge, Barker Pub in the Barker Mt. lodge, Pugsley's Pub at the White Cap Lodge, Northern Lights Café and Sliders at the Jordan Grand Resort, Mostruck and Legends at the Grand Summit Resort.

OFF-SITE FOOD AND DRINK

Sunday River Brewing Company: Brew pub featuring large burgers, BBQ plates, and steaks. 1 Sunday River Rd., Bethel; 207-824-4253.

Rooster's Roadhouse: Family-friendly restaurant serving American fare with flourishes. 159 Mayville Rd., Bethel; 207-824-0309.

Sudbury Inn: Casually elegant dining in a 19th-century farmhouse upstairs with Sud's Pub, a noisy sports bar with 29 drafts beers on tap and live music most nights downstairs. Take your pick. 151 Main St., Bethel; 207-624-2174.

Jolly Drayman at Briar Lea Inn: Reasonably authentic English pub serving traditional pub grub in a restored 1855 farmhouse. 150 Mayville Rd., Bethel; 877-311-1299.

Phoenix House and Well: 2005-06 dining award of excellence winner from Wine Spectator; causally elegant pub downstairs, nouveau American cuisine upstairs. Live music weekends. 9 Timberline Dr., Newry; 207-824-2222.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

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