QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 3,000 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~6 miles in system
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: old farm, pond, views, groomed trails
At the base of Big Moose Mountain Ski Area—a small and really fun nonprofit alpine ski hill—you can make a satisfying ~4.5-mile groomed loop on classic or skate skis. (Smaller loops are also possible.)The big loop brings you by a scenic abandoned farm and offers views of Big Mountain and Eagle Rock. If you want to tack on an additional 0.8 miles (0.4 miles one way), you can also ski to the edge of Mountain View Pond.
Additionally, the trail system includes snowshoe paths, which when we visited had been marked with flagging tape and a few blazes. They were completely unbroken in, so we plodded along slowly. (BTW, the Orange Trail is marked as a ski trail on the official map, and is easily skied, but when I visited it was not groomed, so I’ve marked it as a snowshoe trail on my map.)
But the main draw here is the skiing! (When is it not!) I discovered too late that most Nordic skiers do the 4.5-mile loop clockwise from the base lodge, to get the initial steepish climb out of the way before embarking on a deliciously long glide down — by my estimates about 1.6 miles! It’s not very twisty or curvy, either, so you can really enjoy it. Make sure you turn around periodically to check out the views behind you. The return ski is mostly flat, except for the final 0.6 miles back to the base lodge.
Note that the Yellow Trail, which makes for a smaller loop, is quite steep. So you might be taking a shortcut, but be ready for a big hill.
Donations are appreciated for trail maintenance — you can put money in a little black box behind the kiosk or mail in a check, $10/day per visitor, or $100 for the season. The lodge, open Friday-Sunday, also serves food.
Directions: From downtown Greenville, take Route 6 west for about 6 miles. Big Moose Mountain’s access road will be on the left. Turn left at the first entrance (Google maps might direct you to the second entrance, 0.3 miles away, but this is not plowed). The 1.6-mile access road to the mountain might be bumpy. You’ll find the trailhead kiosk at the far end of the large parking lot at the base lodge, in the northwest corner.
