There are countless locations to begin – or extend – a cross-country skiing adventure. That said, the wealth of choices in the Mount Washington Valley region, easy to access thanks to their cooperative association White Mountain Nordic (https://wmnordic.com/) gives skiers options for every level, unique vibes and more terrain than one could ever cover in one visit.

From Bretton Woods at one end to Purity Spring at the other – and the four other locales in between, you’ll find all kinds of cross country experiences in the region.

Bretton Woods, set around and along the grounds of the famed Mount Washington Hotel, has 100 kilometers of trails, including a five-mile trail you ride a chairlift to up at Bretton Woods SKi Area – and where you can loop on their T Bar for high elevation XC.

Bear Notch’s 65 kilometers of trails offer up a throwback, relaxed vibe. There’s warming shed that sometime serves cocoa (and when you’re lucky, homemade soup and bread). Trails are all dependent on natural snow, and take you along rivers, waterfalls and other natural beauty.

Great Glen Trails in Jackson sits up at the base of Mount Washington and is neighbors with famed Wildcat Ski Area. Great Glen is a big operation with a personal feel. Their large base lodge serves food, rents XC gear, snowshoes and even fat bikes for winter riding, and has a great gear shop with just about any soft or hardware you may need. They offer lessons.

Jackson XC, in the heart of Jackson, is a nonprofit that’s been a home to lessons, events, competitions and more for 50 years.

And at King Pine, you’ll find the Purity Spring XC & Snowshoe Reserve, a spot that goes ungroomed and is best for intermediate skiers and above. It’s worth the ride: you’ll find trails that wind through the forests around Purity Lake, traverse the grounds of Purity Spring Resort and twist through tall pines in the adjacent Hoyt/Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary.

All are close enough that you can easily visit more than one in a day, and are close enough to ski areas that you can do a half day of cross country and a half day of Alpine.