Bethel edges NH rival for title of 'best ski town'

Courtesy / The Bethel Inn Resort Bethel promotes itself as a year-round destination but is also the country's top "ski town," according to USA Today.

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By Staff

Bethel is only 50 miles from North Conway, N.H., and both communities do thriving business during the winter ski season. But for the first time Bethel has topped its rival across the state line and received USA Today’s crowning as “America’s best ski town.”

The national newspaper ranked Bethel No. 1 earlier this month out of 20 nominations by a panel of ski experts and editors. Readers then selected the top 10 by popular vote.

North Conway ranked No. 2, the spot it also claimed last year. In 2017, the town ranked No. 1 and was No. 3 in 2016.

Bethel has never before made the top 10. In fact, over the past four years of the annual ranking, the only New England town besides North Conway to crack the list has been Stowe, Vt., which was No. 7 for this ski season. Other honorees have all been in the West or — despite the title of “America’s” best ski town — in Canada.

USA Today acknowledged that many factors can account for a ski town’s popularity.

“Some would say it's convenient access to the slopes, for others, maybe it's the variety of restaurants, bars, shops and accommodations. Yet others might gravitate toward a small town vibe or historic atmosphere,” the paper wrote.

Bethel and North Conway each have a population of roughly 2,500, are close to multiple ski resorts, and promote themselves as year-round destinations. (To learn more about what Bethel is doing, click here.) North Conway has a larger business district and is known for its retail outlet shops.

But when it came to skiing and all that's associated with it, USA Today readers selected the Oxford County town.

“Visitors staying in Bethel enjoy easy access to Sunday River … home to some of the best snow conditions in the East,” the paper wrote. “Head to the Foggy Goggle or Matterhorn for a lively après-ski scene, or try out one of the many restaurants dotting the streets of this cute New England village.”