Sunday River, United States
Also within 20 km of Bethel
- Mount Abram Ski resort · 7.2 km from Bethel
Watch this spot We email you when Sunday River is worth the trip.
About Sunday River
Village 307 m. Facts: verified.
A ski resort with its village at 307 m and its top at 957 m. It has 86 km of runs and 20 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The runs drop 708 m, from 957 m to 249 m. For beginners and families: 68% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate). For experts: 28 km of advanced, expert and freeride runs. It is usually in season from December to April. The snow is usually deepest in February, about 0.6 m at the top (957 m). For skiers the best months are usually January, February and March, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Bethel.
Sunday River is a ski resort in the northeastern United States, located in Newry, Maine, One of Maine's largest and most visited ski resorts, its vertical drop of 2,340 feet (713 m) is the second largest in Maine (after Sugarloaf) and the sixth largest in New England. The resort features 139 trails across eight interconnected mountain peaks, and is serviced by a network of 19 lifts.
In 1960, Sunday River had four ski runs, a t-bar lift and a rope-tow lift, lift fees were US$3.50 (or $1 for tow-rope), and the ski season was from approximately December 20 to April 15.
From the Wikipedia article Sunday River (ski resort), shortened. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
The ski area
Runs from 249 m to 957 m: 708 m of vertical. 86 km of runs and 20 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap for Sunday River.
| Easy | 32 km |
|---|---|
| Intermediate | 26 km |
| Advanced | 13 km |
| Expert | 13 km |
| Ski routes and freeride | 1.5 km |
| Not graded | 0.2 km |
| Gondolas and cable cars | 1 |
|---|---|
| Chairlifts | 15 |
| Drag lifts | 1 |
| Magic carpets | 3 |
Measured along each mapped run, so it can differ from the resort's own figure. Ski area data © OpenSkiMap.org and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
For families
68% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate).
No public pool, ice rink, leisure centre, ski school or childcare is mapped within 5 km of the village. That may mean nobody has mapped them yet.
The Family filter counts these. Check opening times before you go.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 7 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PWM, direct.
See flights MDW → PWM · Skyscanner from about £150 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 40 from the airport to Sunday River.
Accommodation.
Stay in BethelAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Bethel (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Bethel 16 min by car · rooms from £80 a night · where Sunday River stays
Places to stay in Bethel · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire, lessons and lift passes.
Ski lessons in Bethel · GetYourGuideAdSki and board hire · SkisetAdLift passes · Resort website
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
Sunday River on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Lifts closed for the season. They usually open about 25 November.
Forecast
The score, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor
| Day | Score | Fresh72 h | Depthtop, mid, base | Coldestat top | Windat top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -4°C | wind, 5 knots |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -1°C | wind, 3 knots |
| Tue 20Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 2°C | wind, 7 knots |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -2°C | wind, 4 knots |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 1°C | wind, 11 knots |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -3°C | wind, 5 knots |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | -3°C | wind, 3 knots |
| Sun 25Oct | 0, poor | 0 cm | 0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m | 1°C | wind, 9 knots |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to.
Snow by month
| Month | Base307 m | Mid632 m | Top957 m | Coldestat the top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec | 0.2 m | 0.3 m | 0.3 m | -11°C |
| Jan | 0.4 m | 0.4 m | 0.4 m | -14°C |
| Feb | 0.6 m | 0.6 m | 0.6 m | -14°C |
| Mar | 0.5 m | 0.6 m | 0.6 m | -8°C |
| Apr | 0.2 m | 0.4 m | 0.4 m | -3°C |
Typical snow on the ground in the village, halfway up and at the top: the middle value over 2016 to 2025, from ERA5-Land reanalysis at the grid cell nearest each height. Not a forecast, and not the groomed pistes: resorts make snow lower down.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight MDW to PWM, then 2h 40 by road. About 7h door to door
- Tue 20 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Wed 21 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Thu 22 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Fri 23 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sat 24 OctLifts closed
Out of season.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight MDW to PWM, then 2h 40 by road. About 7h door to door
Rough cost
About £1,895–£2,955 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PWM, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £150–£305 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Transfer | shared airport transfer, return | £70–£120 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £215–£360 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £260–£480 |
| Lift pass | 5 days | £1,000–£1,350 |
| Ski hire | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £165–£275 |
| Total | £1,895–£2,955 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Airport to resortAd
Transfers · Hoppa (ad)Lift passes
Lift passes · Resort websiteLinks marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.