Page Hill Ski Slope and TowsPage Hill
Tamworth, NH
1929-Late 1960s

History ~ LayoutBy The Year ~ Memories ~ Recent Photos


Many thanks to Jeremy Clark who wrote up this excellent history of Page Hill. We also appreciate David Bowles for providing information, photos, and fact checking on this page!

History

Sydney Mather skiing the Page Hill Slope, with Mt. Whiteface in the backgroundThe Page Hill Slope may have started as an alpine ski area as early as 1929. While the area did not have a lift at this point, (this would have been a few years prior to the Woodstock, Vermont rope tow and Uncanoonuc, New Hampshire incline railway), it soon had an 800 foot long Model A powered rope tow on the skier's right of the slope. The CCC was said to be instrumental in the development of the area in the 1930s. William Gallagher owned the land and let the Tamworth Outing Club ski here.

Page Hill was the center of Tamworth's local ski industry. New skiers would learn on Dr. Remick's open slope, while most other skiers would ski the Page Hill slope on weekends. Page Hill hosted numerous grammar school, high school, and college slalom races, while the nearby Mt. Whittier CCC ski trail was used for giant slalom competitions (the CCC trail was located on Mt. Whittier in Tamworth, not the nearby Nickerson Mountains where the Mt. Whittier ski area was later built). Future Olympian and Waterville Valley Resort founder Tom Corcoran often skied at Page Hill.

The Page Hill Poem A 500 foot long rope tow was later added to the west of the main rope tow. Due to its short length and the terrain it served, it rarely operated.

The original warming hut, located opposite the bottom of the main rope tow, was slanted. As a result, it tended to fill with some from the fires. Years later, a new hut was constructed above it. A poem from an unknown author posted inside the hut was memorized by many of the young skiers, some of whom can still recite it over a half century later.

As larger areas started to open nearby in the late 1950s, work was done to keep skiers at Page Hill. After a noticeable exodus of skiers to the larger areas with trails in 1958, some very narrow trails were cut, including the infamous Bowles Trail. Located to skier's right of the main rope tow, portions of the trail were no wider than 3-4 feet.

Night skiing was available near the end of Page Hill's years, with locals using flares and torches to illuminate the slope.

The crushing blow to Page Hill was insurance. By the mid to late 1960s, the cost of insuring the slopes exceeded the revenues. As a result, Page Hill closed sometime around 1967 or 1968. 1958 Topographic Map of Page Hill

Layout

Located on the northern slope of Page Hill, just above Page Hill Road, the ski area mainly consisted of a large, open slope. Due to the location of the hill, the views from it were tremendous, with the Sandwich Dome, Mt. Whiteface, Mt. Passaconaway, Mt. Paugus, and Mt. Chocorua all towering above.

The ledgy top portion of the slope had nearly a 40 degree pitch. Looking down the slope, the main rope tow was on the right, with one narrow trail beyond it. To the left, at the bottom, was the second rope tow and the two warming huts. A large pine tree and boulder were located between the huts and the bottom of the main rope tow. The area was operated on leased property by the Tamworth Outing Club.

Additional Historical Photos

A skier on the Page Hill slope
A skier on the Page Hill slope
The original Page Hill warming hut
The original Page Hill warming hut
An old racing poster (including GS on the Mt. Whittier Trail in Tamworth)
An old racing poster (including GS on the Mt. Whittier Trail in Tamworth)

Recent Photos

After decades of tree growth, the Page Hill Slope is all but lost. There are still excellent views from the ledges at the top of the slope. Remains of the huts, as well as a possible rope tow engine, can still be found.
Possible remains of the rope tow engine (2008)
Possible remains of the rope tow engine (2008)
Remains of the original base area hut (2008)
Remains of one of the original base area hut (2008)
The view from the top of the slope (2008)
The view from the top of the slope (2008)
November 12, 2008 Tamworth Historical Society Presentation

On November 12, 2008, the Tamworth Historical Society presented 'Tamworth Remembers Page Hill Ski Area' at Runnells Hall in Chocorua. Scores of people attended, sharing memories, photographs, and film footage of the storied ski area. Forty years after closing, Page Hill Ski Slope is still near and dear to the closely knit town of Tamworth.

Memories

A few NELSAP readers have more info:

Bob Kilham does remember a little bit more information on this lost area: I don't remember a whole lot about skiing at this area, I was a small child in the middle 60's. My aunt worked there in the afternoons and we would ski there with her. I seem to remember a rope tow and maybe a Poma or J-bar. The area was located on Page Hill Rd. which runs from Tamworth Village to Chocorua Village over the slope of Page Hill. The ski slope was on the South side of the road just at the height of land. I went by there just a few days ago and didn't see much from the car, but I was in a hurry. I'm sure there are many folks up there who remember it.

Phil Moore: I too spent many years as a child in the 1940's learning how to ski at Page's Hill. It was run by the Tamworth Outing Club (still in existence). All day tickets were 75 cents for children and $1.50 for adults. The tickets were unique in that they were fastened to your ski clothing with a somewhat odd rivet-like device. There were two rope tows (although generally only one was operating). There was a small warming hut that sold coffee , cocoa and hot dogs. Myself and several family members (sisters , cousins, parents, aunts & uncles) all used to ski there in the 1940's before we "graduated" to Belknap (now Gunstock) and Mt. Whittier. Our Uncle Russ Martin served in the 10th Mountain Division and upon his return from WW II began to teach us all how to ski.

There are no remnants left of that ski hill now. Up until about 25 years ago (or so) one could still make out the old slope when coming down Rt. 16 South (just below the hill that overlooks Chocorua Lake). I remember that cars were parked right on the roadway and that we walked thru the woods (there was a stone wall--remnants of which still exist) to the base of the open slope. I also remember that at the end of the day we used to get flattened out cardboard boxes from the warming hut and we would ride up the rope tow on them and then careen down the hill. I remember that after having rode the rope tows all day in the Spring, we would have ski clothing and gear hung all around our camp (on Ossipee Lake) in order to get the stuff dried out--- the rope tow itself of course got soaking wet on "corn" snow days! Then we would do it all over again the next day.

Page Hill ski area was near the peak of the road known as Page Hill Road which runs between Chocorua and Tamworth. There is now a road which bears off to the left from Page Hill Road (when approaching from the Chocorua side) that did not used to exist. I think that road may have obliterated some of the access walkway to the old ski Hill.

T. Parker Gallagher:

My grandfather, William W. Gallagher, purchased Page Hill in the early 1930's.  As one of your folks wrote, the Tamworth Outing Club operated the ski area until the 1950's.  As a child in the 60's, I spent many hours climbing around and through the base "lodge" and the shacks at the top of the hill where the Ford chassis' for the rope tows were housed.  Our family sold the property in 1998, but you could still find some of the steel rims for the rope guides on the big pines on the East side of the slope.  Some of the relics of the tows were still distinguishable.
 
If you go to Google satellite maps, type in 510 Page Hill Road Tamworth NH (a fictitious address) you will see a granite ridge south of the road.  Just to the right of it, between it and Page Hill Road, you will see a lighter patch of forest.  This is the "new" growth where the ski slope used to be.  On the right side, there are a number of big old pines. The tow ran up along those pines.
 
There is still access to that ledge.  When we sold the property, we required the new owners to grant foot access up the old carriage road to the top of the hill.  Again, on Google maps, if you type in 750 Page Hill Road Tamworth NH, that is the approximate location of the carriage road.  Once on the summit, facing Mt Chocorua, the ski area was to the right.  The old Ford chassis may still be there!

Tony Norris:

The property was owned by my grandparents who leased it to the TOC for $1 a year.  The old truck, which furnished the power, was at the top of the hill, making a tough climb for the person in charge of starting the lift.  Right after WWII, when we were able to drive up, friends and I would ski there regularly, partly because the price was right, partly because the only other choice early on was Cranmore which was crowded, partly because the hill was steep and reasonably challenging, partly because the tow was fast and uncrowded, partly because it was only a mile down the road.  Unfortunately, the speed of the tow and the steepness of the hill were VERY hard on mittens, even the deerskin ones.  Later, the appearance of Wildcat, Black Mtn, Thorn Mtn and Whittier reduced the appeal of Page Hill except for my very young children who learned to ski there.
 

Al Campagna: I started skiing at Cranmore in 1955, but pretty soon the lines got really long (only the "skimobile" cars ran in those days), and the prices went up considerably.  We were a bit poor in those days, so it was off to Page Hill for more "affordable" skiing.  My sister and I skied Page Hill for several years, probably from 1958-61 or so. 

 
In those days, it was $1/day for kids, but... if you joined the Tamworth Outing Club (for $2), the price dropped to .50 cents/day! I only remember one rope tow of about 150-200 yards long, on the left side of the slope.  
 
The warming hut was just a shed with benches against the wall and a small counter in one corner.  That counter was the "Page Hill Snack Bar", and consisted of a loaf of bread, perhaps some bologna and cheese, and usually some PB&J.  There was no attendant... you'd make your own sandwich, and whatever you thought the sandwich was worth, you would place that amount in a paper cup on the counter.  Most folks thought 15-20 cents was a fair price.  
   
Well, for $.50 a day, we could ski until we dropped!  It wasn't a big slope, but there was never a line, and you just rode up/skied down/rode up/skied down, etc... all day long!   Page Hill was just a great place to ski.
 
Like Phil Moore, who related his memories of Page Hill on your website: I too would always look up for the old ski slope when driving south on Rte. 16 from Conway.   The years passed, and slowly but surely, the trees grew over the ski area and eventually it just blended back into the side of Page Hill.   

Do you remember this ski area? If so, please email us with your details.

Last updated: January 17, 2009

Head back to Lost NH Ski Areas

Head back to the Main Page