RANGELEY, ME – For the second year in a row, Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, Maine has been named the number one ski resort in the East for 2026, according to SKI Magazine’s annual Reader Survey.
Saddleback achieved the #1 ranking for the first time in 2025, which followed a #2 ranking 2024. The recognitions come on the heels of the resort’s dramatic reopening in 2020, following a five-year closure.
The SKI Magazine Reader Survey is the longest running and most comprehensive ranking in the ski industry, in which readers rank resorts in numerous categories, including lifts, grooming, dining, guest service, value, and overall satisfaction. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious and coveted resort ranking in the North American ski industry.
In this year’s survey SKI Magazine readers praised numerous areas of Saddleback’s operation, but gave particularly high marks for its friendly guest services, independent spirit, terrain variety, and value. “This is the friendliest resort I’ve ever been to,” praised one reader.
“As SKI Magazine said itself, two years in a row at #1 is no fluke,” said Matt Dieterich, Saddleback CEO. “These rankings are a testament to our incredible staff, our dedicated owners, and all of the skiers, riders, and visitors who make up the Saddleback family. Saddleback is truly a magical place, as the world is discovering.”
Arctaris Ownership
Following a five-year closure that began in 2015, Saddleback was purchased in 2020 by Arctaris Impact Investors, a Boston-based impact investment firm dedicated to revitalizing underserved communities.
Under Arctaris’ ownership, Saddleback saw an immediate infusion of capital investment, with numerous high-profile projects including a new high-speed detachable quad chairlift, a new t-bar, a new on-mountain dining facility, a new ski-in/ski-out employee housing facility, and extensive snowmaking upgrades.
Arctaris’ investment in the resort has had impacts well beyond the Saddleback slopes, providing an economic stimulus to the Rangeley area by boosting winter visitation. In addition to drawing tens of thousands of skiers and snowboarders, Saddleback also provides jobs to hundreds of people who live, shop, eat, and recreate in the Rangeley area throughout the winter season.
For more information and to learn more about Saddleback, please visit www.saddlebackmaine.com.
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About Saddleback
Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, Maine, is renowned for its natural beauty, challenging terrain, and welcoming community. Saddleback boasts one of the highest base lodges in New England at 2,460 feet, offering pristine snow conditions and breathtaking views of Rangeley Lake. With over 600 skiable acres, including 88 acres of glades, and 55 kilometers of groomed cross-country skiing trails, and mountain biking, Saddleback provides an expansive playground to all levels of outdoor enthusiasts.
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Media Contact:
Ethan Austin, Director of Marketing
ethan.austin@saddlebackmaine.com
