About Waterville Valley

History

Explorers of the New World mapped the mountain peaks surrounding Waterville Valley as early as 1524, and the first hardy souls settled in the Waterville wilderness in the 1760s. The town was incorporated in 1829 and has governed itself ever since.

Throughout its history, Waterville Valley has been a refuge for city dwellers seeking summers of mountain air, golf, tennis, fly fishing, hiking and seclusion. By the 1930s, the rising popularity of downhill skiing began attracting visitors to Waterville Valley’s 4,000-foot mountain peaks. In the mid-1960s, two-time Olympic ski racer Tom Corcoran was looking for a mountain that he could develop into a year-round resort. When he saw Waterville Valley, he knew it was the right place.

The modern-day Waterville Valley has been thoughtfully developed in accordance with a comprehensive master plan, making it one of the country’s most desirable destination resorts and second home communities.