Berkshire East Ski Resort on Mount Institute in northwestern Massachusetts grew from a small rope tow opened in the mid-1950s into Franklin County’s only public alpine ski area. Reopened in 1961–62 as Thunder Mountain Ski Area, it later became Berkshire East and endured bankruptcy and decline in the 1970s before a long rebuilding under current management. Successive lift and infrastructure upgrades modernized the mountain, while racing, snowmaking, and a broad mix of trails strengthened its identity. Since the late 2000s it has expanded into year-round recreation, and in 2011 it became the first ski area in the world powered entirely by onsite renewable energy.

Charlemont, Massachusetts · USA