A winter getaway to the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts can be downright swoon-worthy, especially when you’re calling Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa in Tyngsborough your home base for the trip.
Our elegant resort, set on 12 acres along the Merrimack River, will shower you with the finest in hospitality as you enjoy everything the season has to offer in our area, from outdoor recreation and sightseeing to cozy indoor dining, shopping, concert-going, and more.
Here’s a look at some of the activities you might consider pursuing while staying at our AAA Four-Diamond property, a mere 35 miles north of Boston!
Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, and Winter Hiking During Your Tyngsborough, MA Getaway at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa
Extensive trail systems in lovely swaths of public land provide plenty of opportunities to strap on cross-country skis or snowshoes—or maybe just a good sturdy pair of insulated boots, depending on the snow cover (or lack thereof)—and enjoy a crisp, sunny afternoon.
Some fine options close by for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and winter hiking include the 1,000-plus acres of the Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest, which offers some six miles of lovely trails. You can also go skiing and snowshoeing in the historic, glacially molded landscape of Walden Pond State Reservation, soaking up the same woodsy and lakeside vistas that one Henry David Thoreau did back in the 19th century. History and outdoor recreation: not a bad combo, we’d say!
Meanwhile, you’ll find more than 15 miles of trails and cart paths ideal for cross-country skiing in the Groton Memorial Town Forest, with a nice mix of easy flats and more huff-and-puff hilliness.
Speaking of easy flats, that’s the name of the game within the J. Harry Rich State Forest, which allows you to glide on your skis (or tromp on your snowshoes) through enchanting winter woods along the Nashua River.
The 11-mile Nashua River Rail Trail, popular among bicyclists much of the year, also becomes a topnotch corridor for cross-country skiing when the snowfall’s adequate.
And there are more: Other nearby options for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing near your Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa accommodations include the Sherburne Nature Center, the Hunter Property, and the Yudicky Farm Conservation Area just over the state line in New Hampshire.
Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, and Snow Tubing
With the height of modern Merrimack Valley luxury yours to enjoy here at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa this winter, you’ll find yourself well situated not only to enjoy Nordic and snowshoeing trails, but also some truly fantastic downhill delights courtesy of Nashoba Valley Ski Area (79 Powers Rd, Westford, MA), less than a half-hour from our property.
This long-standing ski area—it kicked off its first season back in 1964—comes served by four lifts, four conveyors, and four rope tows, and offers fine downhill skiing and snowboarding, including lighted nighttime slopes. Races and skiing/riding lessons are also on offer here.
But Nashoba Valley Ski Area isn’t only a destination for skiing and snowboarding: It also happens to maintain the largest snow-tubing park in New England. We’re talking 18 groomed tubing lanes (yes, 18), a conveyor lift, and two handle tow lifts. When it comes down to it, there aren’t too many folks out there who can’t get into the essentially all-ages appeal of snow tubing—and Nashoba Valley Ski Area’s a great place to tap into that appeal while staying with us at Chateau Merrimack Resort & spa.
Appreciate Some Regional Cultural Heritage
As a guest of ours, you’re also spoiled for choices when it comes to indoor cultural attractions, which are all the more inviting when the Merrimack Valley winter weather’s a little on the frightful side. (Of course, “frightful” can translate to great conditions for winter outdoor recreation, but maybe you’re not feeling like playing in the snow this particular moment in time—and that’s fair!)
Take in a concert, for example, at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell (300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell MA), which is also host to some top-grade athletics. There’s also a full calendar on tap this winter at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre (50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell, MA), with upcoming performances including:
- A Christmas Carol, written and directed by Courtney Sale (through December 24th)
- Red Riding Hood, a family-friendly show appropriate for ages 5 and up (January 10th through the 28th)
- Dishwasher Dreams, written and performed by Alaudin Ullah and directed by Chay Yew, with a tabla soundtrack (February 28th through March 17th)
Over at the Whistler House Museum of Art (243 Worthen St, Lowell, MA), meantime, you can explore a historical landmark—the birthplace of artist James McNeill Whistler, set within an 1823-built house and host to the most venerable incorporated art association in the U.S.—and a permanent collection especially focused on American (and particularly New England) art of the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. Among the museum’s current temporary showings is the Annual Juried Members Exhibition 2023: All Creatures Great & Small (through January 13th), celebrating our animal friends and comrades.
You could also explore the many heritage landmarks of the Lowell National Historic Park, such as the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, or navigate your way to the gravesite of celebrated Beat novelist and poet Jack Kerouac in Lowell’s Edson Cemetery.
We are, of course, only scratching the surface when it comes to the Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston’s arts-and-culture draws—and we haven’t even touched the fabulous shopping and dining on offer!
The Many Pleasures of a Winter Stay at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa: Our Multifaceted Hospitality in Tyngsborough, MA
Whether or not you want to fill your days with cross-country skiing, snow tubing, or museum-hopping, you’ll have a magical home base for a winter getaway in the Merrimack Valley here at our AAA Four-Diamond resort. Indeed, we’re as perfect for an unhurried, laidback, reflective-type winter experience as a sightseeing- or recreation-focused one.
After all, our Signature Guest Rooms and Suites provide some of the finest accommodations in the Tyngsborough, MA area, complete with such flourishes as marble bathrooms, fireplaces, and private balconies.
And we also tend to our guests with world-class wellness courtesy of our JuJu Spa, which offers a rich array of treatments—massages, body wraps, facials, soaks, manicures, pedicures, and more—and such oases of bone-deep bliss and calm as the spa solarium’s heated pool and hot tub, a sauna, and steam rooms.
You’ll also enjoy world-class dining available right on site here at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa thanks to our Pino Steakhouse, which offers a creative blend of seasonally inspired Mediterranean-French cuisine. Our Vault, meanwhile, features a marvelous wine selection boasting some 60,000 bottles.
It’s High Time You Scheduled Your Winter Idyll Outside Boston at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa!
Learn more about our stylish accommodations here, on-site spa here, and our fabulous dining here. And you can stay abreast of our current specials and accommodation packages right here.
Now’s the time to book your getaway at Chateau Merrimack Resort & Spa along the Merrimack River, set just a hop, skip, and a jump from the heart of Boston and putting the many winter attractions, activities, and events of the Merrimack Valley right at your fingertips! We can’t wait to host you for a cozy winter retreat…