Nansen Ski Jump

Berlin and the surrounding north country drew large numbers of Scandinavian immigrants in the late nineteenth century, many to work in the paper mills along the Androscoggin. They brought skiing with them, and in 1872 they founded the Nansen Ski Club, named for the great Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, which is counted among the oldest ski clubs in the nation.

That deep skiing culture made the region a natural home for competitive ski jumping. The club and the community built a series of jumps over the years, culminating in the giant steel structure that still stands, and turned Berlin into one of the early centers of the sport in America.

Erected in the 1930s, the Nansen jump was, at the time, the largest steel ski jump in the eastern United States, a soaring tower and inrun engineered to send jumpers to record distances. Through the mid-twentieth century it hosted major competitions, national championships, and Olympic team tryouts, and jumpers bound for the Winter Games trained and qualified here.

As the sport's centers shifted and the great jump aged, it eventually fell out of use and stood for years as a rusting relic above the river. A restoration effort later stabilized and repainted the structure and interpreted its history, saving one of the most dramatic pieces of skiing heritage in the country.

The jump sits along Route 16 in the Androscoggin River valley, in the Great North Woods, the vast, thinly populated forest country that fills the top of New Hampshire. Berlin, just to the south, is a historic paper-mill city, and the surrounding region is a land of rivers, moose, and deep forest reaching toward the Canadian border.

A roadside wayside lets travelers pull over to see the jump and read its story, an easy stop to fold into a north-country drive that might also take in moose watching, the Androscoggin's fishing, or the remote lakes farther north.

Winter is when the jump makes the most sense to the eye, standing in the snow that once made it run, in a region known for long, deep winters.

Spring brings the Androscoggin high with snowmelt and the north woods slowly greening around the steel tower.

Summer and early fall are easy times to visit the wayside, with the river valley green or turning and the wider Great North Woods open for exploring.

Fall wraps the north country in early, vivid color, a fine backdrop for the jump against the hills.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Nansen Ski Jump, near Berlin in the Great North Woods of northern New Hampshire, is a historic steel ski jump that was once the largest in the country and a site of national and Olympic-level ski jumping competition. Built in the early twentieth century and towering over the landscape, the Nansen jump hosted major competitions and Olympic tryouts in the golden age of ski jumping, drawing crowds and champions to the North Country. After decades of disuse the historic structure has been preserved and restored as a landmark, and it even saw a ceremonial jump in recent years. A striking monument to skiing heritage, the Nansen Ski Jump offers a fascinating destination in New Hampshire.

The Nansen Ski Jump is historically important because it was once the largest ski jump in the country and a premier site for ski jumping in the sport's golden age, hosting national championships and Olympic tryouts and drawing top jumpers and crowds to northern New Hampshire in the early and mid twentieth century. Named for a famous Norwegian explorer and reflecting the strong Scandinavian skiing heritage of the region, it stood as a symbol of the North Country's place in American skiing. Its preservation honors that legacy. This heritage makes the Nansen Ski Jump a meaningful landmark near Berlin, New Hampshire.

Yes, the historic Nansen Ski Jump has been preserved and can be viewed as a landmark, where visitors can see and photograph the towering steel structure and learn its history through interpretive information, appreciating the scale of the jump and its place in skiing history. As it is a historic structure, viewing it from designated areas and respecting any access guidance and safety signage is important. Checking any current access details before you go is wise. Seeing the dramatic jump up close makes for a memorable stop at the Nansen Ski Jump near Berlin, New Hampshire.

As an outdoor landmark, the Nansen Ski Jump can be viewed year-round, with the warm months of late spring through fall the most pleasant for a visit, and fall adding beautiful North Woods foliage behind the towering structure, while winter offers a fitting snowy backdrop for the historic ski jump. Clear days are best for photographs of the dramatic steel tower. For the most pleasant weather and colorful foliage, aim for spring through fall, or come in winter for a snowy scene, at the Nansen Ski Jump near Berlin, New Hampshire.

The Nansen Ski Jump is near Berlin in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire, within reach of the Northern Forest Heritage Park in Berlin, Dixville Notch and Table Rock, the Pittsburg lakes region with Lake Francis State Park, and the White Mountains to the south. That makes the Nansen Ski Jump a fascinating stop to combine with the Northern Forest Heritage Park, Dixville Notch, and the other attractions of the Great North Woods on a visit to New Hampshire.