Hitting the slopes after the sun dips below the horizon is a whole different experience. Although oftentimes it can be a lot colder at night, dressing warm will usually outweigh the negatives of chill winter bite that's in the air.

I remember growing up as a teenager and night skiing at Cranmore in my hometown of North Conway, New Hampshire. Cruising down the mountain under artificial lights creates a totally different vibe than day skiing and snowboarding.

Although night skiing isn't as widely available as a lot of us enthusiasts would hope for, there are still several mountains that offer the opportunity. For those of you who work during the day, looking for discounted lift tickets, or just want to experience the thrill of nocturnal skiing, here are 11 mountains that offer it in Maine and New Hampshire.

Maine

Pleasant Mountain, formerly Shawnee Peak, in Bridgton, Maine, has been offering night skiing since 1989, and now offers it Mondays through Saturdays and holidays that fall on Sundays beginning at 3:30pm.

Sunday River in Newry, Maine, offers twilight skiing starting at $50 on Fridays and Saturdays until 6:30pm, and on select holidays.

Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine (not to be confused with the Black Mountain in Jackson, NH), offers night skiing and tubing on select Wednesdays until 9pm and occasionally will offer free night skiing. Check their calendar for select dates.

Camden Snow Bowl in Camden, Maine, about 90 minutes north of Portland, offers night skiing until 7pm Wednesdays through Fridays during their regular season.

Lost Valley in Auburn offers skiing under the stars Mondays through Thursdays until 8pm and Fridays until 9pm.

New Hampshire

Cranmore began offering night skiing around 1990 and then stopped several years later. I was very happy to see they rein-acted it and currently offer night skiing on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 8pm.

Crotchet Mountain in Hillsboro County, New Hampshire, offers night skiing every day throughout the regular season for skiers and riders beginning at 3pm.

Gunstock in Gilford, New Hampshire, is one of New England's largest lighted parks and offers night skiing Tuesdays through Saturdays during their regular season.

King Pine in Madison, New Hampshire, is a great mountain for beginners and offers twilight skiing every day during their regular season, which goes until 6pm. They are open for night skiing on non-holiday Tuesdays until 8pm.

McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, New Hampshire, offers twilight skiing and riding daily until 6pm. They also offer night skiing on Mondays until 8pm and Wednesday through Saturdays until 9pm.

Dress warm, be safe, and make sure to check websites, as night skiing hours of operation can often fluctuate.