Tenney sits above Plymouth with more fall line than polish. You come here because the pitch is real, not because the lodge is a destination. Compared with Waterville next door, Tenney is smaller, steeper in feel, and less of a production. If you want a quiet central New Hampshire day on Indy, this is often the call.
The trail map is not huge, but this is not a bunny hill pretending to be one. You get honest pitch, a park, and a local crowd that is still settling into the reopened version of the place. Snowmaking covers the obvious lines. Natural snow is what makes the rest of it worth chasing.
Do not treat Tenney like a backup to Waterville if the group needs services, lodging, and a full resort day. Treat it like the hill you drive to when you want fewer people and more of a ski area that still feels like one. Ticket prices stay in the independent range, which is part of why it belongs on Indy.