By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, www.goingplacesfarandnear.com
What is most distinctive about Vermont’s ski places is how special, how different each one is, and how true to their heritage and communities they have remained – even those that have been acquired by the biggest resort companies in the industry, Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company.
“Each delivers a Vermont experience in their own way,” notes Molly Maher, President of Ski Vermont.
Vermont’s magic is that each ski place reflects its community, is very much a part of the community, and is often the hub of a community. “Concerts, brew fests, family events are in Vermont’s DNA”, says Bryan Rivard, Ski Vermont’s Director of Communications. “Vermont’s ski places are where people can connect with family, friends and self and ignore the news.”
Here’s what’s happening on Vermont’s slopes this season:
Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, announced a second year of significant capital investments totaling $60 million, under its new independent ownership group. An additional $22 million has been approved for on-mountain infrastructure improvements, building on the $38 million invested last year. (The group bought Killington from Powdr making it the largest independent ski resort in US by trails and lifts.) The Superstar Express Quad, which has been in operation since the 1987 season, is being replaced with a high-speed, six-person, Doppelmayr detachable lift. Skyeship Gondola cabins were replaced with 116 brand-new cabins manufactured by Sigma, The Learn-to-Carpet surface lift on Snowshed is being replaced to offer beginners an enclosed ride. Also, $6.5 million is going to upgrade the Snowdon Triple to a new fixed-grip, four-person chairlift. In addition to improving access to one of the mountain’s most popular zones, this project supports a broader, multi-year strategy to maintain a resilient network of fixed-grip lifts across the resort. The long-term goal is to ensure reliable lift access to all areas of the mountain, even during inclement New England weather. (90 of Skyeship Gondolas were auctioned at $2000 each to raise money for local charities and sold out in 20 minutes and $200,000 will be donated to small mountains “to keep skiing local in New England.”) An additional $6 million is going to a reimagined Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill, quadrupling the capacity of this ski –in-ski out restaurant which has become one of the most popular on the mountain since opening in 2016; the Ledgewood Yurt, one of Killington’s distinctive slopeside dining experiences, was rebuilt to allow for more comfortable and reliable service.
“We’ve been thrilled at the level of investment from our independent ownership group over the past year,” says Killington Resort’s President and CEO Mike Solimano. “They have certainly lived up to their word, even increasing last year’s initial capital investment of $30 million to $38 million by the end of this summer. The flexibility of independent ownership has allowed us to act quickly and make timely adjustments to capital projects while always keeping the guest experience as our priority.”
Pico is one of my favorite New England ski resorts – it is a just-the-right-size ski in/ski out mountain with lots of long intermediate runs that I love. Flexing its independent-ownership muscles alongside sister mountain Killington Resort, Pico comes into this season with updated snowmaking as part of the over 1000 new low-energy snow guns installed across its two ski areas. Permits are also in the process of being approved to replace the Bonanza Double at Pico, which has been in operation since 1965, with a new magic carpet surface lift.
Located in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Killington Resort has earned its moniker “The Beast of the East” with four seasons of adventure spread across six peaks, plus Pico Mountain. Killington offers the most expansive snowmaking and lift system in the East, 200 trails and 92 miles of diverse snow terrain, including a world-class terrain park network and the longest season in the East. During the summer, Killington features a destination bike park with 30 miles of mountain biking trails, an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. With elevated on-mountain dining, a plethora of après options and a commitment to investment, quality and the environment, Killington, now is a can’t-miss destination for the whole family. Killington is locally and independently owned, is planning to develop Great Gulf Village And while independent, both Killington and Pico are partners in the Ikon Pass (www.killington.com)
Stratton Mountain Resort, which is now an Alterra Mountain Company resort and part of Ikon Pass, gives you the feeling of a European-style ski resort – an entire village at the base of its two mountains. The resort modernized and upgraded its American Express lift and added 265 snow guns, for 95% snowmaking and greater efficiency, especially on the popular Way Home and in the Main Base area and the Sun Bowl Super Trail. Stratton offers lots of activities including cross-country skiing, snowshoe tours, snow tubing and a sports center with a saltwater pool – and in summer, the Ikon Pass comes with two free bike park lift tickets. New this year at Stratton is bringing in Vermont Adaptive to replace its own adaptive program, which means more volunteers, a more robust program and new summer programming (Stratton.com)
Sugarbush Resort, Warren, is also an Alterra Mountain Company resort and part of Ikon Pass, last year initiated the app that tracks skiers vertical feet and promised to donate $50,000 to local cause (mental illness) if guests hit 1 billion vertical feet – they hit 801 million last season, but Sugarbush still donated the funds. This year, Sugarbush is repeating the challenge to raise money for the community. Sugarbush, encompassing 4000 acres, including 484 trail acres skiable, 53 miles of trails, and 16 ski lifts, completed a 20 year master plan, and this year has a new surface lift on Mt. Ellen to enhance the beginner experience. It also thinned out its glades. Also new this year is Sugarbush’ partnership with Vermont Adaptive. (sugarbush.com, 802-583-6300).
Vail Resorts (and its Epic Pass)now owns and manages Mount Snow, the biggest mountain resort closest to Long Island, Okemo Mountain (turning 70 this season), and Stowe (celebrating its 90th anniversary). Each is benefitting with improved snowmaking.
Mount Snow, West Dover, now part of Vail Resorts and the Epic Pass, is the biggest mountain resort closest to Long Island. For over 70 years Mount snow has been giving generations of skiers and riders their first taste of sliding on snow—and they take snow seriously. With over 900 high-output, low energy snow guns, Mount Snow is capable of 83% snowmaking coverage via the world’s most powerful snowmaking system. Using state-of-the-art technology, Mount Snow has greater control over snow quality and consistency, offering visitors premium coverage even when natural snowfall is light (mountsnow.com, 800-245-7669).
Okemo Mountain, Ludlow, Vt., now part of Vail Resorts and the Epic Pass, is one of my absolute favorite places to ski – I love the architecture and the scale of the mountain -big enough to have enormous variety, great views, long runs, but small enough to meet up easily and the long (forgiving) intermediate runs. We’ve stayed at the Jackson, its slopeside condo resort, (you can sit in the Jacuzzi when it is 9 degrees outside and watch people come down the slopes to the lodge). (okemo.com, 802-228-1600).
Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, built from the ground up around families, continues to invest in on-mountain improvements including more efficient snowmaking and a new snowcat to improve grooming across the area’s three mountains — Madonna, Sterling, and Morse — expanding corduroy perfection for all ability levels. But don’t let the focus on children fool you – Smuggs also has some of the steepest, most challenging terrain in the Northeast. Smugglers is one of the most family-friendly ski resorts anywhere with a packed schedule of activities and facilities and programming offerings off the slopes. Nordic Center and Activities introduced last season is back, including the popular Scavenger Hunt, Adventure Dinner, Moonlit Mile, and biathlon experiences – blending adventure, family fun, and Vermont charm. The ski school continues to be a cornerstone of Smuggs, with individual and multi-week programs tailored to any age or skill level (smuggs.com, 800-419-4615).
Magic Mountain, Londonderry, is dedicated to being an old-fashioned, family-run, Vermont ski area with a dogged focus on keeping skiing affordable. Its Throwback Card – between a pass and a day ticket – costs $75 and gives a free day. Each year since being acquired by Jeff Hathaway, there have been improvements: this season, Magic is adding another beginner and instructional space in the base area, serviced by a 600’ handle tow surface lift and with lighting for night skiing and offers nighttime lessons and skiing in the Abracadabra area on Fridays, Saturdays and Holidays. The new, larger Abracadabra beginner area works in tandem with the Nelson Family Learning Area’s 100’ conveyor lift to bring a more graduated learning experience before novice skiers advance to the mid-mountain chairlift. Magic invested more resources into snowmaking this season, replacing 1500’ of snowmaking pipe for more efficient snowmaking in the lower portion of the mountain, from Black Line down to Show Off. This will allow for a more consistent snowpack on the lower mountain, on groomed terrain, and on high-traffic beginner and intermediate trails. In addition, new HKD tower and fan guns have been added at the new Abracadabra base and beginner area, dramatically improving snowmaking power and efficiency for the area as well as nearby lower Hocus Pocus and down into the Quad lift loading area. The improved snowmaking on beginner and intermediate trails allows Magic to extend its season into April. The small, family-owned ski area, is a member of the Indy Pass, and hosts bands and comedy nights, and promotes itself as a wedding venue (magicmtn.com, 802-824-5645).
Mad River Glen, Waitsfield, comes into the 2025-26 season with freshly painted lifts and season passes nearly or completely sold out. Known for its reverence for natural snow, the ski area maintains a fleet of groomers and other vehicles. Winter Naturalist hikes are again offered this year (madriverglen.com, 802-496-3551)
Bromley, Peru,has improved snowmaking this season with 9 new high-efficiency snow guns on Corkscrew and Lower Boulevard, new snowmaking pipe on East Side Steeps and the learning area and launched a new website to better reflect the mountain’s community feel. Newcomers will feel welcomed with a revamped First Timer Lesson Package and reconfigured rental shop exit which now sends visitors right out to the snow base area and skips the staircase (bromley.com, 802-824-5522)
Jay Peak has made a $500,000 investment in snowmaking upgrades, the first step in a 10-year upgrade plan. The upgrade will improve the connection of the Tramside to the Stateside of the resort, improving guests’ ability to easily navigate the mountain. Jay Peak became the first resort in Vermont to install fully automated HKD Klik hydrants that activate when the wetbulb temperature reaches 28 degrees, speeding up terrain openings and improving surface quality. Combined with this year’s expansion, Jay now operates the largest fully automated air-water snowmaking system in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (jaypeakresort.com, 802-988-2611)
Saskadena Six, Pomfret (formerly known as Suicide Six), a family friendly ski area that is part of the historic Woodstock Inn, is gearing up for its 90th season (1936-2026), with celebrations all winter and new ski packages and annual events like the Saturday Live Music Series and the iconic Presidents’ Week Torchlight Parade (Feb. 14). The longest running snow sports school in the country, Saskadena Six offers private and semi-private snow sports lessons daily in 1, 2, and 3-hour increments, and uphill lessons are available. Some of the distinctive programs: you can rent the mountain on Mondays; Wednesdays are for Women to ski/ride; they offer adult development programs. Snowmaking has been improved this year, and the Saskadena Six team disassembled and removed the nearly 50-year-old Chair Two double lift (they plan to have an auction for a community fundraising event). Access to the Chair Two side, including the Milky Way terrain park, will continue via Duane’s Drop and The Gully trails. Saskadena Six is part of the Indy Pass (saskadenasix.com, 802-457-6661).
Meanwhile, Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center this season has become one of just seven Nordic ski areas in the state with snowmaking ability. The purchase of an HDK fan gun will produce snow to keep skiers, snowshoers, and fat-tire bikers on the trails this winter. The cross-country center’s pilot last year included a month-long fan gun rental that proved to be essential when periods of the season lacked natural snow. This winter, the team will have the ability to make snow to keep 5m of core trails in the over-45km network covered, regardless of natural snowfall. These trails include out-the-door access from the Nordic Center Shop, along the base of Mt. Peg, and out to Knox Meadow (woodstockinn.com, 800-448-7900)
Von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort is marking its 75th anniversary by rebranding from “Trapp Family Lodge” to “Von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort,” making the connection clear that it is founded and still owned and operated by the family that inspired “The Sound of Music” and is way more than a simple chalet in the woods (their “woods” span 2600 acres). The first full service Nordic ski center in North America and still one of the most sophisticated, it offers 60 km of groomed cross-country and snowshoeing trails- the first to have snowmaking and is continuing to invest in snowmaking. The Outdoor Center team continues to add fun events like Sunday Fundays with guest speakers, a Poker Ski, treats on trails, and other fun non-competitive events for skiers of all ages. A total resort, it offers such marvelous experiences as horse drawn sleigh rides, a maple sugaring tour, daily (“Sound of Music”) tours, opportunities to meet their herd of cows and visit their award-winning brewery. They offer a seven-mile snowshoe trek by head-lamp (800 ft. climb) to the Slayton Pasture cabin for dinner (the chef is the cabin keeper) (700 Trapp Hill Rd., Stowe Vt. 05672, www.vontrappresort.com, 802-829-1516)
Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, a nationally recognized organization that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming regardless of ability to pay, added two Vermont ski resorts this season, Stratton and Bromley to its roster (Killington/Pico, Sugarbush, Bolton Valley, Saskadena Six, Mad River Glen) for total of 8 Vermont ski resorts offering winter programs. It is the largest year-round adaptive sports organization in the East. In addition to sports, year-round programming options integrate environmental, holistic wellness, and competitive training philosophies for people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical, and emotional/behavioral disabilities. Sports and recreational opportunities include alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports; kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, cycling, mountain biking, sailing, rock climbing, horseback riding, and veterans programs and retreats. . In 2024, Vermont Adaptive served over 1,200 participants through 5,300 outings. Since 2017, its Veteran Ventures Program has provided more than 9,000 activities and 35+ multi-day retreats to veterans and service members. “We are for every body – we level the playing field,” said Kim Jackson, Director of Communications and Marketing (vermontadaptive.org).
More information and trip planning help at skivermont.com.
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