Top Skiing Resorts in Snowy Vermont Wonderland
The winter turns the majestic Green Mountains into a snowy wonderland! These top 5 skiing resorts in Vermont offer a variety of skiing experiences. In fact, from amateurs to expert skiers, each resort can cater to different skill levels.
From laid back skiing with reasonably priced tickets to trails made for adrenaline junkies running for miles, certainly, the Green Mountain State has it all!
Vermont is one of the most picturesque locations in the U.S. Popularly known as the Green Mountain State, it’s home to the best ski resorts in the Northeast. The first-ever ski resort in Vermont was inaugurated in 1934 on Gilbert’s Hill in Woodstock. Today, Vermont ski resorts are a popular skiing destination with hundreds and thousands of enthusiastic skiers gracing the slopes each season!
Where To Go Skiing in Vermont
Vermont is home to some of the most beautiful mountains including the magnificent Green Mountains. As an iconic skiing destination, Vermont ski resorts offer such a large variety of trails at different ski resorts. Consequently, the state became known as the ultimate ‘Skiing Capital’ of the Eastern United States.
Each year, skiers and families flock to this skiing paradise for a snowy adventure. If you are ready to hit the slopes, read on to discover the top 5 skiing resorts in Vermont. In addition, enjoy some fun facts and trivia about this exciting place!
1. Killington: The Beast of the East
They call the Killington ski resort as the big, bold "Beast of the East" for a reason! This resort is huge with seven distinct mountain areas including the Killington Peak. It is the second highest point in the State of Vermont.
Skiable Area at Killington Ski Resort
The mountain stands at 4,241 feet with 212 trails, enough to burn your legs on powder rich slopes. For glade fans, Killington has 16 pristine glades to choose from. Pick an off-trail that suits your skill level, and enjoy the wide glades with ungroomed powder for miles.
Lifts and Gondolas at Killington Ski Resort
The lifts include two express gondolas, a new high-speed six-person bubble chair, five detachable quad lifts, four fixed-grip quad chairlifts, three triple chairlifts, two double chairlifts, three surface lifts, and three magic carpets.
Terrain Parks
Killington is one of the many Vermont ski resorts that has multiple terrain parks with plenty of options for snowboarders and freestyle skiers. With six terrain parks, the resort will keep everyone busy.
One of the best terrain parks in the resort is The Stash, an all-natural terrain park that has more than 50 features. Above all, the best part of The Stash is the 500-foot long Superpipe with massive 18-foot walls.
Where to Find the Best Powder at Killington
The best powder trails at Killington are on the glade trails. Some of the most popular trails among skiers are Somewhere, Nowhere, Lowrider, Big Dipper, Juanita and Julio which are skier favorites.
The powder filled canyons are serviced by the Canyon Quad and the North Ridge Triple. These quads take skiers to the steep lower section of the Rime and Reason, Double Dipper, and East Fall.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About Killington
Killington ski resort gets 250 inches of natural snowfall each winter. Similarly, to give the skiers the best skiing experience, the resort has a snowmaking system that covers 600 acres of the skiable terrain.
If the weather conditions are perfect, the snowmaking system can deliver over 10 million gallons of water each day to more than 250 snow guns. The snow guns are able to cover 60 acres of skiing area with over 12 inches of snow every 24 hours.
2. Stratton: The Birthplace of Snowboarding
Another popular resort is the Stratton ski resort. It is ideally located on the highest peak in Southern Vermont. Judging by the modern shops of designer brands in Stratton today, it’s hard to believe that this was where the ultimate sport of snowboarding was born.
The resort has a cosmopolitan atmosphere that’s not really the norm around New England and Vermont ski resorts. Developed over 40 years ago, the Stratton ski resort today is a modern skiing paradise with plenty of skiing and snowboarding options for every skill level.
Skiable Area at Stratton Ski Resort
Stratton ski resort has a skiable area of 2,003 vertical feet; skiers can begin their adventure from its 3,875-foot summit, the highest point in the southern part of Vermont’s Green Mountains. The resort gets 180 inches of snow each year in winter. The snowmaking machines are able to cover a massive 93% of its 600 acres of skiable terrain.
Lifts and Gondolas at Stratton Ski Resort
The ski area of Stratton is covered by 11 lifts that include one high-speed gondola, four high-speed sixes, three quads, one triple chair, one double chair, and one carpet lift. The lifts at Stratton are the fastest and the most modern in the Green Mountains that serve over 600 acres of skiable area.
The lifts and gondolas give skiers and snowboarders access to all the 97 trails including the 150 acres of gorgeous powder filled glade trails for endless thigh burning skiing.
Terrain Parks at Stratton
Stratton, a significant part of Vermont ski resorts, has four terrain parks accessible by the high-speed six-person chairlift. As a result, the lift can give easy access to the massive superpipe at Power Park.
The Power Park has a huge and loud sound system complete with floodlights for those willing to hit the wall at night. Each of the four parks has separate features for beginner and experts. The East Byreside Park has a boardcross along with its jibs.
Where to Find the Best Powder at Stratton
The Polar Bear is a challenging steep trail. Another fan favorite is the Diamond in the Rough, which you can find in a dimly lit zone. This trail is a popular glade, which means skiers can enjoy fresh powder for hours. Lower Middlebrook is another popular trail for those looking for plenty of fresh powder.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About Stratton
Not many people know this but it was right here in Stratton in the early 80s when Jake Burton created and tested the first prototype snowboards in the basement of the Birkenhaus hotel. Stratton, a vital destination in Vermont ski resorts, was one of the first major U.S. ski resorts that allowed snowboarding.
Even more, the resort has hosted the U.S. Open Competition, a snowboarding event, for many years. A-list snowboarders like Lindsey Jacobellis got her first start at Stratton. Her vast winning streak includes a seven-time Winter X Games champion and a silver medal from the 2006 Winter Olympics.
3. Sugarbush: ‘Pure Vermont’ Skiing Destination
Sugarbush, a major part of the Vermont skiing area, claims to offer ‘Pure Vermont’ skiing and you will not be disappointed by what the resort offers. Its rival resorts to the south like Mount Snow and Killington might enjoy more popularity (that explains the huge crowds each season), but Sugarbush is a gem for skiers who love glades and a long vertical to go with it. The resort is primarily comprised of two mountains, i.e. Mount Ellen and Lincoln Peak. Certainly, the two mountains combined with three massive thirty glades, three terrain parks, six peaks, sixteen lifts and the magnificent 2,000-acre Slide Brook Basin collectively make Sugarbush a thrilling skiing destination for skiers.
Skiable Area at Sugarbush Ski Resort
Since the Sugarbush ski resort is composed of two giant mountains, Mount Ellen and Lincoln Peak, they form a massive ski area that offers plenty of skiing for all skill levels. Huge capacity and high-speed lifts with small waiting lines connect both areas, as the resort isn’t always overcrowded.
Lincoln Peak has more skiable area than Mount Ellen but it’s shorter of the two peaks with a summit of 3975 meters and a 2400 foot drop. Together, the two giant mountain peaks offer a total of 4000 acres of skiable terrain.
The resort has 111 trails, three terrain parks, and 28 gladed trails spread across 97 acres. The Sugarbush is an extensive resort from the several Vermont ski resorts. Most noteworthy, it is perfect for a long skiing weekend as the skiable area is one of the largest in Vermont.
Lifts and Gondolas at Sugarbush Ski Resort
The resort includes the majestic peaks of Mount Ellen and Lincoln peak. Both the peaks and its skiable terrain is covered by 16 lifts. The lifts include five high-speed quads, five fixed-grip quads, two triple chairlifts, one double chairlift, and three surface lifts.
Terrain Parks at Sugarbush
The Sugarbush has three terrain parks. Two of them are located on Mount Ellen and one on Lincoln Peak. Skiers and snowboarders can get easy access to the parks through the Sunny Quad chairlift. The lift is improved and offers access to two parks.
Where to Find the Best Powder at Sugarbush Ski Resort
The best powder trails on Lincoln Peak are at Castlerock Peak. Expert skiers will have a thrilling thigh burning skiing experience with an endless array of fresh powder and steep speedy runs. The Ripcord and Stein’s Runs are two of the most challenging runs.
Organgrinder is a skier favorite. In fact, it comes with plenty of powder and 2400 feet of continuous steep is a thrill no skier wants to miss. The Upper and Lower FIS are the most challenging runs with plenty of powder on Mount Ellen. A local favorite powder run is the Exterminator.
If you’re lucky, you will get a chance to ski on this rarely open black diamond run. Hammerhead and Tumbler are sure to give skiers the best powder experience at the resort.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About Sugarbush
The Sugarbush is the first Eastern resort to offer cat skiing among the several Vermont ski resorts. The Stein Run is named after the Olympic Gold medalist Stein Ericksen, who also served as the director of the Sugarbush Ski School.
Another interesting fact about Sugarbush is that the Slide Brook Express is the longest and the fastest detachable quad in the world.
4. Bolton Valley: A Resort for Everyone!
The Bolton Valley is a ski resort which you can find in a snowy box canyon located east of Burlington. First of all, the pristine wilderness of the Bolton Valley gives skiers a completely different experience. It has solitude, calmness, and serenity that’s exclusive to Vermont ski resorts. The lift lines are short and the trails are uncrowded. Thus, skiers can have a relaxing skiing experience.
Skiable Area at Bolton Valley
The skiable area at Bolton Valley, a classy skiing destination among Vermont ski resorts, is composed of over 500 acres of skiable terrain. Skiers will find plenty of skiable terrains at the Timberline Lodge, the secondary base area of the resort. The main base area of the resort is located a mile up on the Access Road. Skiers can get lift access to reach the three major peaks serving as the main skiable area. Most noteworthy to mention, the Vista Peak has the most number of skiable trails. The Vista Quad can get skiers to the main skiing area within a few minutes. The resort has 71 runs with 12 trails for night skiing, and three terrain parks are enough to keep snowboarders busy. The Bolton Valley has over 100 kilometers of Nordic skiing with 35 kilometer of well-groomed trails.
Lifts and Gondolas at Bolton Valley
Most of the skiing area is covered by six lifts that include three double chairs, two quad chairlifts, and one surface lift.
Terrain Parks at Bolton Valley
The Bolton Valley ski resort has three terrain parks namely Hide Away, Moonlight Park, and the Valley Road. The Hide Away is the main terrain park that has a rain garden and a jib park. This terrain park is conveniently located under the Vista quad. It offers medium features, creative dance floors and much more.
The Moonlight is perfect for freestyle skiers and snowboarders. The Valley Road is for expert skiers and snowboarders with medium to large features. Finally, the Valley Road has big kickers and a variety of ever-changing additional features for the slopestyle course.
Where to Find the Best Powder at Bolton Valley
The Bolton Valley has some of the best powder runs among Vermont ski resorts. The best powder and thigh burning runs on Bolton Valley are found in the wooded trails.
The One Tree Run, Cobrass Woods, and Jacob’s Ladder are popular for their challenging powder filled adventure skiing suitable for experts. Adam’s Solitude is another skier favorite with plenty of powder, contours and zigzagging cat track that leads back to the Timberline Quad.
Interesting Facts and Trivia ABolton Valley
The Bolton Valley has over 100 kilometers of Nordic trails. It has one of the largest Nordic Centers in the Northeast.
5. Stowe: The Original American Ski Resort
Finally, Stowe is famously known as the Original American Ski resort because it has the classic traditional charm and character of a New England Village. The resort has plenty of challenging pistes. Most of them are located on the magnificent Mount Mansfield.
Stowe has the longest average trail length and the most challenging fall line skiing in the entire New England. Considering all the Vermont ski resorts, the Stowe is closest to the storybook pristine image of the Green Mountains State.
Skiable Area at Stowe Ski Resort
The Stowe has an excellent snow record and it gets around 333 inches of snow each year. The rest of the requirement is easily fulfilled by the snowmaking machines that cover 72% of the trails.
Stowe is also home to the Great 48, known for its challenging and thrilling skiing experience. It has the best vertical drop of about 2,160 feet.
Lifts and Gondolas at Stowe Ski Resort
The Stowe has eight chairlifts that are enough to connect skiers to most of its skiable areas. The lifts include three high-speed quads, one eight-passenger gondola, and two surface lifts. The high-speed quads and the single gondola are modern and fast. The Spruce Park and Mount Mansfield are accessible by the Over Easy Gondola.
Terrain Parks at Stowe
The Stowe has three terrain parks, which make it a perfect place for freestyle skiers and snowboarders among the several Vermont ski resorts. The Burton Method Center is popular for snowboarders with sufficient features for beginners. The Tyro and Midway have the best rail slides and barrels suitable for the experts and advanced snowboarders and skiers. The North Slope features a giant Superpipe for experts.
Where to Find the Best Powder at Stowe Ski Resort
Some of the best powder-filled runs at the Stowe are popularly known as the “Front Four." It includes the Liftline, the Goat, Starr, and National. The best powder run is the Lookout in the glades. The Starr is perfect for steep runs and the Goat has plenty of powder with a double fall line and massive moguls.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About Stowe Ski Resort
Comparing all the Vermont ski resorts, the Stowe is one of oldest. In fact, it dates back to the early 1930s. It is home to the longest average trail length and has the toughest fall line in New England.
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