Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Mad River Glen that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Mad River Glen stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Mad River Glen review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Mad River Glen
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A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Great skiing, great people. It’s different from other mountains in the northeast, but in a good way.... Full Review
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Great terrain if you're just looking for some fun skiing! Definitely not for quick laps or vertical junkies... Full Review
Bo
Mad River Glen is a skier's mountain and a family mountain. Beginner to Expert you will find terrain to suit your skills and you won't be dodging half of New Jersey on the trails so you can work on your technique without worry. The single chair is a ride you won't duplicate and the reason the trails aren't packed, and you can take the double and have the same fine experience.
If your kids don't feel like hitting the Hill just drop them at Callie's Corner for the day, or part of it, and away you go. They have fantastic kids programs and you can see the little grommets zooming all over the mountain. Having worked at one of the larger local resorts for 7 years, and skied most all of them, I can honestly say these kids are the best I've seen. MRG skiers have earned accolades all over the world.
This isn't superhighway groomer skiing although there are groomed trails, it's real New England skiing with fun trails zig-zagging through the woods, and amazing tree skiing to boot. Mother Nature is in control here with limited snowmaking available so be sure to check the snow reports. That's a pro and a con but if you've skied man made snow all your life you're in for a treat on the good days. There's no comparison to skiing on real snow. I've skied in 4+ feet of powder in the woods, and have had many days where it snowed so hard that every run was a 'freshies' run. That said, Mother Nature isn't always as kind...
There's more than enough challenging terrain too. Try Paradise, Slalom Hill, Antelope or Creamery, then venture down The Rat and head to the famous General Stark's Pub for some great food and a local brew from Lawson's Finest Liquids, Fiddlehead or any of the other fine brews on tap. All trails lead back to the base area so it's tough to get lost, but not impossible if you jump into the woods on skier's right and don't pay attention. Mad River Glen skiers are fanatical- about Mad River Glen, skiing, and the bond that keeps them coming back. It's family, give it a try.... Full Review
Mike
Great spot! Full of character and GREAT skiing... Full Review
hansencolin71
One of the best and most forgotten places on the east coast.... Full Review
I went to try Mad River Glen for the first time today because I love steeps and tree skiing and their snow report saying "With 20-25" of snow over the last couple of days and 3' in the past week. It is a Packed Powder Paradise out there folks". I guess that might be true for the groomers and more gentle terrain, but not the steep terrain. Unfortunately, the tree skiing is very limited and there are not many trails. This resulted in the snow on all of the steep and challenging terrain being skied off, exposing many rocks, stumps, and ice. I wound up blowing out an edge. Had the ski report been accurate, I would have brought my rock skis.... Full Review
I took my family there in 1968. I was 35 and my sons were 9 and 7. You do the math. Now their children are older than that. I'm still skiing on blue square slopes. The only other ski areas comparable to MRG in atmosphere are A-Basin, Alta and Taos. ... Full Review
Some of the best, most challenging terrain, not only in the East, but in the entire country. MRG on a powder day is like no other place. The vibe on/underneath/around the single chair is unmatched. Ski It If You Can ... Full Review
Bill Deaton
I ski MRG at least once a year and have been doing so for over 10 years. MRG is not a flashy resort with tons of amenities. It does not allow snowboarding. The single-chair lift can have a long line. Trail grooming is minimal. Snowmaking is done by The Almighty. The trails are narrow, steep, and sometimes littered with moguls. These qualities would be a turn-off to most would-be skiers, to MRG devotees, these are the exact reasons this mountain is beloved. In order to appreciate this resort a skier must eschew modernity and embrace skiing as it was before steel framed lodges with drywall interiors, high-speed six-pack lifts, and groomed trails wider than a freeway.
Whether you ride the Single or the fixed-grip double to one of the two top stations, your choices about how to get down are numerous and the difficulty level ranges from a couple of green trails that traverse the resort, to a myriad of straight shots that will have you dodging trees and sketchy sections the whole way. I like to start by warming up on Upper Antelope before cutting over to The Upper Glade, Ferret, or Moody's, and then ski out the Lower Glade. After that, the rest of my day usually is consumed by seeking out trees, chutes, and bumps with occasional journeys into the green terrain when I need a break.
MRG is not all bumps and trees. In fact, the entire skier's left side of the the lower resort is consumed with oodles of twisting greens and blues reminiscent of a Snakes and Ladders board game. Not only are these fun runs that can be used to access some great off-piste terrain, but these trails are perfect for the kids and beginner skiers. A mid-mountain double serves this area on busier days. Another double serves the somewhat separated learning area. I often wonder what it's like to be a kid here and grow up skiing this mountain. I hope the kids appreciate it.
With no big amenities, there isn't always a lot to do for apres-ski. Good local acts do play in General Stark's Pub. They also serve some excellent dishes and have a nice selection of local brew. Snowshoe trails also exist for those who want something other than skiing.
MRG's snowboard ban is perhaps it's most controversial issue. Knowing the history of the resort and the reasoning for it I support the ban to a certain extent, but I know a lot of snowboarders who would love to ride the trails here and are good enough and respectful enough to do so without it being an issue. Instead of snowboarders, MRG attracts a higher-than-usual amount of skiers that use telemark equipment. This anachronistic manner of skiing is just as throwback as the mountain itself, and thus embraced by the resort. It's just another thing that gives MRG a certain flair not found at any other resort, and yet another reason I keep coming back.
MAD RIVER GLEN/SKI IT IF YOU CAN
... Full Review
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