Stowe Mountain Resort is the definition of the luxury Eastern resort, providing quality skiing and riding for all levels of family abilities. The area's lift system includes a gondola that shuttles guests between Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak, and its "sister" mountain, Spruce Peak. This is a four-season destination with something happening throughout the year, including skiing, ziplining, snowboarding, rock climbing, shopping and dining.
The Lodge at Spruce Peak, located in the base village, is a luxury, ski-in/ski-out hotel and spa.
Stowe Mountain Resort is approximately 40 minutes from Burlington International Airport (BTV). It is also less than 30 minutes from the Waterbury-Stowe train station. If you don’t want to drive to the resort, you can catch the complimentary Stowe Mountain Road Shuttle that runs throughout the day between Stowe Village and the mountain.
This inter-mountain transfer gondola provides transportation to and from the slopes at the bases of Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, formally linking the two. The Poma 10-person standing gondola spans Vermont’s Route 108. Stowe benefits from its location on Mount Mansfield with 314 inches of average annual snowfall that falls over its 2,360-foot vertical drop and 485 acres of skiable terrain. The 116 available trails (40 miles) are serviced by 12 lifts – with more mile-long lifts than any other East Coast resort - bringing the hourly uphill capacity to 15,516 passengers.
The percentage breakout of trails is 16% beginner, 55% intermediate and 29% expert. Snowmaking coverage is 83%. Mount Mansfield summit elevation is 4,395 feet with the highest skiing elevation at 3,625 feet.
There is on-mountain dining and many restaurants to choose from in town. Besides outdoor activities, you can also take advantage of the retail shops or rent your gear right on the mountain. For parents traveling with young children, there is childcare for infants and toddlers up to three years of age. The Cubs Adventure Camp is for children ages three to four years of age.
Be sure to ask around the resort to find the location of the on-mountain speakeasy. It’s the mountain’s best-kept secret and is invite only.
The Spruce Camp base lodge has a children’s adventure center, where the kids can learn to ski or snowboard. Be sure to explore the surrounding woods with cross-country skis or snowshoes. Or, take a guided snowshoe tour, especially the twilight tour.
Intermediate skiers should head to Mount Mansfield since it has a lot of sustained groomers, including Merrill and Gondolier. More advanced skiers should check out Spruce Peak with its black diamond runs.