Resort Profile: Stowe Mountain

Stowe Mountain resort is almost as revered for its beauty as it is steeped historical significance. Mount Mansfield, the location of the intermediate and advanced ski trails at Stowe, is the tallest mountain in Vermont. The sport came to Vermont when the Great Depression caused the government under Franklin Delano Roosevelt to form the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). The Vermont division of the CCC cut the first trails on Mount Mansfield in 1933.

Mountain Resort offers 116 trails, 13 lifts including an inter-mountain transfer Gondola, a halfpipe, several terrain parks, and a growing number of slopeside lodging units. The resort classifies 16% of its trails for beginners, 59% for intermediates, and 25% for advanced & expert riders.

Located off Vermont Route 100, Stowe Mountain Resort can be found six miles from downtown Stowe. It is approximately 4 hours from New Haven, 6 hours from New York City, and 3 hours 15 minutes from Boston. With a major expansion and upgrade underway, Stowe is likely to attract even more attention in the next few years. Spruce Peak, Stowe’s “mellow” side, has already had two high-speed quads installed, plus a beginners’ triple chair and trail (aptly named “Inspiration” for its view on Mt. Mansfield). An alpine village at the base of Spruce is in the works. A gondola to link Spruce Peak base with the Mansfield base, aptly named Over Easy, opened in December of 2006, and the new Stowe Mountain Lodge on Spruce opened early in the 2007-08 season. Even further improvements are slated for the Mt Mansfield side too, including significant upgrades to services and a welcome expansion of the base lodge.

Stowe Mountain Resort official website (summer)

Location: Stowe, Vermont

Trails: 116

Lifts: 13 (2 Gondolas, 3 high-speed detachable quads, 2 triples, 4 doubles, 2 surface lifts.

Uphill Capacity: 15,516/hr

Acres: 485

Snowmaking Coverage: 90% (436 acres)

Summit Elevation: 3,719 ft. / 1,134 m (Top of Lifts); 4,395 ft. / 1,340 m (Mount Mansfield Summit)

Base Elevation: 1,559 ft. / 475 m

Vertical Drop: 2,160 ft. / 658 m

Longest Trail: 4.3 mi / 6.9 km (Toll Road)

Terrain Parks: 3 (see Stowe Parks & Pipes website)

Halfpipe(s): 1

Average Snowfall: 333 inches / 846 cm annually

Night Skiing: Yes (Gondolier & Perry Merrill trails only)