Stowe, Vermont - A Legendary New England Village

Spread out beneath the white snow covered glory of the East's most famous ski resort, Stowe Mountain Resort, is a legendary New England village. Enjoying the quietness of the landscape when it lies covered beneath a fresh snowfall is one of Mother Nature's most satisfying moments. Sitting in front of a cozy fireplace watching as the snowflakes drift gently down outside the window will create memories for a lifetime.

Stowe Vermont Skiing

For decades Stowe has been known as the "Ski Capital of the East". The resort is set on Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak, and it rocks. Skiers and riders play in the 25-30 feet of snow that falls here each season. With more long top-to-bottom lifts than any other eastern resort, with long trails covering the spectrum from the double black-diamond challenges of the "Front Four" to the gentle rolling descent of the Toll Road or the forgiving terrain of "Sunny Spruce".

Stowe Alpine Skiing

Stowe is one of the world's great ski resorts and features the finest skiing and riding east of the Rockies. Vermont's highest peak, Mt. Mansfield, offers 2,360 vertical feet of top-to-bottom fall line skiing and riding, topped by 260 glorious inches of snow annually.

Mt. Mansfield boasts chutes, steeps and powder shots that'll kickstart the most extreme skier's heart. Plus Goat, Starr, National and Liftline. Four of the steepest, toughest, most challenging runs you'll ever ski or ride. Of course, there's more to Stowe than that. Stowe offers skiers of all ages and abilities 47 incomparable trails. Spruce Peak has more acreage, primarily devoted to the beginning skier or rider, than the total area of many ski resorts. Together, there's 39 miles of pure skiing and riding pleasure.

Stowe Nordic Skiing

Stowe's expansive cross-country system was begun by the von Trapp family, who built the first commercial ski center in the United States. While Norwegian immigrants initially brought nordic skiing to the U.S. in the late 1800s, it wasn't until the 1960s that the modern sport of cross-country skiing was introduced to the American public by a group of Austrian expatriates.

One of the most famous of these was Maria von Trapp's son Johannes, who realized there was more to cross-country skiing than golf courses and snowmobile trails. In 1968 he forever changed U.S. nordic skiing by opening the ski center at Trapp Family Lodge.

Trapps is Stowe's largest ski center, with 55 km of groomed trails and 45 km of backcountry trails. Those who have never skied before can get outfitted at the rental shop, take a lesson or two and try out their new skills on wide, tree-lined, expertly groomed novice and intermediate trails. One of the more popular trails is the 5 km run through snow-laden pine forests to Slayton Pasture Cabin, where hot soup and sandwiches are served.

Expert skiers can also find plenty of action as they head toward Mt. Mansfield's ridgeline. Some of Stowe's oldest ski paths, such as Ranch Camp and Steeple, date back to the 1920s and are now backcountry trails that wind their way along the curved inner face of the mountain. These historic trails also link Trapps with Stowe Mountain Resort's cross-country center, the first of many connections among the ski areas in Stowe.

It wasn't by design that Stowe's four cross-country centers connected; it happened over time as each area's groomed trails expanded. The final links were completed about five years ago. While each ski center offers rentals, lessons and a range of terrain from novice to backcountry, each has distinct characteristics that enhance the cross-country ski experience in Stowe.

The Stowe Mountain Resort Cross-Country Touring Center's accessibility to the downhill ski area creates an uncommon fusion of nordic and alpine skiing. If skiers buy a pass to the nordic center, they can ride the Toll House chairlift free of charge and access backcountry and touring trails closer to the top of the mountain. At that high altitude, abundant snow drapes the pine boughs and groomed trails are cut deeply into powder.

Just up Edson Hill Road is Edson Hill Manor Ski Touring and Riding Center. Stunning views of Vermont's highest mountain are one of this center's rewards, since it lies directly across the valley from Mt. Mansfield.

Topnotch at Stowe Resort and Spa offers another 20 km of terrain from which cross-country skiers can immediately access Stowe's 5.3-mile Recreation Path. This broad, relatively flat public trail connects Topnotch and all the other ski areas to Stowe Village. As the Recreation Path winds its way from Topnotch to the center of town, it crosses the West Branch River 11 times on arched bridges and offers broad vistas of the Green Mountains.

More Than Just Skiing

Stowe winters also mean bundling up under a blanket to experience the special magic of a sleigh ride over a sparkling moonlit landscape with stars twinkling in an otherwise dark sky. It is gliding on cross country skis or snowshoeing over secluded trails. It is skating on frozen ponds or simply strolling along the Stowe Recreation Path as it meanders along the course of the ice-filled West Branch River.