Hard’Ack Recreation Area is one of the hidden ski area gems of Vermont. Most in New England don’t know about it, including me in spite of living in the region for nearly my entire life. The small hill only has two trails, a surface lift, snowmaking, ice skating, and a sledding/tubing hill, but it is part of a large recreation complex in the town of St. Albans, Vermont. In the summer, the recreation area hosts mountain biking, hiking, disc golf, soccer and other sports fields, and more.
In spite of its small size, exciting changes are happening rapidly for the little hill. WCAX reports that their base lodge that took ten years to get off the ground and construct opened this summer. Last night, they hosted an open house to celebrate the occasion. The lodge had its bathrooms open for last winter, but the main portion was closed partly because construction wasn’t complete, but also due to Covid concerns. The lodge is named the Greg Brown Lodge, which is because of Greg’s contributions towards keeping the ski area operational after all these years.
Along with the opening of their new lodge, construction has commenced on an outdoor swimming pool complex that was approved by local voters in March. The pool will feature a waterslide, diving board, lap pool, and a cover to allow the facility to be open year-round. It’s an exciting development to see a small ski area like Hard’Ack continue to evolve, and hopefully, it can remain a local staple for years to come.
Image Credits: Hard’Ack Recreation Area, Skimap.org
