Gilford, New Hampshire- After some massive changes last offseason, Gunstock Mountain Resort is making more improvements for the 2024-25 season.
On March 21, the Gunstock Area Commission approved $4.8 million in capital projects for this coming offseason. The ski resort, which Belknap County owns and operates, has a five-member board (Gunstock Area Commission) that is appointed by the County’s congressional delegation. The Commission makes the big financial decisions for the mountain.
The following improvements are planned for next winter: adding snowmaking to two trails, redesigning one trail, widening another run, an outdoor deck expansion to the Stockade Lodge, and a new welcome center.
For the first time ever, snowmaking will be added to the Hot Shot and Upper Ramrod trails. The $1.6 million project will add 12,500 feet of snowmaking pipe and 70 energy-efficient HKD Impulse tower guns across these two runs. In addition to these snowmaking improvements, Upper Ramrod will be redesigned, as it will be extended to be parallel to the Panorama High Speed Quad and will also connect with the Middle Trigger run.
The Derringer trail, classified as being of intermediate difficulty, will be widened to give skiers and riders more lifts.
Over at the Stockade Lodge, they’ll extend their outdoor deck for more seating, especially during the summer and fall. Last offseason saw the renovation of Stockade Lodge, which added The Barrel Bar & Grille. Their summer dining venue over the past couple of years, known as The Patio, will transition to group events and weddings.
Lastly, a new $1 million welcome center will be built. This new structure will be for guests checking in to the campground or Nordic skiing trail network. The modern structure will feature a spacious lobby and enlarged retail space for equipment, clothing, and more.
These plans follow the enormous changes that occurred before the 2023-24 season, which just concluded yesterday. These projects included a new rental building and tuning Shop, the aforementioned Stockade Lodge, the expansion of the Panorama Pub, and the paving of the main parking lot.
In the March 29th press release, Tom Day, who’s the President and General Manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort, said the following about this past ski season and the significance of these upcoming improvements:
“While skier visits were down this season, we felt little impact. We continue to create an overall better experience for day visitors and season passholders through capital expense plans. With this year’s improvements, Gunstock will have reinvested $17 million over a five-year period.”
Image/Video Credits: Gunstock Mountain Resort
