Burke, Vermont — We’ve got some breaking news here at Unofficial Networks, as the sale of Burke Mountain Resort has been finalized. A group of locals have bought the mountain, and they plan to make major investments from the get-go. For more information, check out the press release from the new owners, Bear Den Partners, below.
IT’S OFFICIAL! BURKE MOUNTAIN RESORT HAS NEW OWNERS: BEAR DEN PARTNERS PURCHASES INDEPENDENT VERMONT RESORT
Bear Den Partners Aims to Improve Infrastructure, Keep it Independent and Community Focused
Burke, Vermont (May 5, 2025) — After four years of planning, the Bear Den Partners ownership group closed on the purchase of Burke Mountain Resort in East Burke, Vermont. The 72-year-old ski resort has been in receivership since 2016 and was officially purchased on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Bear Den Partners (BDP) is led by skiers, snowboarders, bikers and mountain sports enthusiasts who love Burke, see its growth potential and who also understand and care deeply for the town and region. The group values Burke as a special place for those who love mountain sports and seek an authentic alternative to crowded corporate ski experiences that typify most modern resorts. Collectively, the partners have more than 100 years of experience skiing, hiking, biking and recreating on Burke Mountain.
Bear Den Partners is comprised of members of the Graham family, a family with strong ties to Burke stretching over 50 years; Burke Mountain Academy, the leading ski racing academy in the United States, located in East Burke; and the Schaefer family, also with local ties, who, as owner/operators of Berkshire East in Mass., Catamount Resort in NY, and Big Red Cats in Rossland British Columbia, bring independent ski resort operating expertise to the ownership group. Notably for riders of the Kingdom Trails, the biking mecca located in Burke, the Schaefer family built and operates Thunder Mountain Bike Park at Berkshire East.
“As a longtime Burke Mountain passholder and supporter, I’ve seen first-hand how the staff at Burke has been so dedicated over these past nearly nine years of uncertainty,” said Ken Graham of Bear Den Partners. “Now together, we can combine our mutual passions and industry knowledge and get to work! Our first focus in the capital improvement plan is to nearly triple our snowmaking capacity in time for the 2025/2026 ski season. There is much to be done and we’re ecstatic that we have the support of the staff and the greater Burke community as we launch this exciting new chapter for Burke Mountain.”
“Burke is awesome and it deserves to remain independent,” said Bear Den Partners’ Jon Schaefer, who will have operational oversight. “Burke is super accessible off interstate 91 in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. It’s closer to southern population centers than many of the big corporate resorts. It is home to one of the most important bike trail networks in the world and home to an incredible group of people. For our current guests and future guests: this is no corporate monster takeover of a small town, this is an ownership group made of active users of the mountain. There’s no paid parking, no cookie cutter anything. Just us making sure that it keeps being a great place to ski, snowboard, bike, snowshoe and enjoy a true north country experience with family and friends. We can’t wait to start on the infrastructural improvements that will make both existing and new guests want to come back again and again.”
“What a happy outcome for this great mountain and community,” said Willy Booker, Burke Mountain Academy head of school. “We couldn’t be happier to close the loop on a long ownership history for the mountain and be part of new beginnings for Burke!”
Located in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Burke Mountain Resort is a four-season destination offering skiing and riding in the winter and mountain biking and hiking in the summer. The mountain has been in operation since 1953.
Image Credits: Burke Mountain Resort
