Vermont — It was another busy offseason for ski resorts in the land of maple syrup and Ben & Jerry’s, as various operators have made notable upgrades.
Last week, Ski Vermont announced the improvements for the 2025-26 season. Some of the highlights included a new six-pack chairlift at Killington, a massive infrastructure refurbishment at Burke, and a new beginner experience at Pico Mountain.
Here’s a rundown of the big changes at Vermont ski resorts this winter:
- Bromley has added nine new snowguns to the Corkscrew and Lower Boulevard trails, and new snowmaking pipelines have been installed on the East Side Steeps and the learning area. Other changes include a refreshed website, new signage across the mountain, a freshly painted base lodge, and a terrain park setup by Arena Snowparks.
- Mad River Glen has repainted its lifts and installed a hydraulic lift to maintain its vehicles. A fundraiser is also underway to refurbish Stark’s Pub.
- Middlebury Snowbowl replaced a good chunk of its snowmaking pipe (which included Allen West up to the summit), which will lead to more efficient snowmaking operations. A new RFID and point of sale system has been installed. Last winter, Middlebury opened up the Bailey Falls chairlift for the first time in a couple of years, with plans to reopen it again this ski season.
- Saskadena Six has removed Chair 2, which was deemed to be too costly to repair. A replacement is being considered. In the meantime, this terrain zone is accessible via Duane’s Drop (a newish trail with snowmaking) and The Gully. Additionally, both snowmaking pumps at the ski resort have been replaced.
- Smugglers’ Notch replaced snowmaking pipes and added a new snow groomer. Smuggs also added new activities to the Nordic Center last winter.
- Stowe has added a new food truck, Base Camp Bites, which offers asian cuisine. A new year-round event series, Seasons at Stowe, is also being launched.
- Stratton spent the summer modernizing the American Express lift, increasing its reliability. At the summit, 200ft of 30-ft wind fences have been installed to reduce the number of gondola closures. The snowmaking pipeline has been replaced on the Way Home trail and in the main base area, improving efficiency. Four new facilities have been acquired for worker housing. Each of the buildings has undergone a refurbishment.
- Sugarbush added a new covered conveyor at Mt. Ellen and cleared up some glades.
5. Magic Mountain: Following the opening of its first quad chairlift two winters ago, the independent Vermont ski resort is continuing to invest in upgrades across the mountain.
The Abracadabra trail will now be home to a beginner area. An existing surface lift will service the trail, which will be used by advanced beginners. The trail will also have lights for night skiing. New snowmaking guns have been added to this area, which will help in early and late seasons. The terrain park is being moved further up the mountain and will now be situated on the skier’s left of Hocus Pocus.
1,500 feet of snowmaking pipe has been replaced, improving snowmaking operations on the lower mountain.
4. Jay Peak: The snowy Vermont ski resort completed its first year of its 10-year snowmaking enhancement plan.
This offseason, 49 new HKD Low E air-water snowmaking guns were added to Queen’s Highway and Perry Merrill trails. This will provide better early- and late-season coverage between Stateside and Tramside.
Other snowmaking improvements include retofitting old snowmaking guns, acquiring a new Techno Alpin TR10 fan gun, and two demo fan guns. These additions will be supported by new power infrastructure at both base areas. Total snowmaking investments this season are over $1.5 million.
Thanks to this year’s upgrades, Jay now operates the largest fully automated air-water snowmaking system in Northern New England.
3. Pico Mountain: While Pico tends to play second fiddle due to its next-door neighbor, the Vermont ski resort still has lots of memorable terrain and two high-speed chairlifts.
The significant addition is the replacement of the Bonanza Chair with a new magic carpet lift. A regrading near the top of Bonanza and new snowmaking guns will make it an easier learning experience for beginners. Other projects include 25 new snowguns, a deciated winch cat for the ski resort, a new ADA lift in the lodge, an additional uphill route, and the addition of Pico onto the Killington app.
A wind study is also planned for this ski season to identify potential solutions to issues at the summit. One of the projects scheduled for next year includes a chair replacement (not a whole new chairlift) for the Golden chairlift, which is coming from the old Superstar Express.
2. Burke Mountain: After years in purgatory, a new local ownership group has arrived at Burke Mountain Resort. Bear Den Partners purchased the ski resort in April, and work started right away on various upgrades.
Snowmaking was a major focus, with 150 new snowguns and various pipeline replacements. This will effectively more than double Burke’s snowmaking capacity.
Burke’s Jbar is set to reopen thanks to rebuilt line equipment and a new gearbox. The ski resort’s two high-speed chairlifts have undergone a refurbishment, increasing their reliability. Also, a new snow groomer has been acquired.
It’ll be a memorable winter for Burke thanks to these changes, becoming a full Indy partner, and hosting fundraiser concerts with artists like Stephen Kellogg. Add in a rebrand and a new website, and Burke is going to be better than ever this winter.
1. Killington Resort: Killington has undergone quite the transformation since the ownership change in 2024. So far, the new ownership group has spent $38 million between the two ski resorts, with another $22 million on tap for 2026.
The marquee addition is the replacement of the Superstar Express. The high-speed quad has been replaced by a Doppelmayr high-speed six-pack chairlift. The other significant lift project is the replacement of Skyeship’s gondola cabins, which will be stored each evening in a new heated barn.
Other enhancements for this winter include completing the 2-year 1,024 snowmaking guns project (including guns added at Pico), a new Ledgewood Yurt, snowmaking pipeline replacements, new snow groomers, and a new surface lift at Snowshed.
Next offseason will see the replacement of the Snowdon Triple and the construction of a new Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill.
Out of the ski resorts in North America not named Deer Valley, the most significant offseason changes may be happening at The Beast.
Image/Video Credits: Magic Mountain, Jay Peak Resort, Pico Mountain, Burke Mountain, Killington Resort
