Burke Mountain on closing day. Image Credit: Ian Wood.

East Burke, Vermont — Burke Mountain has been seeing some love since being acquired by Bear Den Partners in 2025. Last ski season saw various improvements, including tripling snowmaking capacity, a refreshed brand, and new leadership.

This week, Burke Mountain Resort detailed some of the projects they’ve been working on this offseason. The highlights include a renovated base lodge, snowmaking investments, and more.

Snowmaking

Last year, Burke Mountain tripled its snowmaking capacity. The impact was major. On the Storm Skiing Podcast, Bear Den Partners CEO Jon Schaefer said this reduced snowmaking by 500 work hours. This meant terrain opened much faster and held on until closing day. I can confirm because I was there. This offseason, Burke added snowmaking on Warren’s Way, McCargs, Little Dipper, and Lower Willoughby.

Schaefer discussed the improvements on the Storm Skiing Podcast earlier this week.

Mid-Burke Lodge

Over this offseason, the big project was a gut job on the Mid-Burke Lodge. The lodge had seen better days, as it leaked last winter. The lodge is getting new flooring, a roof, and windows. Don’t fret, as the Bear Den Pub remains in place.

“While we’ve taken much of Mid Mountain Lodge down to the studs, rest assured that the Bear Den Pub is intact,” said Gabe Porter-Henry, Burke’s General Manager. “What makes the Bear Den special remains; however, with the repairs and new windows, we shouldn’t have any more leaking in there!”

A new staircase has been built from the Burke Mountain Hotel to Mid-Burke Lodge, making it easier to reach the chairlift and base lodge.

For more information on the lodge renovation, North Star Monthly wrote a nice piece about its history and the updates.

Finnish Ski Resort Preps For Early October Opening Day Thanks To Snow Stockpiled Over The Summer

Other Updates

Burke’s beginner area saw further improvements. The learning area has been regraded, creating progression zones. The entrance to the Magic Carpet has been rebuilt, allowing for easier loading. The J-Bar has been rebuilt, increasing reliability for the important beginner lift.

Other infrastructure upgrades include a new HVAC system and insulation in the Burke Mountain Hotel, plus some painting at the Sherburne Lodge.

Burke is also adding a seasonal rental program, which will begin in October.

These changes help position Burke Mountain as one of Vermont’s underrated ski resorts.

Image/Video Credits: Burke Mountain Resort, Storm Skiing Journal & Podcast

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...