Ski Vermont: Whats New For Winter 2025-26

This summer, ski areas used the not-winter season to make improvements in infrastructure and changes to programming to make sure anyone who visits in the 2025-26 season has an unforgettable Vermont Ski Experience*.

Here are just some of the changes coming:

Bromley

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

Before experiencing the benefits of 9 new high-efficiency snow guns on Corkscrew and Lower Boulevard, or the freshly-replaced snowmaking pipe on East Side Steeps and the learning area—you’ll get to walk through a crisp looking Bromley. Sporting a fresh coat of paint in the base lodge, Bromley has also replaced signage across the mountain and launched a new website to better reflect the mountain’s community feel.

Arena Snowparks is slated to return from Canada this season to craft an incredible terrain park for Bromley.

Programs & Amenities

Newcomers will feel welcomed not just by the revamped First Timer Lesson Package, but by the rental shop’s new exit—which now skips the staircase and sends visitors right out to the on-snow base area, a welcome improvement to those new to ski boots.

Burke

Burke made headlines in 2025 after being unleashed from receivership with new owners, Bear Den Partners. The small group, led by skiers, snowboarders, bikers and mountain sports enthusiasts, comes to the role with more than 100 years of collective experience recreating on Burke Mountain.

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

The resort’s snowmaking system has been reconfigured for increased energy efficient and to maximize snowmaking efforts on the mountain. This summer, the Operations team has reassigned snowmaking pipes and guns on all levels of terrain and added 150 new HKD and SMI snow guns to the mountain. The work should more than double snowmaking capacity and, if Mother Nature allows, allow Burke to open earlier than it has in the past several years. The on-snow team will also have fun breaking in a new Prinoth snowcat for the resort.

This season the Jbar will be operational with totally rebuilt line equipment and a new gearbox. Located in Burke’s dedicated learning hill, the Jbar provides the learning area a dedicated lift for those starting their skiing or riding journey. Burke’s two high speed quads have received an extensive overhaul including new com lines, control touch screens, wiring, and a very thorough checkup conducted by the Burke staff and Leitner Poma. 

Amenities and Programs

Indy Pass: This season will also mark the first official season as a member of the Indy Pass. For passholders, that means two free days at Burke, and a great way to celebrate skiing/riding at other independent resorts in North America.

Charitable Events:   New for this season will be Burke Mountain Resorts signature series of charitable concert events welcoming national level touring artists to the Northeast Kingdom.  Adam Gardner of Guster, Chad Hollister, Stephen Kellogg, and others are scheduled to perform.  Proceeds from these events will benefit various local and regional causes.  Specific dates are forthcoming.

Jay Peak

Trails, Lifts, Snowmaking

The centerpiece of Jay Peak’s 2025–26 improvements is a $500,000 snowmaking investment, which installed 49 new HKD Low E air-water snowmaking guns (32 on Queen’s Highway and 17 on Perry Merrill)—marking the first step in a 10-year upgrade plan. Among the most energy-efficient available, these snow guns require significantly less compressed air than the models they replace and are fixed in place for the season to ensure quicker coverage and higher-quality snow. The upgrade will improve the connection of the Tramside to the Stateside of the resort, further improving guests’ ability to easily navigate the mountain.

On Perry Merrill, HKD Klik automated hydrants contain a trail-mounted weather sensor that will automatically activate when the wetbulb temperature reaches 28 degrees, increasing water flow as temperatures drop. This ensures snow output is maximized with little delay, speeding up terrain openings and improving surface quality.

According to HKD, Jay Peak is the first resort in Vermont to install fully automated Klik hydrants. Combined with this year’s expansion, Jay now operates the largest fully automated air-water snowmaking system in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Additional snowmaking enhancements include the purchase of a new Techno Alpin TR10 fan gun and two demo fan guns for this season, supported by new power infrastructure at both the Tramside and Stateside base areas. Jay Peak is also partnering with Efficiency Vermont to retrofit older snowmaking guns with updated nozzles that cut energy demand while improving snow consistency.

Amenities/Programs:

The Ice Haus Arena will now be resurfaced with a new electric Zamboni, reducing emissions while maintaining the ice for skaters and hockey players.

Guests can enjoy more space to relax between rides with 10 new private cabanas in The Pump House Indoor Waterpark.

Killington

Killington Resort continues its multi-year transformation, investing $38 million (an increase from the initial $30 million) in upgrades across the resort. After its 2025 Annual Community Meeting on October 16th, Killington announced an additional $22 million in capital investments for its second year of independent ownership, bringing the two-year total for capital investment to $60 million.

Trails, Lifts, Snowmaking

For winter 2025/26, major lift upgrades are underway, focusing on improving comfort and replacing aging infrastructure. The Superstar Express Quad, which has been in operation since the 1987 season, is being replaced with a high-speed, six-person, detachable lift manufactured by Doppelmayr. It will feature a two-story maintenance building at the top along with a new diesel generator, which will allow the lift to operate at full capacity in the event of power supply issues. The lift is also expected to be more resistant to wind thanks to its heavier chairs.

This summer, the second-generation Skyeship Gondola cabins were replaced with 116 brand-new cabins manufactured by Sigma. The new cabins will be housed in the newly upgraded Northbrook Gondola barn, which will be heated and include three new service bays, ensuring the cabins are free of ice and in good condition each morning.

The Learn-to-Carpet surface lift on Snowshed is being replaced with an extended version of the Progression Carpet II, which is being relocated from Ramshead. The carpet will now offer beginners an enclosed ride, shielded from the elements, making access to signature learning terrain more comfortable. Permits are also in the process of being approved to replace the Bonanza Double at Pico, which has been in operation since 1965, with a new magic carpet surface lift.

Snowmaking investment also remains a major focus. Over the past two seasons, 1,020 new low-energy HKD tower and fan guns have been installed to expand coverage and efficiency, with 530 new units being installed this summer. This will more than double the total number of fixed tower snow guns between Killington and Pico, an unprecedented increase in equipment.

Amenities/Programs

This summer, the Ledgewood Yurt, one of Killington’s most unique slopeside dining experiences on the mountain, was rebuilt. The New structure has a steel roof, wood siding and an expanded kitchen area, to allow for more comfortable and reliable service in the future.

Mad River Glen

Mad River Glen comes into the 2025-26 season with freshly painted lifts and season passes nearly (possibly completely by this reading) sold out. Known for its reverence for natural snow, the ski area maintains a fleet of groomers and other vehicles—all of which will be maintained using the new hydraulic lift installed this summer.

The area’s unique winter Naturalist hikes will continue this year, and Mad River Glen has launched its fundraiser to update the iconic Starks Pub.

Magic Mountain

Trails, Lifts, Snowmaking

Magic’s trail map will be changing with the addition of another beginner and instructional space in the base area, serviced by a 600’ handle tow surface lift and with lighting for night skiing. Previously this was the location of the Terrain Park, which will move to the lower skiers left side of Hocus Pocus (underneath Black Quad).

The new, larger Abracadabra beginner area will work in tandem with the current Nelson Family Learning Area’s 100’ conveyor lift to bring a more graduated learning experience before novice skiers advance to the mid-mountain chairlift. The new advanced beginner area will also allow night skiing to be open for all under the lights at Magic (on Fridays, Saturdays, and Holidays, with instructor-led ski and ride lessons available as well).

Magic invested more resources into snowmaking this season, replacing 1500’ of snowmaking pipe for more efficient snowmaking delivery to the lower portion of mountain, from Black Line down to Show Off. This will allow for a more consistent snowpack on the lower mountain, on groomed terrain, and on high-traffic beginner and intermediate trails. In addition, new HKD tower and fan guns will be added to the system at the new Abracadabra base and beginner area, dramatically improving snowmaking power and efficiency for the area as well as nearby lower Hocus Pocus and down into the Quad lift loading area.

Amenities/Programs

Magic will be offering nighttime lessons and skiing in the Abracadabra area on Fridays, Saturdays, and Holidays.

Middlebury Snowbowl

Trails, Lifts, Snowmaking

Middlebury has spent the summer replacing large segments of their snowmaking pipe system (including Allen West up to the summit) ensuring improved efficiency and reliability across the mountain.

The Bailey Falls lift returns! Back online after a two-year hiatus, the lift will spin again this season. While the lift serves runs reliant on natural snow, the aspens that border it serve as a natural windbreak, making the lift more resistant to wind holds.

Amenities/Programs

This season Middlebury Snow Bowl is introducing a new RFID and a modern point-of-sale system. For the first time ever, guests can purchase tickets online, reload passes, reserve rentals, and book lessons in advance. The long-awaited upgrade will make the guest experience faster, easier, and more convenient, and also allows provides the functionality required to offer combo passes that work at both the Snowbowl and Rikert Outdoor Center. Fans of alpine and XC will be able to purchase one pass for both areas at a 10% savings.

Mount Snow

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

For over 70 years Mount snow has been giving generations of skiers and riders their first taste of sliding on snow—and they take snow seriously. With over 900 high-output, low energy snow guns, Mount Snow is capable of 83% snowmaking coverage via the world’s most powerful snowmaking system. Using state-of-the-art technology, Mount Snow has greater control over snow quality and consistency, offering visitors premium coverage even when natural snowfall is light.

Pico

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

Flexing its independent-ownership muscles alongside sister mountain Killington Resort, Pico comes into this season with updated snowmaking as part of the over 1000 new low-energy snow guns installed across the two ski areas over the last year. The updates will improve efficiency of the snowmaking system, which saw upgrades that tripled its snowmaking capacity coming into the 2023-24 season.

Saskadena Six

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

This August the During the Saskadena Six team disassembled and removed the nearly 50-year-old Chair Two double lift. After an extensive evaluation with a top engineering team, it was determined that restoring Chair Two was not a viable long-term solution, and it has since been retired* prior to the start of the 2025/26 season. As the team actively explores all options for the Chair Two side (including the potential for a new lift). Access to the Chair Two side, including the Milky Way terrain park, will continue via Duane’s Drop and The Gully trails.

In anticipation for the upcoming season, both snowmaking pumps at Saskadena Six have been rebuilt to allow for optimal snow production.

*The S6 team has retained the old chairs and is making plans for a community fundraising event and chair auction at a later date.

Amenities & Programs

The Saskadena Six team is gearing up for the area’s 90th season (1936-2026), with plans for celebrations all winter. Annual events like the Saturday Live Music Series and the iconic Presidents’ Week Torchlight Parade (February 14, 2026) will also be returning.

As the longest running snow sports school in the country, Saskadena Six remains committed to consistently providing enjoyable recreation, a safe environment, and memorable experiences for every guest. Private and Semi-Private snow sports lessons are offered daily in 1, 2, and 3-hour increments, and uphill lessons are available to learn best practices for responsible uphill travel.

Smugglers' Notch

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

Smugglers’ Notch Resort continues to invest in on-mountain improvements to ensure top-quality conditions throughout the winter. This season features new snowmaking pipe replacements and system upgrades, supported by the Snowright System, which allows for more efficient operations and enhanced snow quality. Smuggs’ ops crews spent a lot of time trail mapping this summer, and created a digital baseline of the mountain’s natural terrain. With this topographical information the Snowright software—which is linked to Smuggs’ snowmaking systems as well as their snow groomers—snowmakers can see real-time measurements of snow depths on the mountain. The improved precision allows them to know exactly how much snow is needed in a given space, improving water and energy efficiency while helping cover terrain faster than before.

The addition of a new snowcat further improves grooming consistency across the area’s three mountains — Madonna, Sterling, and Morse — expanding corduroy perfection for all ability levels.

Amenities & Programs

Guests can continue to enjoy the Nordic Center and Activities introduced last season, including the popular Scavenger Hunt, Adventure Dinner, Moonlit Mile, and biathlon experiences — blending adventure, family fun, and Vermont charm. The ski school continues to be a cornerstone of Smuggs, with individual and multi-week programs tailored to any ages or skill level.

Stratton

Lifts, Trails, Snowmaking

This summer American Express underwent a lift modernization that involved updating to more modernized components which involved several internal upgrades. The outward appearance of the lift will remain unchanged, but the updates allow for a more reliable lift experience with smoother overall operations.

Further improving the lift experience, Stratton crews have added an additional 200ft of 30-foot wind fence adjacent to the summit gondola to help decrease wind-related holds and delays. Ops teams have also replaced all existing snowpipe on Way home and in the Main Base Area which will allow for more consistent and reliable snowmaking on several areas of the mountain, including on Sun Bowl Super Trail

To better accommodate seasonal housing needs, Stratton recently purchased four properties in Manchester, VT, about 20 minutes away from the resort. The buildings required significant upgrades, which maintenance teams have been addressing head-on throughout the summer by upgraded roofs, electrical systems, heating, interior and exterior paint, appliances and furnishings.

Trapp Family Lodge & Resort

Trails & Snowmaking

The von Trapp trail crew had a busy summer prepping trails for a season of grooming and snowmaking. Included in the summer work projects was a widening of trails like Parizo and Slaton Pasture Trail, as well as improving drainage in several places. While underrated, this behind-the-scenes work sets the trails up for a strong snowpack and better grooming all season.

Amenities & Programs:

The Outdoor Center team continues to add fun events like our Sunday Fundays that are full of guest speakers, a Poker Ski, treats on trails, and other fun non-competitive events for skiers of all ages.

Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center

Trails & Snowmaking

This season the Woodstock Nordic Center will become one of just seven Nordic ski areas in the state with ability to make snow. The purchase of an HDK fan gun will produce snow to keep skiers, snowshoers, and fat-tire bikers on the trails this winter. The cross-country center’s pilot last year included a month-long fan gun rental that proved to be essential when periods of the season lacked natural snow. This winter, the team will have the ability to make snow to keep 5m of core trails in the over-45km network covered, regardless of natural snowfall.

These trails include out-the-door access from the Nordic Center Shop, along the base of Mt. Peg, and out to Knox Meadow. The Woodstock Nordic Center joins a growing group of cross-country ski centers that have implemented snowmaking, which allows for a more consistent operating schedule, longer seasons, and more snow sports for guests.