Vermont is the top ski destination in the East, and we don’t take that title lightly. As skiers and riders ourselves, we have two modes: skiing (winter) and planning for skiing (every other season). Vermont’s ski areas spent this summer in planning mode, investing in infrastructure and new programming so everyone who visits during the 2026-27 season gets the full Vermont ski experience.* Here’s a look at some of what’s new.
*A Vermont ski experience means stunning scenery, great skiing and riding, plenty to do on and off the mountain, and welcoming communities wherever you stop.
This winter Bromley celebrates its 90th season in operation with the theme “From Pabst to Future, an homage to its founder Fred Pabst. Bromley comes into its ninth decade with a new (48th) east side trail, a green circle named “Finish Line”, which will provide easy access for all abilities. Bromley also announced upgrades to the snowmaking system on Lower Boulevard and Plaza, new snowmaking guns and towers, and lift system upgrades for the East Mountain Chair and Blue Ribbon Quad.
Burke Mountain continues its investment in snowmaking this season, with expansions on Warren’s Way, McCargs, Little Dipper, and Lower Willoughby. The improvements bolster snowmaking coverage and support the consistent winter operations visitors have come to expect from the ski areas.
Burke announced new services this season with expansions to its Snow Sports programming and a new Seasonal Rental program. The seasonal rental program provides another option for guests looking for convenient access to equipment throughout the winter.
The slopes aren’t the only place for updates this season; Burke has announced that Mid Burke Lodge and the beloved Bear Den Pub have undergone renovation and restoration, including new flooring, roof, and windows. General Manager Gabe Porter-Henry has assured long-time fans of the iconic building that “the Bear Den Pub is intact” and “what makes the Bear Den special remains”.
The ski area also installed new stairs to connect the Burke Mountain Hotel to Mid Burke lodge, allowing easier access to base area amenities for hotel guests. Burke Mountain Hotel itself received an efficiency upgrade with new insulation and an HVAC system upgrade—even the Shelburne lift got a fresh coat of paint.
Killington Resort remains in the midst of a multi-year transformation. Under their local independent ownership, $65 million of capital improvements were completed in two years, with major projects including the new Superstar Six and Snowdon Quad chairlifts, 1,044 new low-energy snowguns, new cabins and a new maintenance barn for our Skyeship Gondola, a new Ledgewood Yurt, and numerous Bike Park and Adventure Center improvements.
Killington has announced $15 million has been committed towards further capital projects, bringing their three-year investment total to over $80 million. An estimated $200 million dollars has also been allocated towards further infrastructure improvements throughout the next decade.
Snowmaking continues to be a major focus of these investments. As part of the Snowdon Quad project, Killington upgraded the snowmaking infrastructure on Conclusion, a trail that hasn’t seen active snowmaking in nearly a decade. Additional snowmaking upgrades from summer 2026 include further pipeline replacements at the base of Bear Mountain and on Upper Wildfire, a new valve station on Skye Peak, and two new higher-capacity fan guns on Mouse Trap and Lower Skyeburst.
During summer 2026, Killington spent $1.3 million on upgrades to seven lifts across Killington and Pico, including the rebuilding of motors, lift towers, and sheave trains. Killington has also announced setting aside $10 million over the next decade to continue maintaining their wide-ranging fleet of lifts.
Mad River Glen shareholders will look out this season at 1,100 acres of newly-acquired conservation land for the ski area. While the land was already familiar to MRG skiers, it officially became part of the ski area’s holding after its February 24, 2026 purchase. The $2.5M price was raised by community members in under three months. Although there are currently no plans to extend the ski boundary, the purchase helps ensure the long-term protection of the ski area and surrounding land.
Magic aims to keep its snowmaking system ready for action this season, placing additional snowmaking lines and snowguns at crucial intersections across the mountain. The upgrades will provide more snow stability and keep more trails open longer.
Known for its gathering spaces and apres scene, Magic also unveiled its new deck bar to “keep the apres parties going” this 2026-27 season.
A new Prinoth Groomer has entered the chat. Just one of Middlebury Snowbowl’s big announcements is the addition of the new groomer to its existing fleet. The team also spent the summer removing hundreds of boulders, leveling, and filling depressions along the area’s historic trails to provide more consistent skiing outside of their snowmaking loops, even during periods of low natural snowfall.
The newly-renovated and freshly relocated Hubbard Cabin (believed to be the oldest surviving ski-area base lodge in eastern North America) will be the new home to the Middlebury Panthers Men’s and Women’s ski teams.
The Sticky Wicket Bar makes debuts this season in the Middlebury main base lodge, offering a new social space on the second floor.
This winter, guests taking group lessons at Mount Snow will enjoy an enhanced learning experience through the expanded Ski & Ride School in My Epic app. Designed to make learning more seamless, connected and rewarding, the experience provides digital lesson check-in, real-time updates and photos throughout the day, and a personalized record of skill progression that follows guests across participating resorts.
Saskadena crews diligently worked all summer on snowmaking pipeline. The $1M investment includes the installation of 10,000 feet of new water and air piping along Easy mile and Lower Skyline, along with the refurbishment of two new valve station to improve the area’s resource management. Over the summer, Saskadena teams performed the first test of the upgraded system; with its success, the ski area is eager to welcome all to its snowy slopes in Pomfret this winter.
100 new snowmaking guns? Check. New pipe connections on Sterling? All set. Glow tubing 5 nights a week? Would you expect anything less from Smugglers’ Notch?
After its purchase by Bear Den Partners last season, the ski area has quietly been undergoing changes and updates, including snowmaking upgrades, new deals packages (Winter Experience and Mountain Experience), new snowmobiles, Canadian promotions, and Kids Ski/Ride free in January packages.
This winter, guests taking group lessons at Stowe will enjoy an enhanced learning experience through the expanded Ski & Ride School in My Epic app. Designed to make learning more seamless, connected and rewarding, the experience provides digital lesson check-in, real-time updates and photos throughout the day, and a personalized record of skill progression that follows guests across participating resorts.
After announcing $8M in capital expenditures ahead of the 2026-27 season, Stratton has been busy investing for the coming snow. This type of machine is outfitted with an increased range of motion on its front blade and rear tiller to handle steeper angles required to effectively build and maintain terrain parks and competition venues. In addition to this investment, the resort is replacing the cable on one of their winch snowcats, a specialized snowcat equipped with a powerful hydraulic winch and a long steel cable used to anchor and pull the machine up extremely steep ski slopes. The mountain is continuing to upgrade pipes, motors, and pumps in its snowmaking system to deliver consistent snow for visitors.
Other improvements include new chairlift pads on Shooting Star and four new Polaris snowmobiles for the Snowmobile Tour fleet.
Village Rentals upgraded its daily and seasonal rental fleet with a variety of new equipment from Burton and Rossignol including an expansion of Burton Step-On gear. A few doors down, First Run has been outfitted with two new Masterfit footbed casting machines and heating elements to elevate the boot fitting experience for those looking to get dialed in with custom footbeds and a perfect boot fit before hitting the trails.
Guests on the premium Black Bear Pass will have access to an elevated guest experience in the Edelweiss Room, located in the Guest Services Building in the Main Base area. The third-floor space offers slopeside access, wood burning fireplace, a full restaurant and bar, and magnificent views from its floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor deck.
The construction of the Edelweiss Room allowed for the installation of a new ADA-compliant elevator, servicing each floor of the Main Base Lodge. The elevator can be accessed by the public via the ramp below Stratton Sports.
The Mid Mountain Lodge also sports updates this season, with the Patio Pub, a new walk-up outdoor bar, refreshed polycarbonate wind panels surrounding the outdoor space, and upgraded radiant flooring alongside several additional improvements and renovations to both the interior and exterior of the lodge such as new furniture and refreshed back-of-house kitchen appliances.
Built by Johannes von Trapp in 1971, the Slayton Pasture Cabin underwent major renovations this summer to ensure it can keep serving guests the next 55 years. New doors, floors, windows, and foundation, in addition to solar power have given the Cabin a glow-up while keeping all the tradition and charm.
