Montpelier: A Hub for Downhill Skiers
Written by Willem Talbert
Montpelier High School Student and Montpelier Alive Intern
When people think of Vermont, they imagine maple syrup, colorful leaves, and skiing. Vermont’s ski mountains are some of the best in the Northeast with resorts such as Sugarbush, Mad River, and Bolton; all of which are under an hour's drive from Montpelier. While not having a mountain of its own, Montpelier’s central location offers residents and tourists a reasonable drive to most of Vermont’s alpine ski resorts. Montpelier's ski shops and opportunities are guaranteed to give anyone a great experience skiing in Vermont.
Montpelier is home to two outdoor-focused sports stores; Slopestyle and Onion River Outdoors. Slopestyle, located off River street offers customers a wide range of skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking gear, plus customized season rentals. For more information visit Slopestylevt.com. If you take a trip into Montpelier’s downtown district, you will find Onion River Outdoors, a locally owned and operated outdoor sports shop. Onion River Outdoors offers customers a wide range of outdoor gear, with a focus on skiing and biking.
Montpelier is close to some of Vermont’s best mountains! Just twenty minutes north on Interstate eighty-nine brings you to Bolton Valley Resort. This classic six-lift Vermont-style resort features night skiing with stunning views of lake Champlain during sunset.
Warren Vermont is home to SugarBush Mountain. This seventy-two trail resort is home to two terrain parks, granting more daring skiers opportunities to pull off extravagant stunts.
Mad River Glen, in the town of Waitsfield, is a small-scale resort with a single chair lift and no man-made snow. Additionally, Mad River Glen does not allow the use of snowboards on their mountain. Mad River features some of the best wood skiing in Vermont! Mad River has partnered with several local schools to provide free season passes to students who hold a certain grade point average, influencing students to ski more, while keeping up with schoolwork.
Find info about the upcoming Central Vermont Ski and Skate Sale, and the Sugarbush Youth Ski Program on the Montpelier Recreation Department website: https://www.montpelier-vt.org/838/Montpelier-Recreation. Contact their Programs Manager Haidi with any questions: 802-225-8691.
All of these local mountains and opportunities provide community members and visitors alike with unique and enjoyable Vermont skiing experiences.
