Resort Review from an intermediate Snowboarder’s perspective, I like blue and black groomers and tree runs, skip the terrain park and love aprés-ski food and drinks:
Overview:
Stratton is Southern Vermont’s premier ski resort and could be called the home of snowboarding. Jake Burton Carpenter tested his snowboard prototypes on the mountain in 1983 and Stratton was the first resort to welcome snowboarders. While Stratton typically gets overshadowed by Vermont’s Killington and Stowe resorts, Stratton’s location makes it great for a quick weekend trip from the Tri-State area. Stratton has a nice village area which is great for families or groups looking to hang out for apres-ski.
Pros:
Driving distance from NYC, Boston and the tri-state area
Nice family friendly village
Cons:
Lack of varied terrain
Can be very crowded on weekends due to proximity to nearby cities
Getting there:
Stratton is approximately a 4.5 hour drive from New York City and 2 hours from Albany, NY. I used to have a season pass to Stratton and would drive from NJ to Stratton on a Friday night and back on a Sunday night so its possible to visit for a weekend. The drive is fairly straight forward as its easily accessible by well maintained highways.
Mountain Terrain:
Stratton has almost 700 ski-able acres and is Southern Vermont’s highest peak. The resort does tend to beginners with a large majority of green trails. Stratton have a green trail the runs from the summit down the base ~ 3 miles. Perfect way for beginners to learn how to ride.
Stratton doesn’t have a wide variety of terrain. The trails are typically wide open groomers. On powder days, trails like Upper Wanderer and Get My Drift are fun on the main side of the mountain. In the sun bowl area, Gentle Ben and Sun Beam are good with fresh powder.
You can also find some glades on the sun bowl side but be aware these are East Coast glades so they are tight and icy.
At its base there is a gondola and a high speed chair to take you up but be prepared to wait in some lengthy lines on the weekends.
Village/Lodging:
Stratton has a cute little village area with a couple of restaurants, bars and shops that you can easily walk around. Since the village is tiny you should be prepared for long waits at the restaurants; reservations are highly recommended.
There are a couple of condos within walking distance but most of the lodging options will require driving to and from the resort.
About 30 minutes from the resort is the town of Manchester, VT. Manchester has a number of restaurant and lodging options as well as designer outlets for some shopping. The Hampton Inn was always a favorite budget lodging option of mine. Also don’t forget to make a stop at Zoey’s deli for some amazing sandwiches.
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