Stowe

Stowe Mountain Resort sits on the slopes of Mount Mansfield — the highest peak in Vermont at 4,395 feet — in the northern part of the state near the town of Stowe. With 485 acres, 13 lifts, and 333 inches of average annual snowfall, Stowe is compact by western standards, but the terrain punches well above its acreage. The mountain's most famous feature is the Front Four: Goat, Starr, National, and Liftline — four narrow, steep trails that have been testing skiers since the 1930s and remain some of the most challenging inbounds runs in the eastern United States.

Stowe's ski history is among the oldest in America. The Civilian Conservation Corps cut the first trails on Mount Mansfield in 1933, and the mountain has been in continuous operation since. By the 1950s and 1960s, Stowe had become the premier ski destination on the East Coast, drawing the kind of committed skiers who shaped American skiing culture. The resort has changed hands several times — AIG developed Spruce Peak as a luxury base area, and Vail Resorts acquired the mountain in 2017, adding it to the Epic Pass.

Today, Stowe operates as a two-mountain resort: Mount Mansfield for the serious skiing and Spruce Peak for families, beginners, and cross-country. The terrain on Mansfield is varied and demanding — the Front Four get the reputation, but runs like Chin Clip, Bypass Chutes, and the natural-snow glades off the Fourrunner Quad deliver consistently good skiing that rewards the skiers who explore beyond the marquee trails. The base area and the town of Stowe are connected by the Mountain Road, a stretch lined with lodges, restaurants, and the kind of old-school New England ski culture that newer resorts can't replicate. Mtns Co carries Stowe gear because this mountain earned its reputation long before anyone else showed up.