Stratton Mountain Ski & Summer Resort
Category: Hotels & Travel Ski Resorts Ski Resorts [Edit]
Stratton Mountain RdWest Wardsboro, VT 05360
(802) 297-2200
30 reviews for Stratton Mountain Ski & Summer Resort
30 reviews in English
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Review from Valentina L.
Manhattan, NY
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
I give the mountain 4 stars because I had an amazing snowboarding lesson! Jeff is patient and supportive, and super encouraging. He was there with me for every slide, flip, tumble, and spill. He showed me how to ride toe-side, which I was terrified to try. Jeff gave me the confidence to ride the blue trails, so I was able to meet my friends at the mid mountain lodge for a spiked cider. Thanks Jeff!
The mountain was great! It was packed for MLK weekend, of course, but the service was great! I got my board, boots, helmet, lift ticket, and two lessons for $170! Best deal ever. -
Review from Jay C.
Somerville, MA
3/12/2012
Some friends and I went up to Stratton two weeks ago for one of our annual snowboarding trips and stayed at the Long Trail House. From the second we arrived and had some issues with our first room, a young lady by the name of Mary from West Virginia at the front desk went above and beyond to make sure that we were happy and comfortable. It's customer service like this that makes people return without a doubt and even pay a little more to get the right service. Thank you from the Boston boys to the staff at Stratton and especially Mary, the young lady who assisted in making our weekend that much better of a stay.
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Review from Douglas D.
Trenton, NJ
I have been skiing Stratton Mountain for quite a few years now. I have skied most of the mountains in VT and I seem to like this mountain the best. It is a great intermediate mountain. It has it's share of both diamond and double diamond trails that challenge the intermediate skier that I consider myself. They do a good job of grooming the mountain for an East coast resort. They are no Deer Valley or Beaver Creek mind you for they don't have the equipment to lay down a fresh carpet of corduroy after a day of crowded trails. They do a decent job with the equipment that they have. I m particularly fond of the URSA Express lift. It provides fast connection between the mid to upper mountain trails.
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Review from Pamela s.
4/1/2012
three point five stars. the mountain was nice and they have really nice runs. i just wish that the runs lasted a bit longer. also, there are spots where you have no choice but to go through to get down to the bottom, but they are completely flat and hard to get through. regardless, i think that the five hour drive from nyc is way worth the wait! def beats going just two hours away to hunter or windham. the conditions are much better and worth the trip.
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Review from John O.
Waltham, MA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here in Early season, about 2/3 of the mountain was open and they were blasting snow. The open trails were nice and I found the Blues and Blacks to be a good ride, not to difficult. All in all a very nice mountain and I'll be back to ride once they are 100% open.
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Review from Alaine H.
New York, NY
12/12/2010
I'm a type 1 skiier that learnt how to ski in Park City, Utah three winters ago when we were in Sundance for a wedding. I'm pretty good about controlling my speed and 1/2 parallel 1/2 wedge turns on green trails and working on doing more parallel turns.
When we got back to the East Coast we tried, Windham mountain and the Poconos. Appalled at the icy snow and my dear boyfriend came back with a broken thumb - not the best experience.
Then came Stratton to the rescue. The size of the mountain, the varied terrain available for all levels, the village, the rentals are all top-knotch. We've been to Stratton a few times now and loved each time we've been here. The food could be a lot better though, but I don't really have high expectations when it comes to food at a ski resort. (The waffles from the waffle cabin by the gondola is pretty good though!)
Just started our ski season yesterday at Stratton and will be trying Killington and Whiteface this season as well.
After reading all the reviews about Stratton having easier runs: I mustered up some courage to try half of a lower mountain blue run and did it successfully! Controlled my speed on my turns, kept my cool and didn't freak out for going a little faster than usual, and didn't fall. In fact, I didn't fall on any runs. Can't wait to take a level 3 lesson so I can learn how to do more parallel turns while still controlling my speed.
Note to self: Must get myself to the gym to do more lunges so my quads aren't screaming at me on a long run!Listed in: Winter Sports
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Review from Philip L.
Santa Monica, CA
1/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Surprised to see these negative reviews here.
Maybe the negative reviewers are from out West?
In any event Stratton holds a special place in my heart. It is where I learned to ski in the 1st grade, and where I had a season pass to all 4 years of College.
On December 2nd 2002 I broke my arm at Stratton, my humerus bone, broke it clean in half. The on-site hospital was GREAT. I was out for the rest of the season and back on my snowboard the following year, headed to Stratton.
I just got back from 2 days, spent 2 nights at the Inn at Stratton which was affordable (mid week), clean and had decent breakfast included.
What can I say? Stratton is my home for snowboarding.
However I guess that will change this Spring when I move to Los Angeles.
But Big Bear is the same distance from LA as Stratton is from my home in CT :) -
Review from Julie J.
2/14/2011
Perhaps I'm spoiled because the majority of my skiing experience has been at Killington, but this mountain was a serious disappointment.
The lift lines were very long and super slow. The gondola was ghetto - there isn't even a place where you can store your skis/boards on the outside, so you have to hold them inside while standing. They also pack you in like sardines.
The mountain is crawling with little kids - which is really annoying. I mean, it's pretty cool that these tots are riding blues, but it's annoying to people who want to catch speed because you're spending the majority of your day weaving around unpredictable little people. There was a really close call where one of my friends stopped 6 inches in front of a little girl on skis that cut in front of him. Minutes later I swerved around another little girl on skis.
Mehhhhh. -
Review from Brett R.
Rutland, MA
3/5/2012
First time here last weekend, probably my last. I've been to many mountains charging all kinds of prices, but this mountain takes the cake for not delivering service on par with the price.
First, we were here on club discount tickets so I didn't (and wouldn't) pay $87 or whatever the crazy full price is here. The club tickets the mountain printed for us were backdated a day, a fact we didn't discover until mid-day after many lifties had scanned our tickets (or so we thought). Eventually an adult scanned them and said the tix were no good. Off to customer service...first rep says "sorry guys, tough luck on that one". Tried another, who was very helpful, made a quick phone call to verify our story, and gave us current tickets (thank you!). That was the highlight of the day.
Next, I needed a board to ride since mine is trashed. These club discount tix had us going to the back side base area (Sun Bowl) and the rental department there leaves much to be desired. Better than nothing for sure, but the rental board they gave me was really bad, like many years of use on it, tattered straps, no edges, just bad. The rental lady said that was the best they had BUT I could go to the main base area and trade it for a better one, since they'd upgraded the rental boards there. I eventually get to the main rental shop and they told me no way. They so helpfully suggested if I want one of their rental boards I should take the shuttle back to Sun Bowl, return the board, then shuttle back to their shop and rent from them. Wow, is this the same mountain? I persist and eventually they said I could have one of theirs but it'd cost another $10 and I'd still have to return there and take crappy board back to Sun Bowl. Thanks again for the A+ customer service. So for $48 I was "allowed" to rent a board (just a board, nothing else). While I was waiting for the binding mount, one of the staff called over to Sun Bowl and yelled at them for suggesting I could swap out one rental board for another at a different lodge.
The final amusement was when we spoke to a mountain rep at the top of the mountain who knew just about nothing about what was going on. Told us a closed lift was really open, didn't know what trails were open/groomed/mogul runs, etc. -
Review from Hideki K.
3/14/2011
For VT/NH/ME ski resorts (including those from West Virginia to NY/NJ), my favorite is Stratton.
It's an IntraWest resort, and like most, features a nice village. There is a gondola and the lifts are quick with relatively short lines. The food isn't bad, and the trails are nice and wide. It's a well-run establishment.
The mountain is big enough to enjoy a full day or two out on the slopes. -
Review from Scott R.
Westminster, MD
1/29/2011
Come on a weekday, even when the snow is iffy, and it's a great place - 5 stars for the variety of terrain, long cruiser runs, well executed grooming operation, and more. Come on a weekend, even when the snow is great, and it's iffy - 2 stars for the slopes and lift lines overcrowded with tourons skiing about the same way they drive on the NJ Turnpike.
Summertime solitude, beauty and access to the AT - 4 stars.
Average it all out to 4 stars. Bottom line, come here midweek or offseason, and you're in for treat. Otherwise, it's what you'd expect on the east coast. -
Review from Bill P.
Goshen, CT
4/12/2011
This is a good mountain to ski in southern Vermont although if you go on a busy weekend expect long lift lines. It has plenty of runs to keep you busy all day long with a lot to explore. It has good variety of runs for novices, intermediates & experts.
Now it won't compare to some of the great mountains out west but for an east coast mountain probaly one of my favorites. -
Review from Manny T.
Garden City, NY
3/15/2008 3 photos
I am an average/intermediate skier. I don't like to go fast, I just enjoy a nice moderate pace so Stratton is good spot for me. The conditions are always pretty good, and while the regular priced lift ticket is a bit expensive, they offer a discount pass (x2 I think it's called) for about 50 bucks that pays for itself quickly if you are a regular skier.
I like the upstairs restaurant right at the base, the food is good, the service is quick even when it's crowded, and they have a great beer selection.
I'm not the best person to ask if a mountain is great, but I've been to ski resorts that suck, and Stratton is far from a one star sucky ski area.Listed in: New England
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Review from Peter W.
Boston, MA
2/28/2010
Stratton aka flatton I give up. I tried you a few times in the recent years and you always leave a bad taste in my mouth. Your lift tickets are over priced, your lift lines are excessively long, your double blacks end with up hill green circles to get back to the lift, and you gondola does not fit 12. Every time someone asks if I want to go here I cringe and often collapse and end up going. I always expect it to suck, so the bar is pretty low yet you fail to even met my sub par expectations.
This past weekend was the last straw and reason for my review. Your website is plastered with "WE HAVE 50" OF NEW SNOW" come up and ski it will be great.....blah blah blah. What would be great is if you had the effing lifts open. Yeah, I hear your excuses, ice on the lines, operations people are all drunk from being snowed in, you don't care about us anyways. The snow storm was Wed/Thursday. I was there Saturday, that is over 48h to fix all your broken stuff for the big weekend rush. Let me guess there were signs saying lifts would be delayed (some until 2pm) or you will give everyone a discounted lift ticket because lines are 45 mins long and backing up the trail (really up the trail, I've never seen anything like it), or, wait, no or. You just don't care. I hate you Stratton, I will never be back.
Please anyone reading this, go anywhere else. Really anywhere. Mt Snow, Okemo, and Killington are all within an hour of this hell hole. All with better terrain, better prices, and working lifts. -
Review from Beth M.
1/24/2008
Stratton is not worth the most expensive lift ticket pricetag in VT. Sure, it makes you feel all fancy driving in, with the beautiful luxury ski condos dotting its snowy slopes, and the 5 star restaurants right at the base...snow bunnies covered in snowflake-shaped bling...wealthy 14 year-old boys with ski-boners...
But you know what? All you get for your almost $80 lift ticket is the mountain itself...not the condos or the fancy dinners or the snowbunnies...just the lifts, the snow, and gravity's effect...and that leaves a bit to be desired.
Stratton is not that big...it's only 400' higher in elevation than Mt. Snow (which is much cheaper!), and has fewer trails. The trails are very nicely groomed, but not especially challenging, exciting, or steep. You can cover the whole mountain fairly quickly. The lift lines are pretty long, especially the one for the gondola, which we didn't even bother with. And there is a whole hell of a lot of traversing. Not fun for a snowboarder.
The 2 stars go to the awesome terrain park that I almost killed myself in...it was really fun learning how to do rail slides with my man. So we did have fun... -
Review from Joanna C.
Woburn, MA
2/15/2011
My new favorite mountain... Great trails, although beware of some very flat cut-throughs. As long as you use some of the other lifts to get to the top of the mountain, and stay away from the Gondolas, the weekend lines are fine.
What sold me on the mountain was the over-the-top friendliness and outstanding customer service. The employees are beyond nice and extremely efficient. In addition, the facilities are outstanding. Both lodges are super clean and very well kept. There are full amenities at both lodges, although the smaller lodge is less crowded. Be sure to make a stop at the Waffle Cabin booth outside!
I look forward to returning for many more weekends of snow fun! -
Review from Tommy G.
Holyoke, MA
12/12/2007
The mountain is gloomed to hell, and the trails are groomed well.
It was pretty dark and cold, very gloomy atmosphere up there. You have a beautiful view looking down from the lifts at the valleys below. The Gondola is said to fit up to twelve people, but it's a tight fit putting eight people and their boards/skis.
The trails were groomed extremely well.
Like all other mountains they bring in workers for other countries. Food is pricey, and not very good, but I have come to expect that from ski resort food.
I suggest purchasing the X-2 pass for a dollar more than a one day lift ticket. You can go back later that season to ski for free one day, and you get a discount on lift tickets on other days of the year. -
Review from Brendan M.
New York, NY
2/3/2007
This resort suffers from 2 fundamental problems:
Firstly, the capacity of the main gondola to the top of the mountain is clearly insufficient - there's always a huge crowd in front of it. Admittedly you can avoid taking it more than 2-3 times a day by staying on the upper part of the mountain and taking the mid-mountain chair lifts up. You'll probably be doing this anyway, because of problem 2:
They don't nickname this place "flat-un" for nothing. While the upper part of the mountain has some interesting diamond and double-diamond runs, the lower half is pretty much all green. You end up pretty much looping through the upper half, making for pretty short runs.
On the positive side, they've done an excellent job of preparing the slopes given the utter lack of snow so far this season. -
Review from nate r.
New York, NY
12/3/2008
I'm an intermediate skiier and I'll be the first to say that Stratton is the best option in Southern VT. The trails are well groomed, not terribly crowded and the lines are never that bad. In short, it's a well run operation. That's all I can ask for.
It's probably not the greatest place for hardcore gnarly shredding. That's ok by me.
The food at the base is overpriced, which I'm sure will come as a shock to some. These same will probably be surprised that the ocean is wet. I can't help you with the ocean quandary, but for the ski resort, use an age old trick beloved by overworked entry-level employees and third graders: pack your lunch.
When you've tired of Stratton's rollers, head over to Magic (or, north to Mad Riv) and flirt with danger. -
Review from Andrea G.
Virginia Beach, VA
12/10/2008
Stratton! How could I forget to review you? Aaah, well all those ads in the subway reminded me.
Seems like I'm in the minority on Yelp as an expert skiier reviewing this place. Not going to lie, cost didn't factor into my review because I always skied here for free because of races.
I would describe Stratton as a good family mountain: there's a lot for all levels. Nice grooming for the less experienced skiiers, and plenty of steeper stuff for the more aggressive skiiers, at least for one full day's worth. The only problem is that since Stratton is further south, they tend to get a little more rain than the mountains in central and northern VT. Thus, the more challenging trails get shut down first =(
The mountain amenities are fantastic, and the village is nothing short of charming. -
Review from Jake M.
Bergen County, NJ
4/2/2011
This mountain cannot be beat within a 3.5 hour ride from NYC. They always get hammered with good pow pow, have a decent vertical for the area, and a good variety of runs. Just ended my riding season here with a foot of fresh pow in the glades in April. Where were you fools at?
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Review from Peter H.
New York, NY
2/3/2009
I'm an intermediate/expert snowboarder and am working though all the hills on the East Coast since moving to NYC about 5 years ago.
After struggling with the decision last week I opted for a day trip at Stratton over Windham or Hunter as Stratton received about a foot more powder ahead of the weekend. So I spent a Saturday there from about 10am to 4pm.
The liftline at the gondola was completely absurd and took a half hour. I mean, seriously, there's a fundamental issue with the hill layout if people have to wait 30 minutes. So I took that once, and spent about 80% of the day on the upper part of the mountain anyway.
The upper part of the mountain is definitely more challenging than the lower half, and aside from a few spots to jump into the trees, the lower half was boring aside from the terrain parks. However, I found the challenging runs (black and double blacks) to be pretty decent (that is, if you like moguls, which I do). Additionally, there are far fewer people on the runs than at Killington/Stowe, and far fewer beginners and families than at Hunter.
Worth noting, there are several tree/glades runs that are actually marked, and I spent probably half the day racing through the woods in powder. So if that's your thing, I highly recommend it.
I probably won't hit Stratton again this winter unless it's another day trip. For a full weekend it's worth driving the additional time to Stowe. Killington is comparable with respect to the skill level, and much larger, but way too many kids there and families taking up the runs. -
Review from Sandy Z.
Brooklyn, NY
2/15/2011
I came here as a first time skier to learn how to ski. I'm not in the position to comment on their rates because I was part of a larger group and we got a package deal, but I can comment on the quality of their instructors. They were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I was able to go down the green level by the end of the day. Staff is friendly and really made me feel welcomed. I'd definitely come back.
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Review from Craig B.
Mont Vernon, NH
3/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great Family Mountain with everything you need in 1 friendly Vt location. Nice snowbelt, easy access, excellent grooming, a gondola, restaurants & espresso in the village, all kinds of lodging options....Stratton has long been "My Mountain" in Southern Vt & has become our February vacation resort.
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Review from K M.
Denville, NJ
5/8/2009 3 photos
Vermont doesn't mess around! From the trails, cafeteria and the village, I was truly impressed! I knew I wasn't in "Kansas" (aka Camelback, PA and Hunter Mountain, NY) anymore when I got so scared to go down one hill I considered taking my skiis off! But after a lot of deep breaths I managed to make it! And to top it all off, a firepit was lit and the Stratton employees handed out free hot chocolate and marshmallows to roast! How cool is that? I can't recall the original price of the lift tickets but I got mine through Working Advantage for $51.95 (w/o shipping).
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Review from Chi N.
3/31/2008
i've been to stratton, hunter, windham, camelback, mountain creek, killington, sunday river...
sunday river is still my favority followed by stratton. lifts aren't that filled. trails are spacious... snow is never icy... gondola is convenient and fast!... enough to keep everyone busy the whole day!
food could be better but what resort actually has really good food... -
Review from Holly W.
Manhattan, NY
6/24/2009
Oh Stratton, I adore you. You will always have a special place in my heart as the mountain that I grew up skiing on. While you are not the most challenging mountain in New England (by far.. I regret having to deduct a star for this), your trails are always well groomed, your powder is always nicely packed, and your lift lines go fast. Your food is overpriced, but I can forgive you for that. I bring my lunch. You do have an overabundance of beginner skiers which can get a little old, so I tend to spend my days on your upper slopes. I did make the mistake once of thinking I could conquer one of your double black glades.. "Why Not"? Because it's freakin' hard, that's why!! Maybe one day. Overall, you have something for everyone and that is what makes you a great mountain. Counting the days til ski season.
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Review from Cha Cha W.
Cambridge, MA
2/25/2010 1 photo
5 lifts for the entire mountain including the gondola? It takes 45 minutes to get through a lift line on a weekend day. Being the closest large mountain to NY, there's a lot of families and beginner skiers and riders. The runs aren't that varied but you'd probably be well entertained if you're new to snow sports, especially on the upper mountain. You can get a $3 discount if you buy your lift ticket online, then again, for Vermont resorts, it's easier to reach Mt. Snow/Okemo/Killington or Stowe from Boston! Apres ski can be packed but the village couldn't be any more charming; I totally dug the sushi and noodle cart in the lodge!
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Review from Ryan Z.
Roseville, CA
12/23/2009
Great family intermediate resort. Snow can sometimes be hit or miss, but I've had some great days out in the glades. Park is decent at times. I like the lodge. You can literally place your lunch and bags under a table in the lodge and come back later in the day and no one will touch it or steal it. I wish all resorts were like this. During the week days, sometimes it feels like you own the mountain.
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Review from Lucy W.
3/21/2009
My review is nearly identical to nate r.'s- great intermediate mountain, well maintained and groomed trails w/ good snowmaking. Wide groomed, easy flowing trails- upper Sun Bowl is my favorite. Overpriced food like any other ski resort- pack your lunch! Both the main base lodge and Sun Bowl's base lodge are small but I've never had any issue finding a seat, if you are willing to share a table, of course. I like their Stratton base village (Mulligans, the shops- Burton, Life is Good, Partridge deli and the wine bar), though the parking at the main base is an awful layout (small amount of spaces available, satellite lots otherwise...I won't reveal my secret spot though!) I visit each year to watch the US Open for snowboarding- great professional event, though the mountain is very crowded at this time. (The trick is to arrive early & stay in the upper mountain until you go to watch the events.) Lift ticket here is expensive but Stratton does offer discount card and lots of ski & stay packages, though I usually stay off-resort. Nearby towns, Manchester, Jamaica, Londonderry have great B&Bs, restaurants, shops so this is a nice area of Vermont to visit. Overall, I keep coming back...and though it's not exactly my favorite mountain, my familiarity with the resort and the area makes for a better experience.
