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Stowe, Vermont is the total package for first time skiers / snowboarders! 

Touted as one of New England’s best winter towns for skiing, snowboarding, and general winter activities, Stowe is also a great place to start out a skiing or snowboarding program.

Why Stowe?

The ski mountain and overall resort are designed for a broad spectrum of skills from beginner to advanced and after 80 years of teaching people how to ski, they understand how to accommodate the novice.

What to Look for in a Beginner Ski Mountain?

As someone who has brought many a novice skier to the mountain and taught quite a few people how to get started with skiing, I am biased about what is important. Here are my three tips to a successful beginner ski trip:

  1. Must be fun. Starting any new hobby is challenging and you want people to come back to the sport so it really has to be fun. Stowe has that nailed down. The environment there is beautiful, luxurious, and fun. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves and the vibe spreads!
  2. Cruisers required. Any beginner mountain needs to have some lovely, open cruising slopes for people to not only feel safe on but get a chance to experience that gliding feeling without the fear of stopping quickly, changing slopes, etc. Stowe has a dedicated beginner mountain, Spruce Peak, where one of their ski schools is located. This is an easy and comfortable spot that provides beginners through racers with room to try and hone their new skills.
  3. Amenities. As a beginner, you’re going to want to take breaks and do other things to relieve your muscles and your mind so the amenities at a resort are really important. We love the Stowe apres ski atmosphere and we appreciate all the great spots in the lodges to take a break, have cocoa or a cocktail and enjoy being in beautiful Vermont mountains.

Stowe is consistently rated as one of the best ski towns in the United States and worldwide.

After the lessons and a day on the mountain, you look to the village for entertainment. This is what puts Stowe over the edge for any winter sports fan, beginner to advanced!

Best Ski Town for Non-Skiers

MainStreet magazine rates Stowe as the best ski town for non-skiers in the New England area. The village atmosphere is epically beautiful. It is the picture seen on so many postcards of Vermont. The walkable downtown with shopping and dining for a broad spectrum of tastes makes it an appealing option for travelers.

A few of our favorite shops in downtown Stowe are:

Well Heeled – Beautiful shoes, beautiful style in a lovely Vermont farmhouse. Worth the visit!

Shaw’s General Store  – Shaw’s offers the best selection of local products and Stowe branded gear. We love their wood handled pocket knives as a novelty gift that is so useful!

Pinnacle Sports – Great resource for all your outdoor equipment purchases and rentals.

Stowe Public House – A great place to find local craft brews and fine wines as well as great snacks.

Stowe Mercantile – a modern twist on a classic concept of the Vermont general store.

Green Envy Boutique – Comfortable, contemporary clothing found in the Vermont mountains!

Stowe Kitchen, Bath, & Linen – A wide selection of products for your home and personal care.

Winter Activities Beyond Skiing

If skiing is what drew you to Stowe in the first place, you won’t likely want to spend much idle time without exploring more of the beauty of Mount Mansfield and the surrounding areas.  One of Stowe’s greatest assets is the accessibility to many great outdoor activities during the winter time.  Aside from the mainstream downhill skiing scene, visitors to the Stowe area can choose from virtually hundreds of activities for entertainment.

Cross country skiing, fat biking, ice skating, indoor rock climbing wall, dog sledding, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing are all popular outdoor activities during the wintertime in Stowe.  The beauty of the Green Mountains will awe and inspire you to take in as much of Stowe’s winter wonderland as you can during your stay.

Ready to move your fun indoors? Consider visiting one of the local breweries or distilleries while taking in the local scenery.  Here are three local Stowe breweries just down the road:  The Alchemist (Heady Topper), Von Trapp’s new brewery and beer hall, and Idletyme Brewery and Restaurant. We recommend checking them out while you are in town!

Our favorite apres ski locale is our own Edson Hill Tavern. We like to end our winter adventures relaxing by the fire with a cocktail and a small bite.

Join us this winter, it’s already one for the books!

Erik Stacy
General Manager
Edson Hill