Much like our award-winning craft beer and delectable maple syrup, Vermont is famous for its cross-country skiing, a winter pastime woven into the fabric of daily life in our neck of the Green Mountains. With Nordic centers in every direction surrounding Waterbury, the options for cross-country enthusiasts are endless. In addition to their well-earned reputation for having some of the most diverse and thrilling downhill runs anywhere on the East Coast, several of our nearby ski resorts also have separate cross-country skiing areas with vast and well-developed trail networks.
The Nordic setting is more low-key than the ritzy Spruce Peak Village resort area β instead of rows of shops and restaurants, their home base is a charming yurt in the woods, where you can check out the trail map , get conditions updates from Stowe staff, and pick up rentals.
The cross-country trails here have bonafide roots, established by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late s when the first Stowe lifts were built nearby on Mt. Mansfield the tallest peak in Vermont. These trails are all part of the 45 kilometers of groomed trails at Stowe, all well-marked and easy to navigate.
But you can also easily link into their 35 additional kilometers of ungroomed, backcountry trails from here, with renowned skiing and deep powder stashes. Another excellent option for Nordic skiiers is the Bolton Valley Nordic Center , just 15 minutes from downtown Waterbury. Do the Broadway and Maple loop, 3 miles long, for a great introduction to their trail layout, and then add Telemark, Bobcat, and Twin Knolls, an appealing flow of beginner and intermediate sections.
Home to the first cross-country skiing center in the country, the Von Trapp Outdoor Center sits just 20 minutes north of the inn and offers more than 40 miles of groomed trails as well as access to backcountry terrain.
