Burke Mountain, Hidden Gem

Tucked away in the Northeastern corner of Vermont, Burke Mountain lies under the radar of New England skiing. This mountain provides top-of-the-line service through the new Burke Mountain Hotel and is home to some serious talent and terrain. Burke is mainly accredited with raising the two-time Olympic gold medalist alpine skier, Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin is the prized possession of Burke Mountain Academy; home to many more professional and collegiate skiers.

Aside from Shiffrin, Burke Mountain is not a popular destination by any means. But any self-respecting ski enthusiast knows that this is anything but bad news. Burke has never been the biggest or most popular Vermont resort, but the people who love it, LOVE it. Burke is home to only two large chairlifts and 53 named trails. However, having skied there every weekend for over eight consecutive seasons, I am here to tell you that a small number of trails at Burke will have you feeling like you skied the whole Rocky Mountain Range in one day. See, Burke Mountain does not fall under the ‘resort’ category. It has not fallen to the Vail Resorts ownership like many other New England mountains, and it owns every bit of this decision. Burke is not a mountain for the faint of heart in that only 8% of the trails are beginner trails. On every other trail, you can look forward to a vertical drop that is similar to expert terrain in most New England resorts.

Burke is a mountain that is rooted in tradition and true Vermont grit. You will not see the BMWs struggling their way up to the base lodge like you do at other resorts. The only thing you are guaranteed to see at Burke is a short lift-line and a welcoming hot tub waiting to ease the soreness at the end of the day.

-Noah Smith, Brightside Vacations, LLC