
Owl's Head's summit reaches 753 metres, dropping 545 vertical metres to a base at 208 metres across 50 runs spread over roughly 71 hectares near Mansonville, Quebec. Terrain splits 34 per cent intermediate, 26 per cent beginner, 24 per cent expert and 16 per cent advanced, with average annual snowfall of roughly 3.5 metres. Six lifts, including one double chair and four quad chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Owl's Head holds a genuinely distinctive place among Eastern Townships resorts for its slopes rising directly above Lake Memphremagog, a 33-mile lake that also serves as the resort's snowmaking reservoir. Its considerable views and comparatively varied terrain have built the resort's reputation as one of the more scenic, if lesser-known, destinations in the Eastern Townships.
Mansonville electrician Fred Korman developed the ski area on Mont Owl's Head as something of a side project, opening it in 1965 with three lifts, two chairlifts and one t-bar, alongside six runs designed by Olympic skier Bob Richardson. Korman ran the hill's debut season together with his wife Lillian and daughter Caroll, and what began as a modest hobby business grew steadily into a four-season destination under the family's continued development.
The resort's snowmaking system, covering 90 per cent of skiable terrain, draws on Lake Memphremagog as its primary water reservoir, with slopes rising directly above the lake's shoreline. More recently, new owners operating as Destination Owl's Head have continued developing the site's potential. Adult daily tickets run from 75 to 85 Canadian dollars.
Owl's Head overlooks Lake Memphremagog near the Vermont border, dropping 545 metres from 753 down to 208 metres. Its 50 runs cover about 71 hectares, and the split is 26% beginner, 34% intermediate, 16% advanced and 24% expert, which is a strikingly high expert share for a hill this size. One double chair, four quads and a surface lift serve the mountain, so queues rarely become a major issue. It is a compact area, but the vertical is among the best in the Eastern Townships, and the lake views keep the day interesting.
The expert figure comes from steep, narrow trails and a decent set of glades, including a double-black line called Ponsoon, and the narrow steeps firm up quickly after a freeze, so conditions can change noticeably from one day to the next. Intermediate trails are groomed well and offer flowing mid-mountain skiing, while beginners have a gentler zone near the base. Snowmaking covers most of the hill, which supports reliable coverage through the cold months. Owl's Head suits adventurous intermediates, advanced skiers and families who want a quieter, more scenic alternative to the busier Laurentian hills.
The 2025-26 season at Owl's Head ran from 5 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 3.5 metres, backed by a comprehensive snowmaking system covering 90 per cent of skiable terrain. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather in the Eastern Townships.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Owl's Head's intermediate-weighted terrain. Given the resort's considerable snowmaking capacity, drawn from the adjacent Lake Memphremagog, conditions remain reliable even during lighter natural snowfall periods.
Owl's Head's lake views and varied terrain continue to draw visitors seeking a scenic, comparatively uncrowded Eastern Townships destination throughout the season. School holiday periods bring family visitation given the resort's approachable terrain mix.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Destination Owl's Head's more recent acquisition, the resort has continued building on six decades of history since Fred Korman's 1965 founding. The resort's Lake Memphremagog setting and considerable snowmaking capacity remain central to its enduring, scenic appeal.
Owl's Head sits near Mansonville, Quebec, in the Eastern Townships, with a base elevation of 208 metres and a summit at 753 metres across a 545-metre vertical drop over roughly 71 hectares. This setting places the resort directly above the shores of Lake Memphremagog, close to the Vermont border.
Mansonville and the broader Eastern Townships region offer lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort, with accommodation also available near the lake's shoreline close to the mountain.
Quebec Route 243 and local roads provide access to the resort from the broader region. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, and the resort's comparatively rural location means travellers should allow additional time compared with more centrally located Eastern Townships destinations.
Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, roughly a two-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the region, with Owl's Head's proximity to the Vermont border also drawing visitors from the northeastern United States.
Hotels and lodges near Owls Head, powered by Stay22.

Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.

Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.

The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.

Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
More Owls Head intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.