The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Magic Mountain's summit reaches 2,850 feet, dropping roughly 1,500 vertical feet to a base at 1,348 feet across 50 runs spread over 127 acres on Glebe Mountain near Londonderry, Vermont. Terrain splits 32 per cent intermediate, 26 per cent expert, 24 per cent beginner and 18 per cent advanced, with average annual snowfall of roughly 145 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Four lifts, including one quad chair and two double chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift and one t-bar.
Magic Mountain markets itself as an authentic, deliberately unpolished throwback to an earlier era of Vermont skiing, prized for its challenging natural terrain and genuinely uncrowded slopes. The resort's substantial expert terrain, at 26 per cent of its trail count, reflects a character shaped by the steep, ridge-lined topography that first drew its founder to the mountain.
Swiss-born ski instructor and filmmaker Hans Thorner, searching Vermont in the late 1950s for a location reminiscent of his native Swiss Alps, found Glebe Mountain's steep ridgelines suited his vision, and opened Magic Mountain in 1960 with a T-bar serving the lower half of the mountain, adding a substantial 7,379-foot double chair in 1962. Magic formed part of Vermont's original 'Golden Triangle' alongside Stratton Mountain and Bromley Mountain, all within 10 miles of each other, and thrived through the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.
Boston Concessions, which also owned neighbouring Bromley, purchased Magic in the mid-1980s, but a downturn in the real estate market led Bromley's owners to close Magic entirely in 1991. The resort remained closed for years before reopening to the public in 1997, and in November 2016, following a poor winter and difficult operating results, Magic Mountain Management LLC sold the property to Ski Magic LLC, led by Geoff Hatheway. Adult daily tickets run from 96 to 116 US dollars, with children aged 5 and under skiing free.
1,503ft
Vertical
50
Runs
127 acres
Skiable
12ft
Annual snow
Indy
Pass
The Terrain
50 runs across 127 acres skiable
Magic Mountain packs 50 runs into 127 acres (51 hectares) on Glebe Mountain in southern Vermont, running from a base at 1,350 ft (411 m) to a summit of 2,850 ft (869 m), a vertical of 1,500 ft (458 m). The split is steeper than its size suggests: 26% expert, 18% black diamond, 32% blue square and 24% green circle. About 145 inches of snow falls in an average winter. A quad, two double chairs, a T-bar and a surface lift keep the lift system simple, and lines stay short.
Black Line and Redline run side by side as the steep headline pitches, while Wizard is a narrow groomed cruiser down the west side of the mountain with double black terrain dropping away beside it. The gladed network is the standout, with trails such as Disappearing Act, The Hallows, Goniff Glade, Twilight Zone, Voodoo, Pixie Dust and White Tiger, said to be the most extensive tree skiing in southern Vermont. Magic suits advanced skiers who like natural, uncrowded terrain, and beginners have a modest but real share of the trails.
Terrain split
50
runs
50 runs across 4 grades
Beginner12 runs · 24%
Intermediate16 runs · 32%
Advanced9 runs · 18%
Expert13 runs · 26%
Time it right
When to visit Magic Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Magic Mountain ran from 20 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly fifteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 145 inches. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather on Glebe Mountain's steep terrain.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Magic's genuinely challenging, expert-weighted terrain. As an Indy Pass resort, Magic draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass alongside dedicated visitors specifically seeking its authentic, deliberately uncrowded character within southern Vermont's Golden Triangle region.
Given Magic's proximity to major metropolitan areas as one of southern Vermont's ski destinations, the resort draws visitors seeking a genuine alternative to the more heavily developed mountains nearby, including former Golden Triangle neighbours Stratton and Bromley. School holiday periods bring some family visitation, though the resort's substantial expert terrain skews its visitor base toward more experienced skiers.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Ski Magic LLC's November 2016 purchase, the resort has continued rebuilding on more than six decades of history since founder Hans Thorner's 1960 opening, including the multi-year closure of the 1990s. Magic's authentic, throwback character and challenging terrain remain central to its seasonal identity.
Season 2026 - 2027
5 Dec 2026
Opens
3 Apr 2027
Closes
119
Days open
12 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Magic Mountain, and where to stay
Magic Mountain sits on Glebe Mountain near Londonderry, Vermont, with a base elevation of 1,348 feet and a summit at 2,850 feet across a roughly 1,500-foot vertical drop over 127 acres. This southern Vermont setting places the resort within the historic Golden Triangle region alongside Stratton and Bromley mountains.
Londonderry and the broader southern Vermont region offer lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort. Manchester, a larger regional town, lies within a reasonable drive as well, providing additional visitor services and shopping.
Vermont State Route 11 provides access to the resort through southern Vermont. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled road is regularly maintained given the region's status as a significant ski destination cluster. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Manchester's smaller regional airfield offers limited service, while Albany International Airport in New York and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut serve as more practical gateways for visitors flying in from further afield, given Magic's position within a reasonable drive of southern New England's metropolitan areas.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Magic Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
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Magic Mountain Lift System
Magic Mountain runs four lifts: one quad chair and two double chairs, serving 50 runs across 127 acres on Glebe Mountain, alongside one surface lift and one t-bar. This lean network reflects the resort's deliberately unpolished, throwback character, a contrast to the high-speed lift infrastructure common at larger Vermont competitors.
The lift network traces back to founder Hans Thorner's 1960 opening with a single T-bar serving the lower half of the mountain, followed in 1962 by the addition of a substantial 7,379-foot double chair that unlocked considerably more of Glebe Mountain's steep, challenging terrain for lift-served skiing.
This infrastructure carried the resort through its thriving years as part of Vermont's original Golden Triangle alongside Stratton and Bromley, before a multi-year closure through the 1990s that saw the lift network sit dormant. Magic's 1997 reopening restored operations to this same core lift configuration.
Since Ski Magic LLC, led by Geoff Hatheway, purchased the resort in November 2016 following a period of poor operating results, capital investment has continued to support this four-lift network. Specific recent individual lift replacement projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Magic's lean, deliberately understated lift infrastructure remains consistent with its identity as an authentic alternative to Vermont's larger resorts.
5lifts across 4 types
1
Quad Chair
2
Double Chairs
1
T-Bar
1
Surface Lift
Magic Mountain lift system
Magic Mountain is served by 5 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Magic Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.