
Okemo
667 acres, 122 runs near Ludlow. Family-friendly Vermont resort, excellent grooming, Epic Pass.
Okemo's summit reaches 3,341 feet, dropping 2,200 vertical feet to a base at 1,145 feet across 122 runs spread over 667 acres near Ludlow, Vermont. Terrain splits 37 per cent intermediate, 33 per cent beginner, 21 per cent advanced and 9 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 119 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Twenty lifts, including nine quad chairs and two six-person chairs, serve the mountain alongside two triple chairs, six surface lifts and one t-bar.
Okemo has built a reputation as one of Vermont's premier family destinations, prized for excellent grooming, extensive snowmaking and slopeside village amenities developed over decades of hands-on, family-led ownership. Its considerable 2,200-foot vertical drop and substantial trail count place it among the larger resorts in southern Vermont.
Ludlow businessmen and skiers founded Okemo Mountain to benefit the local economy, incorporating Okemo Mountain, Inc. on 7 January 1955, with stock available only to Vermont residents and 100 shares purchased earning a lifetime pass. Operations officially began on 31 January 1956 with just four inches of snow, trails served by two Poma surface lifts.
Tim and Diane Mueller purchased Okemo in August 1982, when it operated with six Poma lifts and three double chairs, and transformed it under hands-on, mom-and-pop leadership into a year-round destination resort, expanding to its current 667 acres, 46 miles of trails, 98 per cent snowmaking coverage and 20 lifts. The Muellers went on to add Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire in 1998 and Crested Butte in Colorado in 2004, before Vail Resorts acquired Okemo and the family's other resorts in June 2018 for an 82 million US dollar purchase price plus 155 million US dollars to buy out operating leases. Adult daily tickets run from 149 to 239 US dollars.
Okemo has 122 runs across 667 acres (270 hectares) near Ludlow, Vermont, dropping from a summit at 3,340 ft (1,019 m) to a base at 1,150 ft (349 m), a vertical of 2,200 ft (670 m). Terrain is broad and approachable: 37% blue square, 33% green circle, 21% black diamond and 9% expert. About 119 inches of snow falls in an average winter. Nine quad chairs, two six-packs, two triples, six surface lifts and a T-bar mean short waits across the main mountain, South Face and Jackson Gore.
The main face is served by the Sunburst Six bubble chair, the Solitude detachable quad and Quantum Express. Solitude, to the right looking uphill, offers about 1,100 ft of vertical with mostly blue cruisers, plus moguls on Exhibition and The Plunge. Jackson Gore carries space-themed names including Quantum Leap, Sunset Strip, Escape, Limelight, Vortex and Blue Moon. Every double black at Okemo is a short gladed run that opens less often. A terrain park and a superpipe, conditions permitting, round things out. Okemo suits families and intermediates.
The 2025-26 season at Okemo ran from 28 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, a roughly twenty-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 119 inches and extensive, industry-leading snowmaking coverage across 98 per cent of the mountain. This snowmaking investment, a legacy of decades of Mueller family stewardship, supports consistent conditions throughout the season.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Okemo's varied terrain. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Okemo draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside its traditional family-focused visitor base drawn to the resort's slopeside village and extensive children's programming.
Okemo's award-winning children's programmes and luxury slopeside lodging continue to support strong family visitation throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial demand given the resort's reputation as one of Vermont's most family-friendly destinations. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Boston and New York metropolitan areas.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' June 2018 acquisition, Okemo has continued operating as part of the Epic Pass network, building on the transformation the Mueller family achieved after purchasing the resort in 1982 and the seven decades of history since its 1956 founding. The resort's family-oriented, well-groomed character remains central to its seasonal identity.
Okemo sits near Ludlow, Vermont, with a base elevation of 1,145 feet and a summit at 3,341 feet across a 2,200-foot vertical drop over 667 acres. This central Vermont setting places the resort within a well-established ski town with extensive supporting infrastructure.
Ludlow itself offers substantial lodging, dining and shopping within a short drive of the resort, giving Okemo a genuine mountain-town base area experience. The broader central Vermont region surrounds the resort with additional outdoor recreation and scenic attractions.
Vermont State Route 103 and Route 100 provide direct access to the resort from the broader regional highway network. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled roads are regularly maintained given Okemo's status as a major regional destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport offers limited commercial service within a reasonable drive, while Albany International Airport in New York and airports in the greater Boston area serve as the primary gateways for visitors flying in from further afield.
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Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.

Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.

Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.

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.

Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.

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.
Opening day for the winter 2026 - 2027 season is scheduled for Nov 20, 2026 (subject to change). Lift tickets at Okemo typically go on sale well before the start of the ski season.
Day passes start from US$119, with peak rates up to US$239.
Experience Okemo Mountain Resort's 126 trails with Vermont's highest vertical drop in southern Vermont at 2,200 feet. Family-friendly resort with world-class snowmaking, bubble chairlifts, and excellent grooming in the Green Mountains.
Buy passYouth lift tickets at Okemo provide access to 126 trails with excellent youth programs and family atmosphere. Experience bubble chairlifts and world-class snowmaking on Vermont's premier family mountain.
Buy passChildren's lift tickets at Okemo offer access to family-friendly skiing with excellent children's programs and ski school. Experience 126 trails and bubble chairlifts with world-class learning terrain.
Buy passOkemo half-day tickets provide afternoon access to 126 trails starting at 12:30 PM. Experience family-friendly skiing with bubble chairlifts and excellent afternoon grooming conditions.
Buy passOkemo Epic Pass provides unlimited access to 126 trails plus 40+ Epic resorts worldwide. Experience family-friendly skiing with bubble chairlifts plus 20% off food, lodging, lessons, and rentals.
Buy passOkemo Epic Local Pass offers unlimited access with holiday restrictions plus 30+ Epic resorts. Experience family-friendly skiing with significant savings and access to northeastern destinations.
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