Nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Stratton is an ideal destination for families to frolic in New England’s fall foliage.
Stratton Mountain Ski Resort in southern Vermont is a premier ski and snowboard resort in the winter and destination for tennis and golf in the summer. However in the fall, the color is neither white nor green but rather a beautiful palette of reds, oranges, and yellows. Modeled after a European ski village, Stratton Resort is distinctly different from other ski resorts in the Northeast by having a proper village on the mountain with restaurants, quaint shops, and a spa. Throughout the year, the resort hosts special events, including the family-friendly Harvest Festival over Columbus Day weekend, where you’ll find the village decked out in pumpkins, corn stalks, and scarecrows.
What to do at Stratton Mountain?
During the fall, a trip to the top of the mountain via gondola is filled with wonder. My children enjoyed watching the village get smaller and smaller, comparing the buildings to LEGOS, while I sat back and appreciated the beauty that unfolded around me as we gained elevation. Stratton Mountain is 3,940 feet and with a blue sky behind it, the reds, yellows, and oranges pop in dramatic fashion. My daughter exclaimed, “This is really gorgeous, Mommy!” I had to agree.
At the top of the mountain, there are several ski paths that visitors can explore, including a .7-mile hike to a fire tower. Unfortunately, because of the timing of our trip, we were unable to make this hike, but we would love to go back and try it. At the base of the gondola, the resort has hiking poles for families to borrow if they choose to hike down the mountain rather than opting for the return trip in the gondola.
KidTripster Tip: Dress for the weather. The temperature at the top of the mountain is always lower than the base, and it’s often windy. On a mid-October day, my children were dressed in winter parkas, hats, and gloves.
KidTripster Tip: Pack a picnic to enjoy at the top of the mountain. Families can enjoy their lunches at a few lookout posts while taking in the beautiful views that stretch for miles. There are no food options or bathrooms at the top, so be sure to come prepared!
You can also head to the Stratton Mountain Training and Fitness Center to take advantage of the pool, tennis courts, and workout facilities. The Olympic-size saltwater pool is 4-feet deep, which may be difficult for beginners, but the center has plenty of pool noodles, kick boards, and a few PFDs on hand to use. Cost ranges from $5 to $30, based on age and type of visit.
KidTripster Tip: Be sure to check the pool hours before heading over to the facility; certain hours are set aside for lap use or adult swim.
Make sure to explore the quaint village of Stratton and take in its special events. The Harvest Festival includes a little something for everyone – a chili cook-off, a beer festival, hayrides, spooky face painting, balloon animals, and pumpkin decorating. Although the beer must stay within a fenced area, there’s plenty for kids to do at the festival from playing corn hole to dancing to the live bands. My twins enjoyed trying their hands at Can Jam – a new game to them – while I waited in the chili line. (Picture two children about 3-feet tall trying to throw frisbees into what looks like a laundry hamper; that’s Can Jam. Watching their delight made the long line go much faster.)
Once we got to the front of the line, I was able to balance two trays of chili samples – eight samples on each. The kids and I sat in the grass and tasted all eight kinds. They had strong opinions about each: “too spicy,” “nice and sweet,” and “why is it green?” And once we tasted all of them and had full bellies, they helped vote. We were only supposed to rank our top three, but they insisted on ranking all eight.
They also loved the hayride and were able to identify the mountain neighborhoods when we drove through them later in the weekend.
KidTripster Tip: Buy your tickets for the Harvest Festival in advance online. The lines are long, and the wait is difficult for young children.
Mountain Sweets, the candy store in the village, knows where the sweet spot is. As part of the Columbus Day festival, the store holds both a scavenger hunt and a rock candy-making party. We took part in both because, well… it’s candy! The scavenger hunt started at the candy store, where the kids were given a piece of paper with a skeleton on it. Each clue sent us to four more stores throughout the village. At each stop the kids used the crayons provided to color some of their skeleton. The last clue sent us back to the candy store for a prize. Those folks at the candy store are smart; although the prizes were toys, we walked out with candy bags, too!
The next day, we took part in the rock candy-making party, a fun and fairly short event, good for short attention spans. The table was set up outside, so we made sure to dress accordingly, as there was a slight nip in the autumn air. The store provided jars and sugar, and the kids did the legwork. Each child attending was invited up to a hot pot of water and asked to add sugar, melting it to a point of a thick elixir which the store owner then helped pour into the jar. My kids were in heaven; they were making their own candy that we would watch grow over the next several weeks. Many of other parents didn’t think the sweet nectar would last that long with their kids opting to drink it instead!
Where to stay at Stratton Mountain?
We stayed at the Black Bear Lodge, which was a European-style hotel with rooms just big enough for two double beds, a dresser, and a wardrobe. Our room was clean, and the bathroom was well-appointed, but there wasn’t much room for twins plus their mother. The lodge is also pet-friendly with free Wi-Fi.
The Black Bear Lodge is somewhat removed from the village. In the crisp, autumn air, we walked to and from the village, but we were told that there’s a shuttle in the winter. The area outside the village is also quite dark with no street lamps, so be careful if you’re out after sunset.
The mountain offers other accommodations including condos with full kitchens. I’d actually recommend them over the lodge, as most families will need the extra space for afternoon downtime.
Where to eat at Stratton Mountain?
Our stay at the Black Bear Lodge included a continental breakfast each morning: pastries, muffins, bagels, toast, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt (sometimes), oatmeal (sometimes), and cereal.
For lunch, I’d recommend Stratton Mountain Village Pie. The kids and I got slices of cheese and pepperoni pizzas; both were delicious and devoured at one of the tables just outside the shop.
If you’re looking for more pizza, it’s worth the drive off the mountain to Fran’s Kitchen & Diner in Jamaica, where we ordered a half cheese-half pepperoni pizza for dinner one night. Fran’s has just recently started serving pizzas, but the locals are fans. We discovered why! It’s exactly how my kids like their pizza – New York-style with just the right balance of sauce and cheese. The rest of the menu looked good, too with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and Pad Thai.
We also ate at Mulligan’s, a fun restaurant and bar that had a great kids’ menu that included Dora Dogs, McQueen chicken tenders, and gorilla cheese sandwiches. The kids loved watching all of the action, which on a Sunday night included plenty of football fans packed into the bar. The Dora Dog was a hit with both kids, who were pleased to see their request for two pickles was heard. I tried the buffalo chicken wings and a house salad on our first visit and a pulled-chicken quesadilla on our second trip; both times, I came away happy and satisfied.
KidTripster Tip: I’d skip Table 43.1 in the Black Bear Lodge. On the weekend that we visited, the restaurant ran out of burgers, and my son’s mac and cheese turned into tri-colored tortellini with alfredo sauce (without our knowledge until it arrived) because they ran out pasta. Plus, the wait for food was 45 minutes – way too long with kids.
Getting to Stratton Mountain
Stratton Mountain Ski Resort is a 1-1/2-hour drive from Albany or 3-1/2-hour drive from Boston. The scenic drive does include back roads in rural areas which can be difficult to navigate at night.
Kara Matuszewski Sassone is a former journalist and mother of almost 5-year-old twins – a boy and a girl, living outside Boston.
This writer received a complimentary stay for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
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