Vermont Family Ski Trip at Okemo Ski Resort

Sharing all the details of why we loved our Vermont family ski trip to Okemo Ski Resort, and why we would go back!

Every year we take a family ski trip, and it’s one of the highlights of the winter. We live very close to smaller regional ski resorts, so we ski regularly through the season. But we love to get out to larger mountains and resorts and enjoy different skiing experiences. One of our favorites is Mont Tremblant in Quebec, but with the Covid border regulations, we weren’t able to go for a couple of years. So we decided to head to Vermont!

Vermont Family Ski Trip  Okemo Ski Resort

Deciding which resort to go to was the next big decision. There are quite a few large ski resorts in Vermont, with the biggest (slope length) being Killington, Stratton, Sugar Bush, Jay’s Peak, Stowe, Okemo, and Smuggler’s Notch. Some of them are in close enough proximity to each other that you could do more than one in a trip. With younger kids, we decided it would be easier to stay at one resort the entire time.

Vermont Family Ski Trip at Okemo Ski Resort

We had our list narrowed to a few, but in the end decided on Okemo. Some of our decision rested on the available houses that fit our needs, and the proximity to the resorts. Our options may have been more diverse if we had started planning six months beforehand (or more), but we had been waiting to see what the border situation would be.

Okemo Ski Resort Vermont Family Ski Trip

But we also chose Okemo for a few other reasons. This includes the number of lifts (20), which is just shy of Killington, with the most at 22. Stowe only has 12, and the other largest on the list have less than that.

Vermont Family Ski Trip Okemo Ski Resort

What we loved about Okemo Ski Resort

  • Number of lifts: I know I already mentioned this, but we love having more lift variety and options.
  • Type of lifts: 20 lifts, including 1 high speed detachable 6-pack chair with protective bubbles and heated seats, 1 new high speed detachable 6-pack chair, 9 quad chairs (4 high speed detachable quads, one with protective bubbles that’s been newly relocated), 2 triple chairs and 7 surface lifts. (According to Okemo.com)
  • Great lodge: There was plenty of room, even during busy days. We were able to leave our lunches and ski bags on tables and then come back and forth during the day. This is so helpful with kids!
  • Family-friendly: Great mix of runs–fair number of green, lots of moderate blues, and a few blacks for those that are more experienced. With different ages and skill levels in our family, it was great to have enough options for everyone. Our family skis, but we were with a family that had snowboarders, and they really liked it as well. They also have ski lessons available. Okemo is also listed in the top 10 family friendly resorts in the nation, according to onthesnow.com.
  • Awesome app: Since Okemo is part of the Epic Pass, the Epic Mix app has all of Okemo’s information. It includes trail and lift status, interactive trail map and estimated wait times for each lift, ongoing snow and weather info, hourly resort cams, find my friends, and more.
Epic Mix App Okemo Ski Resort
  • Parking: Organized, shuttle bus on a good schedule
  • More than adequate snowmaking ability–which makes up for a year with not as much snowfall. (or early in the season)

What we didn’t love about Okemo

If I’m being super picky, there were a couple things that weren’t the greatest, but they weren’t enough to change our opinion, or decide not to go back.

  • Older, more dated facilities: Out of all the larger ski resorts we’ve been to, this one is a bit more on the older side.
  • Overall resort size
  • Crowded on the lifts during peak times

Fun Winter Trip for Families!

Whether you’re regular skiers, or have never skied before and looking for a winter adventure, this is such a fun winter trip for families! Vermont is a gorgeous state, and you’ll love the cute towns and scenery in addition to the skiing.

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