Okemo Mountain Life

Things to Do in the Okemo Valley

No matter when you visit, there's something going on outside our front door. Here are a few of our favorites, season by season. Want the local take on where to go? Just ask us at breakfast.

Winter

You can see Okemo Mountain from several of our rooms, so it won't surprise you that skiing is the main winter draw. The mountain has terrain for everyone—from first-timers to experts—and the Okemo shuttle picks up right across the street from the inn, next to the Veterans Memorial Park. No parking lot hunt required.

If you want to venture out, Killington and Pico Mountain are a short drive north. Magic Mountain and Stratton are south.

For Nordic skiers, Okemo runs a Nordic center on its golf course property, just a bit further north on Route 103. If you want more trails, the Viking Nordic Center in Londonderry is worth the trip.

Snowmobilers: a VAST trail crosses Route 103 less than a mile south of the inn, plugging you into roughly 5,000 miles of Vermont snowmobile trails.

Spring

Vermonters call it "mud season," but we call it worth it. This is when the maple sap starts running. Drive the back roads and you'll see tubing running from tree to tree, feeding collection tanks. Many sugarhouses welcome visitors—stop in to watch the boiling process and pick up a bottle (or a jug) in the gift shop.

If you paddle, the rivers are running high and fast right now. Late spring is also prime time for hiking, when the creeks are still swollen from snowmelt and the waterfalls are at their most dramatic.

Summer

The lifts start turning again in summer, hauling hikers and sightseers up Okemo for the views. The resort also runs a mountain coaster and a disc golf course, and the golf course across the valley stays busy.

You'll find several excellent golf courses in the area offering mountain golfing with serious views. Beyond that, you can fish, swim, boat, bike, or hike within a short drive in just about any direction. And if you're looking for a lazy float, the Connecticut River in Windsor is the place.

Fall

Yes, everyone comes for the leaves. From mid-September through the first three weeks of October, the mountains go from green to gold to red. Here's a local tip: a day that's a little overcast with high clouds can actually make the colors pop even more than full sun.

Take the Okemo chairlift up for a bird's-eye view, or hike one of the trails and state forests around Ludlow.

While you're driving the back roads, you'll pass wineries bringing in the grape harvest and farms stacking pumpkins by the road. Stop at a tasting room—they're happy to talk about their wines, though keep in mind this is a busy time for them. And grab a slice of fresh pumpkin pie from a local bakery, or catch us on a day when we're serving our own afternoon treat.