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Jay Peak Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Jay Peak Ski Resort

Jay Peak Ratings

Overall: 3.9. Based on 12 votes and 7 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.4

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Jay Peak is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.3

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Jay Peak has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.6

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 4.2

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 2.7

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Jay Peak.

Public Transport: 1.9

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Jay Peak, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.1

(1) No places to stay in/near Jay Peak, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 2.6

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 3.9

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Jay Peak.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.8

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.2

(1) There are no child care facilities at Jay Peak, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.2

(1) Jay Peak relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.3

(1) There are no snow groomers at Jay Peak, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Jay Peak are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.2

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Jay Peak is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 2.8

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Jay Peak, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.4

(1) Jay Peak usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 4.5

(1) The staff at Jay Peak are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Jay Peak are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.9

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.1

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.2

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 3.0

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.1

(1) No intermediate terrain at Jay Peak, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.8

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 3.5

(1) Not even a kicker at Jay Peak, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 4.3

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Jay Peak, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 1.2

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Jay Peak has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.0

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.2

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.5

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 4.7

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 3.8

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.1

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 4.3

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.1

(1) Overall, Jay Peak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.2

(1) Overall, Jay Peak is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

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March 26, 2015
Mark from Ski Canada Canada
Lets face it, we're not comparing the terrain here to that of the phenomenal ski circuses found in the Austrian Alps, so getting grounded on that thought Jay Peak is one of the best to be skied venues in Eastern N.A.! You get the best chances for fresh here, combined with a reasonable consistent vertical drop and an assortment of runs ( I'd like to highlight the glades, moguls and piste pitch). It is, however, expensive to stay overnight on or off hill but does offer a great indoor waterpark for family; fyi: not pet friendly! They will fine you for it without compromise! Check out the General Store in Jay for a fabulous "Slab" sandwich and whatever else too!
January 22, 2009
RB from Ski United States United States
Jay Peak does get a lot of snow, no doubt, but don't expect the conditions to be anything like the Rockies. Wind scouring, periodic rain, and high skier density relative to Western resorts means you will ski plenty of nasty ice, particularly around the exposed summit area. Tree skiing is where Jay Peak shines, as the woods offers protection from the wind and holds the powder. Another plus: Jay is pretty accessible from I-91, meaning it doesn't take nearly as long to reach as you might think. There are "quaint" facilities. I might even use the work "dilapidated". Tram is nice to avoid the cold, but offers too little uphill capacity, meaning long lines. Should be replaced with a high-capacity gondola.
December 05, 2008
Gonzo from Ski Canada Canada
Jay Peak gets as much snow as most resorts in the Rockies. Beware of the weather, as it could be blowing 100km/h at the top during big storms, and I have been there to see the entire hill shut down as a result. Amazing hill for tree huggers, not so much for groomers. Taking the tram to the peak is really only for tourists, but offers a great view. Jay Peak is a hill for hardcore enthusiasts who enjoy deep snow, glades, a relaxing vibe, and rustic facilities.
November 22, 2008
Tom from Ski United States United States
Jay got a surprise dump today for opening day! Totals depend on who you ask, but bottomless turns top to bottom for the first day was amazing! You may not have expected to come to Jay for anything but powder in the past, but this year the Terrain Parks program has some surprises in store for you. ;> In addition to that The Zone does have a good bit of beginner terrain, with glades for beginners as well.
February 03, 2008
John from Ski United States United States
I don't know who Jumpturn is but Jay does not get "lake effect snow" off of Lake Champlain. Nobody does. It gets snow from its location which causes orographic lift from cold air coming out of the relatively flat Canadian land north of Jay. When the air hits Jay it rises, condenses and falls as snow. Jay does have awesome glades and definately the best snow in the east.
January 26, 2008
Jumpturn from Ski United States United States
Jay Peak gets lake-effect snow off Lake Champlain, and consequently, offers probably the best consistent powder skiing in the Eastern US. But, it gets tracked out quickly, so you need to get there on time. The area really only shines when the powder is on and you're skiing Jay's extensive woods. Otherwise, the trails are mostly intermediate and the infrastructure quaint.
March 11, 2005
Andrew Watson from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Jay Peak offers the most sizeable ski area on the east coast. Only 10 mins from the Canadian border the resort is popular with Les Quebecois. Good glade skiing and a well maintained park, complete with rails and box. The hill is very exposed at the summit and snow is literally blown off the mounatin. Good

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