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Mad River Glen resort snow
Lat Long: 44.20° N 72.92° W
Ski USA - Vermont

Mad River Glen Resort Reviews

Weather Forecast for Mad River Glen at 798 m altitude

Issued: 7 am 30 Apr 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Next snow in Mad River Glen: 0.4 cm on Fri 8th  (after 8 AM)

Visitor reviews for Mad River Glen Ski Resort

Mad River Glen Ratings

Overall: 3.8. Based on 16 votes and 5 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 3.4

  • Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
  • Is often closed due to a lack of snow
  • Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
  • Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
  • Mad River Glen is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 4.1

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Mad River Glen has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 4.8

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 3.7

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 4.7

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Mad River Glen

Public Transport: 2.0

  • There are no buses or taxis to Mad River Glen
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 4.2

  • No places to stay in/near Mad River Glen
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 3.2

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 3.0

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Mad River Glen

Ski in/Ski out: 3.4

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 4.8

  • There are no child care facilities at Mad River Glen
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.1

  • Mad River Glen relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 3.5

  • There are no snow groomers at Mad River Glen
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Mad River Glen are groomed daily

Shelter: 4.8

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Mad River Glen is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 4.0

  • If snow conditions are poor at Mad River Glen, it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 4.5

  • Mad River Glen usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 4.5

  • The staff at Mad River Glen are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Mad River Glen are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 3.8

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 4.4

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.4

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 4.2

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 4.6

  • No intermediate terrain at Mad River Glen
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 3.8

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 1.8

  • Not even a kicker at Mad River Glen
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 4.0

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Mad River Glen
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 1.0

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Mad River Glen has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 3.7

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 4.0

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 3.4

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 1.2

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 2.8

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

Winter Walks: 4.0

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 4.8

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 5.0

  • Overall, Mad River Glen is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 5.0

  • Overall, Mad River Glen is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

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February 25, 2022
Bill Tarkulich from Ski USA - California USA - California
I tell ya, the "Ski it if you Can" moniker sure scares away most novices and intermediates. Perhaps that was the case before they started grooming and making snow, but it's no longer the case. I've been skiing here for over 20 years, and have skied pretty much every place in New England, so I can fairly compare things. I can go out any day and find beautiful, long, well-groomed green and blue trails that are packed down, not bumped up, icy or bare. Their grooming compares favorably with the big boys, Sugarbush, Mt. Snow, Stowe or even Stratton. The list goes on. Their grooming equipment is modern and goes out every night. I've taken fraidy-cat beginners, progressing intermediates and solid intermediates out and had an absolutely fun day. Not exhausting, not scary, not relentless. Go check out the "birdland" area of blues and greens. The hot shots stay out of them, the scenery is simply stupendous and you've got the trails to yourself. No worries about getting creamed. Well, you say, "their lifts are slow". True dat, but for good reason. It simply limits the number of people on the hill at any point in time. You can leisurely wind your way down any of these trails at ease, they are safe and clear. I'll give you that the trails are not "boulevards" like Stowe, Stratton, etc, but they are plenty wide; follow the countours of the mountain and just make for one photo shot after another. You don't need big wide trails when you've got the trail to yourself. Sure, there's plenty of very challenging stuff, especially black diamonds and the woods, and you'll see a fair share of these hot shots there. Fine with me, keeps them off the easier stuff. The shareholders are a diverse lot, but the one thing they have in common is their love of skiing. Lots of folks trying new things like telemark, or sticking with their 1970's skis, and a noticeable number of folks in their 70's and 80's are always out for a couple hours every day. And if you ski hard, even on groomers, you won't mind the longer lift ride to rest. The fixed-grip lifts have a special feature - they are reliable and lower to the ground and require less all-around clearance, so when you can't ski other places because of lift holds, go to MRG. They almost never have a lift hold. Lift lines you only see on "powder days", or mid mornings on the weekends. Any time else, it's ski on lift service. Things off-slope are simpler here - parking is not an ordeal, the cafeteria is simple but complete, you can always find a seat, the bar and restaurant are "cozy" but very picturesque and friendly. Local music on the weekends. But everyone is here to ski. Many call it "retro" and think "behind the times". Not so. The folks are just not caught up in the latest ski gear, bragging rites or the party scene. MRG has everything you need to have a delightful day on the slopes. Forget the thoughts of extreme skiing. Get here before it gets discovered!
February 27, 2021
Albert Pierce from Ski USA - California USA - California
Full disclosure: I am a shareholder. Mad River Glen is owned by a co-op of approximately 1500 dedicated skiers. Shares are available for $2000 and come with many benefits. A recent campaign raised several million dollars, most of which has been expended in three areas: snowmaking, terrain enhancement, and extensive renovation and infrastructure improvements to the base lodge, and building a new Ski Patrol/Ski School facility. Snow-making was a priority for most shareholders and now intermediate trails below the 2300 elevation can be covered with man-made snow. In the 2019-20 season, all snow-making was completed on Jan 5th. This season, with 25% additional coverage, snow-making was completed by Jan 8. Above the 2300 ft level to the summits (2) of 3600 ft, Mother Nature does a good job. The pandemic posed many challenges for management and staff, but operations began on schedule, Dec 12, 2021. As of Feb 26, 2021, Mad River skiers are enjoying one of the best seasons ever. More information can be found online.
December 25, 2020
David Ross from Ski USA - California USA - California
Truly unique and not for everyone, Mad River Glen hasn't widened and bulldozed trails to make way for snow-making, opting instead for terrain that retains the natural contours of the mountain. There's some snow-making, but only around the base. Locals clear lines in the woods during the summer, so glades are abundant for those willing to explore. The feature lift is a single chair that serves 2000 vertical feet of mostly steep terrain, but there are plenty of other options. Novice skiers have a dedicated lift that offers beautiful gently rolling terrain that starts well up from the base. This is a ski area that tolerates occasionally long weekend lift-lines because uncrowded terrain is the priority. We raised our kids skiing here without worry that some irresponsible fool would crash into them ... and they still come back from Colorado to ski the trails they grew up on. Their dad never left.
December 23, 2017
Rob Rafferty from Ski USA - California USA - California
One of the best kept secrets of Mad River Glen is the Birdland area. This is a beautiful beginner and intermediate area serviced by a dedicated lift. The low angle terrain holds natural snow very well, is rarely skied off and groomed on a regular basis. At the base of the lift is the cozy Birdcage lodge, perfect for a hot chocolate and snack! As far as snow making, the mountain does make snow on the lower elevations and has top to bottom coverage on the Practice slope. While MRG does have exceptional expert and tree skiing, the best part is the wonder people and family friendly atmosphere.
February 18, 2009
Powderithacus from Ski USA - California USA - California
Mad River Glen is an excellent mountain for glade skiing. Find the Paradise trail and hop the frozen waterfall. If they get rain or freeze/thaw it goes downhill real fast. Little if any grooming and no snow-making. If you are looking for a once-a-year family vacation for beginners, with fancy amenities, this is not the place for you. If you are looking to sit on the chairlift with your sweetheart, it will be kind of tough on the single chair that goes to the top. Mad River Glen is a skiers mountain, not a resort.