Vail Resorts Is Buying Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort

Photo by Erik Jaeger on Flickr/Creative Commons

One of New England’s premier ski resorts will soon be operated by a Colorado-based company.

Vail Resorts announced this week it would acquire Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The company will pay $50 million for its first resort on the East Coast.

The acquisition covers all of Stowe’s mountain operations at both Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. This includes food and beverage facilities, retail and rental shops, lift ticket offices, and ski and snowboard school facilities. According to a release, the acquisition will not extend to the Stowe Mountain Lodge, the Stowe Mountain Club, or the Stowe Country Club—they will be retained by Mt. Mansfield Co., the current owners of Stowe Mountain Resort.

Vail Resorts is the largest ski operator in the world. It operates ten ski resorts around the globe, including Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, and Park City in Utah. Vail’s acquisition of Stowe Mountain Resort marks its first foray into New England and the eastern United States. In its announcement, the company said Stowe complements Vail Resorts’ network of resorts.

While there are no major changes planned for Stowe at the moment (Vail Resorts will keep the majority of Stowe’s year-round staff), Vail will introduce the “Epic Pass” in Vermont. The season pass will give Stowe skiers and snowboarders access to Western resorts like Vail, Breckenridge, Kirkwood, and other mountains.