Vermont’s Must-Visit Cross-Country Skiing Trails

This privately-owned outdoor recreation center offers over 35 kilometers of groomed trails, classical and skate cross-country skiing. The landscape varies between flat stretches and hilly, wooded trails, which give way to fields with scenic vistas. With rentals, sledding, fat tire riding, and cocoa to warm you by the fire, seems there are more reasons to stay than leave. http://instagram.com/p/BdWnoK-DTJz/?taken-at=208078022939547

Winter outdoor junkies will find a trinity of downhill skiing, cross country and sledding just an hour outside Burlington. Smugglers’ Notch—routinely ranked among the east’s best resorts—offers a network of 30 kilometers of cross-country trails that wind their way through meadows and woods.

Overshadowed by the Trapp lodge just minutes away and the mountain’s alpine offerings, Stowe Mountain Resort is no underdog. With some 45 kilometers of groomed trails and 30 kilometers of backcountry terrain, it has something for everyone. While the more experienced trails ring the perimeter, beginners can rent gear and take to the family-friendly paths near the centre. http://instagram.com/p/BdiUDEAlOno/?taken-at=1438389

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Stunning, with even better lake and mountain views, the Mountain Top Inn’s cross-country ski center offers some 60 kilometers of trails for beginners to intermediates alike. Classic and skating Nordic lanes are offered, while a snow-making machine allows great conditions independent of what the weather is doing. Afterward, a cup of hot chocolate wrapped in blankets in front of the fireplace is a must. http://instagram.com/p/BdSp6wKHUV9/?taken-at=236573554

Nestled high in the Green Mountains, Bolton Valley offers an astounding 100 kilometers of Nordic and backcountry ski trails spread over 1,200 acres. Some 15 kilometers of trails are groomed for skate and classic skiing, while the remainder is open for exploration on the fresh powder. You can ski into the lodgings, and after a long day on the slopes, unwind and warm up in the heated pool, Jacuzzi and sauna.

A popular site for downhill skiers, Jay Peak also has more than 20 kilometers of Nordic trails (all of which return to the bar) that wind through a golf course. Novices can dip their toes into the powder, while the technical routes still provide experts with plenty to do. For those sick of the snow, the year-round (indoor) water park is a surreal experience.

Oh yes, thatTrapp family. Memorialized and fictionalized in The Sound of Music, after fleeing Austria from the Nazis, Baron Georg von Trapp made Vermont his home in 1942. After building a massive lodge that looks like something elegant landed straight out of the Alps, the family has carved miles of cross-country skiing trails over the 2,500-acre grounds, which pass through silent spruce forests and open up to fields overlooking Stowe. Daily group lessons are offered, and there’s equipment and terrain for all skill levels. After, cozy up to the fire or pop down to the brewery, whose excellent lagers are quickly becoming an East Coast staple. Imbibe too much? There’s accommodations in the lodge for that. http://instagram.com/p/BdOL90CgNvH/?taken-at=414688