Stratton

Ski Areas

Bromley. About 20 minutes from Stratton, Bromley is a favorite with families. The 46 trails are evenly divided between beginner, intermediate, and expert. The resort runs a child-care center for kids ages 6 weeks to 4 years and hosts children's programs for ages 3-12. An added bonus: the trails face south, making for glorious spring skiing and warm winter days. 3984 Vermont Rte. 11, Peru, VT, 05152. 802/824-5522 or 800/865-4786. www.bromley.com.

About 30 minutes from Manchester, sophisticated, exclusive Stratton Mountain draws affluent families and young professionals from the New York-southern Connecticut corridor. An entire village, with a covered parking structure for 700 cars, is at the base of the mountain. Activities are afoot year-round. Stratton has 15 outdoor tennis courts, 27 holes of golf, a climbing wall, horseback riding, hiking accessed by a gondola to the summit, and instructional programs in tennis and golf. The sports center, open year-round, has two indoor tennis courts, three racquetball courts, a 25-meter indoor swimming pool, a hot tub, a steam room, a fitness facility with Nautilus equipment, and a restaurant. Adjacent to the base lodge are a condo-hotel, restaurants, and about 25 shops lining a pedestrian mall.

In terms of downhill skiing, Stratton prides itself on its immaculate grooming, making it excellent for cruising. The lower part of the mountain is beginner to low-intermediate, served by several chairlifts. The upper mountain is served by several high-speed quads and a 12-passenger gondola. Down the face are the expert trails, and on either side are intermediate cruising runs with a smattering of wide beginner slopes. The third sector, the Sun Bowl, is off to one side with two high-speed, six-passenger lifts and two expert trails, a full base lodge, and plenty of intermediate terrain. Snowmaking covers 95% of the slopes. Every March, Stratton hosts the U.S. Open Snowboarding championships; its snowboard park has a 380-foot half-pipe. A Ski Learning Park provides its own Park Packages for novice skiers. In all, Stratton has 15 lifts that service 92 trails and 90 acres of glades. There is a ski school for children ages 4-12. The resort also has more than 18 mi of cross-country skiing and the Sun Bowl Nordic center. An on-site day-care center takes children from 6 weeks to 5 years old for indoor activities and outdoor excursions. 5 Village Rd., Bondville. Turn off Rte. 30 and go 4 mi up access road, Stratton, VT, 05155. 800/787-2886; 802/297-4211 snow conditions; 800/787-2886 lodging. www.stratton.com.