Mountain Top Resort Vermont: How to Plan Your Winter Trip

Why hide indoors during the winter season when you can get outdoors and embrace it? Winter landscapes are stunning, especially after a light dusting of snow. For an epic winter vacation, head straight to Mountain Top Resort in Central Vermont.

There’s no shortage of winter outdoor activities right at the resort. Plus, drive down the mountain to some nearby towns and the countryside for a fun day trip. I suggest spending a few days basing yourself at Mountain Top Resort as part of a 7-day winter trip to Vermont.

While there isn’t any downhill skiing at Mountain Top Resort, I include another place devoted to alpine skiing in that Vermont itinerary I linked to above. Mountain Top Resort is a premier destination for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and enjoying the forested surroundings.

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Mountain Top Resort is aptly named as it’s located at the top of a mountain. Not only that, it’s surrounded by even more mountains in the Green Mountain range. Once you drive up the winding road to reach the top, you won’t mind staying put at the resort for a couple of days.

There are a number of cozy amenities that are included with every stay. First, get out of your room and spend some time in the common area at the lobby. There’s always a roaring fireplace that’s beckoning you to curl up with a good book.

Next, there is an on-site spa where you can book spa treatments, like massages. Even if you don’t book any appointments at the spa, you’re welcome to use the sauna, fitness room, and outdoor hot tub anytime. These are all located by the spa or inside the spa.

My Room

I stayed up on the second floor at Mountain Top Resort in one of the Luxury Lodge rooms. My corner room had large windows on either side of the room, so I could admire the beautiful winter scenery outdoors any time of day.

As you’re staying at a mountain lodge, the rooms feel like a mix between modern and rustic. There are nice little touches, like the small wooden shelf on my wall fashioned out of a small sled.

There’s complimentary Wi-Fi, a clean and modern bathroom, and a large, flatscreen TV. The bed is really comfortable and the room was a nice size as well. I really enjoyed my stay here.

Restaurants and Dining

There’s a restaurant at Mountain Top Resort, so you don’t need to leave this hotel at all if you don’t feel like it. Sometimes there is a breakfast buffet, though if it’s not as busy, there is an a la carte menu. I had some fresh fruit, toast, and potatoes for breakfast, which is pretty typical for vegan offerings at a hotel restaurant.

In the tavern, there are 12 Vermont craft brews on tap, as well as a wide assortment of innovative cocktails. I dined at the restaurant for dinner on two occasions.

There’s a veggie black bean burger and fries on the menu, which I ate one evening. On the following evening, I tried the pad Thai, which they made vegan for me by swapping out the regular sauce (containing fish sauce) with a sweet chili sauce.

Blush Vermont: The On-Site Spa

Blush Vermont is the place to be for ultimate rest and relaxation. Why not treat yourself to a massage, facial or nail service during your trip to Mountain Top Resort?

I enjoyed a 50 minute massage after a morning of cross-country skiing, which was an excellent decision. My muscles were feeling rather sore, and I felt so much better after the massage. Then, I soaked in the outdoor hot tub, which was so peaceful with its majestic mountain views.

Cross-Country Skiing at Mountain Top Resort

One of the main reasons to visit Mountain Top Resort is to go cross-country skiing. Don’t worry, you can be a total beginner and enjoy the sport of Nordic skiing. I had never tried cross-country skiing before my trip to Vermont.

Thankfully, I was able to take a XC ski lesson at Mountain Top. Their ski instructor, Maryanne, taught me all the basics. She helped me feel confident hitting the trails. From Mountain Top’s activity center, you can also rent equipment if you don’t own your own.

You don’t need to stay overnight at Mountain Top Resort to enjoy the trails. It’s possible to purchase a ski pass from the activity center to ski or snowshoe on the trails. However, I suggest spending at least one or two nights at the hotel to take full advantage of all the amenities.

Mountain Top Resort has 60km of ski trails, so you can go cross-country skiing here on numerous occasions and try new trails each time. The folks at the activity center will have all the information on trail conditions. There’s nothing like XC skiing: it’s an invigorating sport that allows you to fully experience the beauty of the forest in the wintertime.

Mountain Top Resort in Winter: Snowshoeing

Why not add on another fun winter activity when you’re at Mountain Top Resort? Try cross-country skiing one day and snowshoeing the next day. The outdoor activity center can get you fitted with snowshoes or you’re welcome to bring your own.

Then, hit the trails! Out of the 60km of trails, there are some that are groomed (shared between XC ski and snowshoeing) and some that aren’t groomed, perfect for snowshoeing only.

The wooded areas around this massive property are so tranquil. It will be perfectly silent, except for the snow crunching beneath your feet. Don’t miss the snowshoeing at Mountain Top Resort.

Day Trip From Mountain Top Resort

Whether you spend two or three nights at Mountain Top Resort, I recommend taking one day to make a day trip to discover the region. There are so many gems within a short driving distance from Mountain Top. It’s possible to visit all of the following attractions, shops and restaurants in a day.

Covered Bridges

Vermont is the place to be for road trip lovers and covered bridge lovers. There are two covered bridges near Mountain Top Resort and Chittenden. Drive to the nearby town of Pittsford.

Depot Covered Bridge is one of Vermont’s oldest bridges, dating back to 1840. It spans Otter Creek and you’re able to drive right through this wooden bridge. The second one is the Hammond Covered Bridge, built in 1842. You can’t drive through this one, but you can get out of the car and walk through it.

Greenbrier Gift Shop

Located in Killington, the Greenbrier Gift Shop is a must for souvenirs and unique gifts. It’s a three-story boutique with hundreds of interesting treasures that are handpicked by the owner.

There’s just about everything and anything at the Greenbrier Gift Shop. Some of the most intriguing finds are the handmade and locally produced gifts, straight out of Vermont.

There’s also candles, pillows, gourmet food items, purses, bath and body products, gifts for babies, and more. It’s a really warm and inviting place with friendly customer service that keeps people returning time and time again.

Baird Farm

Baird Farm is a fourth generation family farm in Chittenden with 14,000 maple trees across 560 acres. This organic maple farm can collect up to 2000 gallons of sap per hour on a sugaring day. There are over 100 miles of tubing where the sap travels and is eventually pumped into the sugarhouse.

You’ll learn so many fascinating facts about maple syrup on a tour of Baird Farm. Venture down into the sugarbush and even learn how to tap maple trees for yourself. I drilled a hole into one of the trees and tapped a little plastic spout into it.

After learning how to tap the trees, take a small tour of their production facility to see where the magic happens. Saving the best for last, taste the maple syrup. You can stop by simply for a tasting and to purchase maple syrup, but I suggest taking the entire tour if you’ve got the time.

Baird Farm makes eight different kinds of maple syrup. There are four grades of maple syrup, including golden, amber, dark and very dark. The grade of the maple syrup depends on how early or late the sap is harvested in the season.

I loved the dark and very dark syrups the most because they are the most rich in flavor. Plus, the very dark syrup is a tough one to find, and I’ve never seen it outside of Vermont.

The other four flavors are infused maple syrup products: sumac infused maple, spruce tip infused maple, birch bark infused maple and mint infused maple syrup. These are totally unique and I’ve never seen them anywhere else.

Rutland, Vermont

After an afternoon on the farm, drive over to the nearby town of Rutland, Vermont. It has a really cute downtown with some quaint little shops. Check out Phoenix Books, Divine, and Loose Loona Gifts and Teahouse.

We also had dinner at Roots the Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in town. They focus on seasonal ingredients with a farm-to-table style menu. Some standout options are the fried Brussels sprouts with a sweet chili glaze. My main course was a Korean barbecue glazed tofu in a yellow curry broth that was really delicious.