Jay Peak Resort (Vermont), Jay (Vermont), Vermont
Jay Peak Resort is located in Northern Vermont, only a few miles from the Canadian border. The mountain holds the title of the most snow in eastern North America and is well known for its glade system and for having the most liberal in-bounds policy anywhere– in general, it has always had a different perspective on skiing and riding. Up here, the mountain reigns supreme. Our lodging is virtually ski-in/ski-out, opens early in the season and is always one of the last resorts in the East to close for the winter season. Its 77 trails are accessed by 8 lifts, including a 60-passenger Tram, the only one in Vermont. The newest accommodations at the resort are at the Tram Haus Lodge, with 57 studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom suites, located mere steps from the Tram and Flyer Quad. The hotel includes a coffee shop, bar, spa and fitness center and restaurant. Charming details such as recycled cable from the tram, recycled chairlift towers and sheave wheels from the old Green Mountain chair incorporated in Tower Bar, and reclaimed barnboard from neighboring towns used for the tables in the restaurant make the hotel more Jay Peak-like. Jay Peak is also home to one of the newest championship golf courses in New England. Built by renowned golf architect Graham Cooke and Associates, the course at Jay Peak balances challenge with forgiveness to reward any golfer. It is a design that does not just follow the terrain- it flows through it. Fairways climb and descend along and across fall lines. Each hole will feature 5 sets of tees allowing for all levels of play. The newest additions to the Jay Peak family are the Ice Haus Skating Arena and Golf Clubhouse. The Ice Haus is a new indoor skating facility opened earlier this year. The Clubhouse overlooks the fairways and features a restaurant and several lodging rooms above the clubhouse level. There is arrival and departure cleaning from 8 am – 4 pm. Requested cleaning would carry an additional fee. Front desk is open 24 hours.
Dana Freeman (verified owner) –
Splash and Stay at the Pump House Waterpark
My family (kids ages 11 & 14) booked an impromptu, overnight trip to the waterpark over April Break. We purchased the Splash and Stay package at Hotel Jay which gave us unlimited access to the waterpark on the day we arrived and the next day. You enter the waterpark on the second level, on a balcony, where you have a bird’s eye view of things so you can access the situation an make a plan (where to sit, what to do first, where to meet up). My 14 year old immediately took off for La Chute. Know that you must be at least 48″ tall and weigh between 88 – 250 lbs to ride this. He tells me that “once you’ve done it, it is not that bad”. My 11 year old started by taking it easy in the Lazy River. You can just get in from the side with an inner tube (they come in single or double) or you can climb up to the top of the Start Tower and take the green (closed) or blue (open) slides down on your inner tube and splash out into the Lazy River. Not wanting to do La Chute, my 11 year old did the orange slide several times. She said it was great except at certain points it slows down and she felt like someone might come down behind her. However that is not the case. It is once person on the slide at a time. They don’t send they next person until the person before has exited the slide. Both kids tried the Double Barrel Flowrider. This seems to be one of the most popular things to do. It is split in half – one side for surfing, one side for boogie boarding. My kids are boogie boarders, and experienced ones at that as we visit the real ocean several times a year. The both thought it was hard and my daughter ended up hurting her wrist. The water flow is pretty strong. I suppose it has to be. My advice: I’d watch for a while and see how other kids are doing and then decide if you kid is up for the ride. There is a sweet little kids play area in the back corner. We didn’t spend any time there, but the kids looked like they were having a blast. There is also a pool where sports enthusiasts can shoot hoops and the like. You will also find nestled among all the madness indoor hot tubs for relaxing as well as outdoor hot tubs up behind The Drink.
Tips for Families
– Yes, towels are provided. However the are the size of large hand towel. I would suggest bringing your own. – If you care about seating, get there early. It is at a premium. There is definitely not a lot for the amount of people there. And unfortunately families leave their towels, bags, etc…and then never seem to come back. – You will find more seating upstairs at The Drink (the bar) that overlooks the whole waterpark. This works great if you have older kids that don’t need constant watching 🙂 – The Start Tower is several flights up. This is where you would jump on the orange, green, blue and red (La Chute) slides. Once you get there the lines at the top can be slow which means there is a lot of standing around. The only one that moves quickly is La Chute as the ride is only 6 seconds. – There are plenty of life jackets. You don’t need to bring one unless you feel that your child is more comfortable in his/her own or is a specific size. – Each station/area had a lifeguard. – The sweet spot for this waterpark seemed to us to be ages 4-12. It also seemed to be a sweet spot for Hockey Players. Like over run with Hockey Families.