Stowe Snowmobile Tours

Stowe Snowmobile Tours takes you deep into the backcountry around Stowe, where the trails wind through Mount Mansfield State Forest and you may ride for miles without seeing another group. The two-hour guided tours cover about 20 miles round trip, crossing open snowy fields, climbing wooded hillsides through birch and pine, and following the shoreline of the frozen Waterbury Reservoir. No experience is needed. Before heading out, you watch a short safety video and practice starting, stopping, and turning in a training field, and small groups ride with a guide who keeps the pace comfortable. Drivers must be 16 or older, and younger riders can come along as passengers. Helmets are provided, and the sleds have heated handgrips, which you’ll appreciate about 10 minutes into the ride.

The tour base is in Stowe’s lower village, about 10 minutes from Topnotch. Tours depend on snow conditions and usually run from the holidays through March, so check the Stowe Snowmobile Tours website for current dates and reservations. Dress the way you would for a day of skiing, with warm layers, waterproof gloves, and winter boots, and arrive early to get fitted. Back at Topnotch, the indoor jacuzzi is the perfect place to thaw out your fingers and toes, heated grips or not.