My spouse and I and a group of friends and family took a
ride on the Stowe Gondola Skyride on a Saturday afternoon in late September
2018. We purchased our tickets onsite using a credit card; round-trip adult
fare costs $29 each, with lower rates for children and reduced rates for
families of four. The sightseeing gondola operates from late June through
mid-October from 9:30 am until 4:00 pm. Weekday gondola and lunch packages are
available. Consult the gondola website for winter skiing hours of operation.
If you stay at the Stowe Resort, you can take the smaller (“Over
Easy”) gondola from the resort itself to the area where the larger skyride
departs. Since we stayed at neighboring Smuggler’s Notch Resort, we arrived by
car and parked in one of the dedicated gondola parking lots. You must cross
through the lower gondola station to purchase tickets on the opposite side (where
it meets the gondola from the lodge), but staff is on hand to provide
direction. Portable restroom facilities are available near the ticket window.
The gondola ride to the (almost) top of Mt. Mansfield takes
about ten minutes. Each car holds eight adults in a fully enclosed cabin, with
guests seated side-by-side on two opposing bench seats. (We also had two
children with us, who sat on the laps of their parents, so our car held a total
of ten people.) Well-behaved pets might even be allowed, because we saw a few
dogs at the summit (although it is possible that they hiked up).
The summit gondola station resembles a two-story Austrian
chalet. Upon arrival, complimentary warm apple cider was offered, which was a
welcome treat on a cool fall day. A gift shop is onsite if you need to do some
souvenir shopping. At the summit, guests can also take part in an amazing
zip-line adventure from a wooden platform. We visited not only to take in the
view, but also to dine at the summit’s Cliffside Restaurant (see our separate
review). The upper gondola building also contains a warming station and public
restrooms on the lower level.
We enjoyed our ride on the Stowe Gondola Skyride. As others
have stated, it is a pricey adventure, but we felt it was worth it. (Plus, the riding
the gondola is so much easier than hiking up or down the mountain as we saw some
adventurous folks do!)
