Industry News
Mad River Glen has finalized the purchase of more than 1,100 acres of land surrounding its ski area in Fayston, Vermont, securing the property for conservation and backcountry recreation. The cooperatively owned ski area closed the $2.5 million deal Tuesday, general manager Matt Lillard told VTDigger. The acquisition more than doubles the land owned by the resort’s cooperative, which previously held about 700 acres. Lillard said the property will not be developed and instead will be protected for recreational and conservation purposes.
“We will be putting the land in conservation with a focus on recreation and backcountry skiing. We’re not looking to develop it in any way,” he told VTDigger.
The purchase was financed through a crowdsourced fundraising effort that raised roughly $2.8 million, according to the resort. Mad River Glen said remaining funds will go toward stewardship of the land. The cooperative is made up of roughly 2,500 shareholders and voted earlier this month to move forward with the acquisition. The deal also followed the resort exercising its right of first refusal after another conservation-minded buyer, Lyme Timber Company, submitted an offer for the parcel.
The newly acquired acreage sits adjacent to existing ski area boundaries, primarily between the resort and Route 17, with a smaller portion located just north of the highway. The land has long historical ties to Mad River Glen. It was part of the original property associated with the ski area but remained under ownership of the Pratt family after longtime owner Betsy Pratt sold the resort to the cooperative in 1995. Pratt, who died in 2023, played a central role in shaping the resort’s cooperative model.
The resort emphasized that the land purchase does not signal trail expansion or new lift development. Instead, Mad River Glen plans to work with conservation and recreation groups, including the Green Mountain Club and Catamount Trail Association, to determine future use. The cooperative is also required to place the land under a conservation easement within two years of the purchase.
Known for its skier-only policy and iconic single-chair lift, Mad River Glen is one of the few cooperatively owned downhill ski areas in the United States. The acquisition represents one of the largest land preservation moves in the resort’s history and is intended to secure long-term recreational access for future generations.
