Mountain Review: Bromley
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
5
Snow:
5
Resiliency:
2
Size:
3
Terrain Diversity:
3
Challenge:
7
Lifts:
8
Crowd Flow:
4
Facilities:
9
Navigation:
3
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: Yes
Apres-ski: Limited
Pass Affiliation: None
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Ease of navigation
Sunny, south-facing slopes
Local feel
Low crowds
– Cons
Small footprint
Lack of difficult terrain
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 9
Trails: 47
Beginner: 32%
Intermediate: 37%
Advanced/Expert: 31%
Mountain Review
Bromley is both one of the southernmost and smallest resorts in Vermont. Despite its disadvantage in size, Bromley aims to attract visitors with its convenient location, intuitive layout, and sunny, south-facing slopes.
One of the biggest advantages to Bromley’s south-facing terrain is its temperature. Thanks to direct sun exposure, the resort tends to stay a few degrees warmer than neighboring southern Vermont areas and snow breaks down a bit more at the end of the day. Additionally, flat light isn’t too much of an issue here. Warmer temperatures during the day mean that the mountain gets icy overnight, but Bromley extensively employs snowmaking and grooming to protect against poor conditions on the slopes.
Visitors won’t find much of a problem getting around Bromley. The resort’s small footprint includes very few catwalks—the one exception being a short flat bit required to get from some black runs to the base—and boasts good signage. Every trail filters back into the same base area, making it very difficult to get lost here.
Bromley offers an array of groomed terrain rated from beginner to advanced. None of these runs are particularly hard, and even advanced intermediates should be able to handle all the resort’s terrain. Beginners will appreciate that some top-to-bottom green routes exist, allowing novice access to the entire mountain. Most of the resort’s black runs filter into the bunny hill, but since the resort doesn’t really attract aggressive skiers, this is generally okay.
Occasionally, some steeper trails will be left ungroomed at Bromley. Moguls can form on these, but they tend to be somewhat icy or lack cover unless there’s been a recent snowstorm. The resort also contains a few glade runs ranging from intermediate to difficult. These glades comprise the most unique terrain at the resort, but most are short and inconsistently open. Advanced visitors should expect to get bored after more than a day here.
Bromley does a good job of harnessing mountain infrastructure to make the most of its small size. The resort’s main lift is the Sun Mountain Express, a high-speed base-to-summit lift that’s a rarity for a mountain this small. This detachable quad services the overwhelming majority of Bromley’s terrain, and most people will just spend the day lapping it.
Bromley rarely sees the same crowds as larger nearby resorts, even during peak times. But for when the Sun Mountain Express gets too crowded, the resort has an array of fixed-grip lifts to help out. None of them go directly from base to summit and all are slow, but these chairs offer lappable, lineless service to shorter mountain sections. In addition, they allow Bromley to maintain some operations when wind holds force summit lift closures.
Bromley doesn’t offer the same isolation as larger and taller Vermont mountains, but the resort offers impressive views of neighboring peaks, including a very in-your-face one of nearby Stratton. Many will appreciate that Bromley maintains a local feel, with very little in the way of build-up and commercialization. The resort only has one lodge at the base, but this is par for the course for a resort this size.
Lodging
Slopeside lodging is available but limited. The slopeside Bromley Village consists of nice condos that get pricey but work well for large families or groups. The best option for most will be the slopeside Lodge at Bromley, which offers reasonable prices, especially during midweek, and a continental breakfast. Their rooms book up fast, however, and the nearest other reasonably priced lodging is a 5-10 minute drive from the mountain. Seesaw’s Lodge, a boutique 1920s log cabin, is another good but expensive option a short drive from the resort.
Apres-ski
Bromley’s nightlife is limited given its family-oriented nature. However, there’s decent apres-ski at the slopeside Wild Boar Tavern, which offers a broad beer and wine selection and has live music on weekends and holidays. Johnny Seesaw’s, the restaurant and bar inside Seesaw’s Lodge, attracts an interesting crowd but can also be fun.
Verdict
Ultimately, Bromley won’t be for everyone due to its small footprint and lack of difficult terrain. But families will enjoy the mountain for its easy navigation, sunny slopes, and local feel, and those looking to maximize their slope time will appreciate the lack of serious lift lines. Tickets are relatively cheap compared to other Vermont resorts, making Bromley a decent, frugal choice for beginners and intermediates.
