Burke Mountain Owners Unveil Terrain Expansion in NEK Revival

Bear Den Partners LLC, the group that purchased the 72-year-old Burke Mountain Resort for $11.5 million in May 2025, has advanced key upgrades ahead of the 2026-27 winter season. The ownership consortium includes Burke Mountain Academy, the Graham family — prior owners in the early 2000s — and the Schaefer family, proprietors of Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Massachusetts. By March 2026, the team tripled the resort's snowmaking capacity, installing new HKD guns, modernizing infrastructure to draw water from the snowmaking pond or directly from the river, and boosting pumping power, according to Ski Area Management.

Terrain expansion tops the agenda, with an intermediate pod slated for the second season under new ownership. The plan relocates and upgrades the former Willoughby chairlift to serve new snowmaking-equipped trails sculpted from the summit, similar to existing Dipper and Willoughby runs. Lift line details are under review, with a potential announcement this summer. Existing trails will see improvements, while cross-country connections to Dashney Nordic Center and Mid-Burke's lodge are in the works for skiers, snowshoers, and year-round bikers.

The Mid-Burke Lodge expansion will add rental space for alpine touring, snowshoeing, and biking, bolstering Burke's integration with the Kingdom Trails network. Summer enhancements include beginner bike park terrain. 'It's needed this kind of investment for a long, long time,' said Ken Graham at a press event. These projects, prioritizing snowmaking as 'step one, two, and three,' signal a revival for the Northeast Kingdom resort, long overshadowed by neighbor Jay Peak.