Alpine Slides in the Northeast

The Northeast is where the American alpine slide story begins. Vermont's Bromley Mountain installed one of the country's earliest slides and still runs it on three tracks. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania add two more long-running favorites, each in a region with plenty to fill out a summer weekend.

Bromley Mountain, Peru, Vermont

Bromley calls itself The Sun Mountain, and in summer its Mountain Adventure Park is built around what it calls the classic triple-track Alpine Slide. According to Bromley's own description, it is North America's first triple-tracked alpine slide, and the resort's listing on Vermont.com describes it as a full two-thirds of a mile long. New England Ski History traces the slide back to the mid-1970s, when Bromley's manager licensed the design from Demag of Germany.

The resort sits on Vermont Route 11 in Peru, minutes from Manchester, and the slopes look out over the Green Mountain National Forest. The adventure park also includes a Giant Swing, the Big Splash Waterslide, the Mountain Towers climbing challenge, and mini golf, and Bromley runs a separate Treetop Adventure Course with five courses of increasing difficulty.

Rules to know: Bromley lists the slide for riders at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall. The Vermont.com listing adds that children from 38 to 48 inches ride with an adult 18 or older and that riders over 48 inches ride solo. Bromley also warns that any moisture forces the Alpine Slide to close, including dew, drizzle, rain, and thunderstorms, so a dry afternoon is the best bet.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock, Massachusetts

In the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, Jiminy Peak calls its alpine slide one of the most popular attractions in its Mountain Adventure Park. A scenic chairlift ride takes you up, and then you coast down 2,890 feet of tunnels, dips, curves, and turns on one of two identical tracks. The resort describes the sleds as suitable for a leisurely sightseeing run or a speed adventure, depending on how you use the brake.

The Mountain Adventure Park also includes rides such as the Soaring Eagle, a rock climbing wall, and euro bungy trampolines, and the resort runs a summer events calendar and mountain biking.

Rules to know: Jiminy Peak lists a minimum height of 38 inches and a minimum age of 3. Riders from 38 to 47 inches ride as passengers with a ticketed person age 16 or older. The slide closes whenever moisture is present on the track, including morning dew, and cannot reopen until the track is completely dry and has been inspected by staff.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Pennsylvania

Seven Springs, in the Laurel Highlands southeast of Pittsburgh, runs its Alpine Slide from the Cortina Chairlift. Riders take the chairlift up and come down a twisting concrete track on a wheeled sled with a hand brake. The resort folds the slide into a broader summer lineup that has included chairlift rides, pools, a rock wall, mini golf, disc golf, and other activities on its All-Day Adventure Pass.

Seven Springs schedules change through the season, with weekend-only operation common at the edges of summer, so check the resort's hours page before you go.

Around Bromley: southern Vermont

  • Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, in Manchester, preserves the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, with gardens, a farm, a Pullman car, and walking trails.
  • Green Mountain National Forest surrounds the region with hiking trails, campgrounds, and scenic drives managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Manchester itself is a classic New England town for a meal and a stroll after a day on the mountain.

Around Jiminy Peak: the Berkshires

  • Mount Greylock State Reservation protects the highest point in Massachusetts, with a summit road, hiking trails, and long views across the Berkshires.
  • Hancock Shaker Village, near Pittsfield, is a museum of Shaker life with historic buildings and a working farm.

Around Seven Springs: the Laurel Highlands

  • Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's famous house over a waterfall in Mill Run, is run by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Tours require advance reservations.
  • Ohiopyle State Park is known for its waterfalls, the Youghiogheny River, and trails, and sits a short drive south of Fallingwater on PA 381.
  • Flight 93 National Memorial, near Shanksville, is a National Park Service site honoring the passengers and crew of United Flight 93.

Planning a Northeast slide trip

The three Northeast slides are far enough apart that most visitors will pick one region rather than tour all three. Bromley and Jiminy Peak are both within reach of a weekend from the Boston and New York areas, and a southern Vermont trip can easily take in both the Berkshires and the Green Mountains. Seven Springs is the natural choice from Pittsburgh and the mid-Atlantic.

Summer weather in the Northeast mountains brings humid afternoons and passing thunderstorms. Because all three slides close for wet tracks, mornings after the dew has dried and clear afternoons are prime time. Pack a light rain layer for the chairlift and plan an indoor backup, such as a museum or historic house, in case a storm settles in.

Shoulder seasons are different from midsummer. Bromley, for example, has run its adventure park on weekends only in late spring and again in early fall, opening seven days a week through the heart of summer. That pattern is common across the region, so check each operator's calendar before you build a trip around the slide.

For more planning help, see planning a mountain-resort trip, riding with kids, and the full alpine slide directory.

Sources

Before you go. AlpineSlide.com is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the resorts, parks, and attractions it describes. Seasons, hours, rules, and ticket options are set by each operator and can change with the weather. Confirm the details on the operator’s own site before you travel.
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