Mountain Review: Mont Sutton
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria5
Snow:
5
Resiliency:
2
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
8
Challenge:
3
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
6
Navigation:
5
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $92-$97 CAD ($66-$69 USD)
Pass Affiliation: None (some partner resorts on season pass)
On-site Lodging: Yes
Après-ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Burlington (1.5 hrs), Montreal (1.5 hrs), Quebec (3.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Exceptional glade footprint
Terrain diversity for a range of abilities
Unique Eastern Canadian charm
Value
– Cons
Outdated lift infrastructure
Limited lodging
Short vertical drop, even for the Northeast
Early-season reliability of glade terrain
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 9
Trails: 60
Beginner: 25%
Intermediate: 30%
Advanced/Expert: 45%
Mountain Review
Looking for a Northeast ski vacation this winter for the whole family but put off by the prices of Vermont’s destination resorts? Well, right across the border you’ll what’s arguably a hidden gem in southern Quebec’s Mont Sutton. Boasting very strong terrain diversity for a mountain of its size as well as one of the most reasonable lift ticket rates on the continent, Sutton may be a worthwhile excursion for those up for the drive—provided you’re not looking for pomp and circumstance, a large vertical drop, or modern chairlifts.
Mont Sutton has ample glades and terrain for all ability levels.
Size and Terrain Layout
The immediate shortcoming visitors of Mont Sutton will notice is its small stature. With a 1,500 foot vertical drop, Sutton is large enough to stand next to many comparable mid-sized northeastern ski areas such as Belleayre and Sunapee, but it's dwarfed by most true destination resorts in the region, and even many of its Quebec competitors.
And most visitors will rarely find themself skiing the true vertical more than a few times in a day due to the resort's wide, tiered layout of terrain pods. From the resort’s main base, it takes a long traverse spanning three chairs to make it to the true resort summit, and that’s only if the resort's isolated Chair 7 is spinning. The top of Chairs 4 and 5 is only a bit lower than the top of Chair 7, but getting to this area also takes at least two lift rides from the base. From the top of Chair 7—and to a certain extent, from the top of Chairs 4 and 5 as well—only a few trails will take you back skiers right down to the main base area, one of which is a flat catwalk which can involve skating if you don’t keep your speed.
On the plus side, runs of similar difficulty tend to be congregated in the same resort areas, so rather than continuously shuffling around the resort most visitors will find themselves spending most of their visit lapping the terrain pod best suited to their ability.
Mont Sutton has a variety of groomed trails to complement its ungroomed areas.
Lifts and Crowd Flow
Most lifts at Sutton ascend less than 1,000 feet of vertical, but after a couple laps you’ll realize that this is in some ways a boon. With the exception of the out-of-base Chair 2, every lift at Sutton is a slow, fixed-grip chairlift—and even the detachable Chair 2 lift is a lot slower than many newer counterparts—so at least the short vertical gain often means a lift ride that feels less eternal than it would otherwise. It is worth noting that the largest beginner terrain pod is serviced by two ancient center bar double chairs, confusingly named Chair 1 and Chair 1ow. These chairs run extraordinarily slowly, and yet still feel like they hit you fast enough at the lift station to be difficult for some beginners. In addition, they rise quite high above the trails below, which some guests may find intimidating.
However, what Sutton’s lift fleet lacks in modernity it makes up for in redundancy. With the exception of the highest terrain off of Chair 7, every terrain pod at Sutton is served by two or more lifts. In addition, on days where 7 is shut, those trails are often skiable via a short hike up from Chair 5.
But even without these redundancies, crowds are a complete non-issue at Sutton. Even during peak times, waits longer than five to ten minutes are a rarity. And aside from the popular Chairs 2 and 5, lift lines are almost nonexistent non matter when you visit. Come on a weekday and you’ll find you're skiing straight onto the lift more often than not. For those willing to explore, even during the most peak periods, the more remote chairs on the far ends of the resort's footprint never see true crowding, and serve some of Sutton’s most memorable terrain.
Despite a low vertical, there is a lot of effort put into mountain aesthetic in several ways.
Navigation
Navigating Sutton comes with a few inherent challenges, but the resort has taken effective measures to make it easy enough to find your way around. From functionally every single resort area, trails 1 and 56 will return you all the way to the main base, so even in the case of a lift breaking down you’ll never be stranded at Sutton. Sutton’s tiered terrain pod layout and densely sprawling trail network can make it difficult to find exactly where you are or where you’re going at times, but after your first few laps it becomes easy to spot the landmark trails that will take you between resort areas, particularly in the uphill direction.
Signage across the resort is varied. Signs exist prominently for most trails, but the unique criss-crossing, 3D nature of the resort’s glade terrain means it is often very difficult to know what trail you’re on. In addition, the triple-black terrain often lacks directional signage to access the runs, aside from warning signs directly at the hidden entrances. However, this is probably for the best, as this terrain’s extreme nature means its best left to those skillful enough to seek it out.
But the resort has one major saving grace when it comes to getting around. At the main base, you’ll find approachable, bilingual ambassadors wearing orange vests with question marks on the back, there to help you find your way around Sutton. And twice daily they offer guided group tours free of charge.
Beginner Terrain
Despite its small vertical, Sutton’s layout keeps skiers of varying abilities fairly separate, which beginners will appreciate. Effectively all beginner terrain is served by Chairs 1, 1ow, 2ow, and 3, although many of the wide open blue trails off Chair 2 could pass as greens at most resorts. Chair 2ow directly serves Sutton’s bunny hill; this chair is a particular highlight for never-ever level beginners, as it’s extremely sheltered, low angle, and easily accessible from the main base lodge. There is a high degree of lift redundancy in the beginner zones, but midweek many of these lifts will often not be operating. When Chair 3 isn’t spinning, all the lookers left green trails, including Sutton’s entire green rated terrain park setup, is only accessible by skiing the Youp-Youp (26) trail, which is a very steep blue that could easily pass for a black at many less difficult US resorts. The terrain off Chairs 1ow and 3 also sees very sporadic, inconsistent grooming and variable snow conditions that makes those terrain pods deceptively technical and not always suitable for beginners, although skiers looking to progress may find these areas a fun challenge.
Intermediate Terrain
The intermediate experience at Sutton is very strong for a mountain its size. Much of the terrain off Chair 2 has very thorough grooming, a never-uncomfortably steep but never flat pitch, and is very accessible for lower level intermediate progression. Here, intermediates will also discover Sutton’s most unique and striking feature: its glade terrain. Unlike the dense, technical woods the East Coast is generally known for, glades at Sutton are cut extremely wide and open, leading to a glade skiing experience that could be mistaken for a western resort. Sutton’s blue glades are great for intermediate progression in ungroomed terrain, and their high visibility makes them far less intimidating than glades at other resorts.
Over on the upper mountain off of Chairs 4-7, the blues get substantially steeper, although many of these blues and a few of the single blacks are accessible to higher-end ability intermediates. However, in these areas, signage can be poor and a wrong turn can put you on steeper terrain than most intermediates are prepared for. It's also worth noting that while Sutton's busiest groomed trails benefit from immaculate grooming, the narrower and more remote groomed trails are maintained with an older snowcat model. This circumstance results in some unexpectedly sharp rollers and varied surfaces that can easily catch an out-of-control skier off guard.
TRAIL MAP
Advanced Terrain
For guests of advanced ability able to handle variable and ungroomed conditions, the Sutton experience opens wide up. The single and double black terrain, especially anything marked as a glade, is some of the most fun skiing in the region. Sutton’s topography is extremely unique, featuring a number of natural gullies, rocks, and rollers that make the ski experience highly varied trail to trail, and makes exploration rewarding. Sutton’s low crowding and groomer-focused local clientele means ungroomed advanced terrain sees very strong snow preservation, especially for those willing to find a hidden stash. In addition, advanced skiers may also find themselves enjoying a lot of the lower-rated ungroomed terrain on the lower mountain, which is often moguled-up enough to be enjoyable for skiers that would typically avoid green rated terrain elsewhere.
Mont Sutton provides excellent advanced and expert terrain for those with the proper technical abilities.
Expert Terrain
For those with the technical proficiency, the expert skiing experience at Mont Sutton can hang with the best resorts in the entire region. Despite a short vertical drop making true leg-burners a rarity, the double and triple-black terrain at Sutton offers a highly varied experience full of technical features reminiscent of the hardest terrain at Mad River Glen and Smugglers Notch. Sutton’s double-black glades continue the wide open cut that makes Sutton's easier glades such a treat with a much steeper pitch, steep enough to thrill even the most experienced visitors. And for those seeking the tight, technical skiing the Northeast’s woods are known for, Sutton has you more than covered with its triple black terrain. Unlike Sutton's typical glades, its triple black ‘tree runs’ are tight and extremely steep, abundantly featuring drops, blind and committing turns, and tight straight line gullies that truly put your skills to the test. Every line through these zones is a totally different experience than the last, and each of these zones feels like a separate world from the rest of the resort entirely. Due to the high level of danger of these triple black zones, skiers below expert ability should steer clear, but if you’re seeking a challenge, these areas alone make Sutton worth a visit.
For experts looking for a less open-cut steep glade skiing experience more akin to the rest of the northeast, but not quite ready to drop cliffs and straight lines in the triple blacks, Sutton's backside woods have you covered. These trails feel endless and isolated, traversing far beyond the resort's frontside trails and spanning the longest vertical drop of any steeps at Sutton, leading to a one of a kind glade skiing experience worth the inconvenience of multiple lift rides back up for any expert visitor, serving the mid-point of difficulty between sutton’s double black frontside glades and its triple black tree runs. However, these backside runs come with a few caveats. Their southeastern aspect can lead to variable coverage at lower elevations, despite shelter from the trail’s tree coverage, and the long exit traverse at the bottom can often hold hidden rocks and branches ready to unexpectedly take you out. Due to the partially uphill nature of this long exit traverse involving frequent skating, these backside runs are not well suited to guests on a snowboard. Between the low elevation of the mandatory exit traverse, and this zone’s southerly aspect, these backside runs see frequent closures, often being the last trails to open and the first to close in a typical season, so if they’re open when you go it's worth skiing them while you can, and due to these trails difficulty and remoteness they’ll often be the last place skied out after a storm.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MONT SUTTON
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Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
Snowfall
Sutton receives an average of 140 inches of snow per year—a respectable total for the Northeast, but notably less than nearby Vermont resorts like Stowe, Smugglers’ Notch, and nearby Jay Peak. However, a few factors allow Sutton to make the most of its modest snowfall.
All of the mountain’s frontside terrain faces generally north, and when combined with Sutton’s northern latitude, this orientation helps preserve the snow that does fall. Additionally, Sutton’s low crowds and a largely groomer-focused local clientele mean the mountain’s standout glades hold snow impressively well. On a storm day, fresh tracks can last far longer than at busier resorts, and powder stashes often remain untouched for days, especially in the triple-black and backside areas.
That said, Mont Sutton’s northern latitude doesn’t necessarily make it the most reliable resort in the Northeast. The resort's glades often take a while to fill in, meaning early-season visitors may find themselves unable to access the mountain’s most unique terrain. To maximize your chances of skiing Sutton’s best intermediate, advanced, and expert slopes, it’s advisable to plan your trip for mid-January or later in the season.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MONT SUTTON
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended touring board
On-Mountain Facilities
Despite the resort's modest size, Sutton’s lodges offer a unique atmosphere that contrasts quite a bit with what you’d typically find at an East Coast destination resort. The base lodge is modest, yet more than sufficient capacity-wise to comfortably accommodate Sutton’s low typical crowds. It offers classic ski lodge vibes, reminiscent of a European resort rather than the standard atmosphere found at North American megapass destinations. In keeping with that European influence, the food at Sutton's lodges is a notable step above the average North American ski experience. The base lodge cafeteria serves all the staples you'd expect, but with much higher quality and at a significantly lower price point. In fact, it’s common to spend less on an entire meal here than on a single item at an American ski resort—especially for those taking advantage of the favorable exchange rate with the U.S. dollar. Don’t miss the pastries while you’re there—they’re to die for.
For visitors coming from the United States, a basic understanding of French can go a long way in enhancing the experience. While Americans are surprisingly rare given Sutton's proximity to the border, the friendly and often bilingual resort staff are more than willing to help. With easy access back to the base area, most guests will find it simple to return for a quick rest or meal. On busier days, the resort also opens its mid- and upper-mountain chalets, providing the option to enjoy your food with a view or to make a bathroom stop without heading all the way back to the base.
Additionally, the base lodge features decently sized locker rooms located on the level closest to the parking lot. These warm spaces are perfect for booting up or storing gear, and best of all, they’re free to use. First-time visitors will appreciate the Sutton guide ambassadors, who set up just outside these locker rooms and are always ready to help you navigate the mountain and make the most of your day.
Getting There and Parking
Sutton is a bit more than a hop, skip, and a jump from most populated areas in the Eastern United States, but for those coming from the Burlington or Montreal areas Sutton is a modest hour and a half drive away, a similar drive to the similarly remote resorts of Jay Peak and Smugglers’ Notch. While there’s no regular public transportation to Sutton, parking is free every day at all lots, and finding a spot is typically a non-issue.
Mont Sutton provides a stand out on mountain experience with classic ski lodge vibes and above average food.
Lodging
Sutton’s low level of development and rural location means local lodging is far from abundant, but a few slopeside condos exist near Sutton's beginner zones, and more lodging is available in the nearby small town of Sutton. As is often the case in Quebec, what lodging exists is very affordable, particularly for visitors coming from the United States.
Après-Ski
Mont Sutton is better known for its family-friendly atmosphere than its après-ski scene. While the base area offers a selection of spots to unwind, such as Le Petit Tucker, which serves hearty Quebecois comfort food, and Bar Le Tucker, which pours local craft beers, the vibe leans more towards relaxed than raucous. The village of Sutton, just a short drive from the mountain, has a charming small-town feel with a handful of quaint restaurants and pubs, but it lacks the bustling nightlife found in larger ski destinations like Whistler or Tremblant.
While there is no regular public transit or a large parking lot, the parking at Mont Sutton is free.
Verdict
Slow lifts, a remote location, and modest snowfall compared to its near neighbors make it easy to understand why Sutton still flies so far under the radar. But, for those willing to travel, Sutton offers a standout experience for all ability levels, especially those with the skills and inclination to ski Sutton’s truly one of a kind gladed terrain.
Pricing
Perhaps Sutton’s most standout aspect is the sheer value you get for your money. Walk up, same day adult tickets on a peak date cost just shy of $100 CAD. For students, those under 13 or over 64, that number drops to $71 CAD or less, and on and off peak weekdays that number can drop as low as $45-$60 CAD, truly an untouchably low rate compared to just about any other ski destination on the continent. And, for those on the tightest of budgets, Sutton offers half day and even last hour tickets for as low as $19 CAD—less than you’d pay for parking alone at nearby Stowe.
The icing on the cake is the ease of buying a ticket at Sutton. Online tickets can be redeemed in seconds at automatic kiosks stationed around Sutton's base chalet— just scan your barcode and your RFID card spits out in seconds—so no waiting in any exhausting ticket window lines here. Plus, you can return your RFID card at the customer service desk at the end of the day for a refund of the $5 deposit.
