Two years ago there were significant issues concerning use of the groomed trails. The staff tried to restrict use to classic and skate skiers. This year it was clear that anyone could use the groomed trails, even those on snowshoes. This is as it once was and should always have been. In our Guest House the manual actual stated that snowshoers had the right to use the groomed trails. There were also many more snowshoe trails than in the past, reducing the need to use groomed trails. It is possible to use different trails to climb to the cabin and return. Some of the areas with nice views now have dedicated snowshoe trails. Kudos to the staff for meeting the needs of the many who snowshoe. There are several guided snowshoe tours at Trapp. A group that went to the chapel saw a deer. Those of us who went to the Beer Hall enjoyed hearing Chris Poacher's wonderful tales. We also stayed long enough to enjoy some of the very fine Trapp Beer.

I went into the tour with low expectations; thought I knew everything from reading all the books. I was very pleasantly surprised. Michael did a fabulous job of telling the Von Trapp family story from beginning to present. I learned many things I hadn't heard and Michael's style and voice are very pleasant to listen to. He also showed us a very enjoyable BBC documentary of Maria's story that included plenty of footage of Maria. Next Maria's grandson was present for any questions we wanted to ask about the family. Afterwards we had a very delicious lunch in their cafe and then toured the grounds which made for a very special day.

We did the maple tour. We had Chris Poacher as our tour guide. He was excellent- somewhat eccentric and very passionate about the facility and homesteading work he does at the property. We really enjoyed the tour. If we had time, we would have done some hiking on the property, that looked really nice as well.

When my wife and I grew up in the 60s and 70s, The Sound of Music was one of the "classic" movies for families. The movie's story and the music were interwoven into our childhood. When we found out (on Trip Advisors) that the REAL Von Trapp Family had, eventually, emigrated to the Stowe, Vermont area, we knew we had to visit! We spent 4 hours at the Von Trapp Family Lodge, and were thrilled to attend the "Von Trapp History Tour!" The tour included a 30-45 minute overview which provided an excellent summary of the "actual" Von Trapp family history...and the presenter made sure to emphasize the part of their history that was not the same as the fictional storyline that we had seen many times in the Sound of Music film. We were also shown a BBC film that featured actual footage of Maria Von Trapp returning (as an older lady) to Austria and seeing her old friends. The History Tour concluded with a brief presentation by Georg and Maria's grandson, Sam, who lives in Stowe and he shared his experiences and he also conducted a question and answer session. After the tour, we enjoyed a very delicious lunch at the Von Trapp outdoor cafe. Our group of four included two of our adult children and we all really enjoyed this memorable visit to the current family home of this famous family.

We decided to do the family history tour. The speaker was very good. His stories about the family and the movie were very enlightening. We visited the small cemetery then went into the lodge to see the documentary about Maria. One of the family members came after the show and told a bit about the family and answered questions. My friends and I walked up to the chapel. I would recommend this tour for visitors. We did not stay at the lodge.

We are beginner XC Skiiers and had an amazing time at the Trapp Family Lodge. They had affordable rentals and well groomed trail with friendly staff there to assist with trail picking and directions. Parking is easy to find as well. Once you're done you can head to the beerhall which has great lunch and beer!

Nice terrain for New England (thought not the best) Appears designed mostly for skaters who can go far distances, not so much for beginner traditional XC skiiers whose trail is more limited. The Center is an old fashioned non-corporation developed business for locals and weekend skiiers. Trails were well groomed, forest was pretty and not too crowded if somewhat developed. A note for the COVID wary this location is not designed for it. Although masks are required with sign postings, the traffic/flow through the "outdoor center" is horrific on the inside esp during busy weekends (such as MLK weekend) and is completely unmanaged by the overwhelmed staff of 2-3. This leads to very high concentration of poorly masked crowds in a unventilated tiny rental/return area. Also the online rental must be done the day before (it's only purpose to make sure you have a reservation for a pair of skiis) but doesn't speed things up as you still have to wait in the standard rental line where everyone pays (even though you already did) so they can check your online rental verification on a hand written clipboard (old school right?). So you made it all this way, what's one more crowd? Why worry about COVID now? Take the risk right? Ugh, this is a terrible dilemma for the immunocompromised (and those with cancer) in what would be a healthy outdoor weekend that could be easily managed with better signage, longer lines and a larger and stricter staff.

My friend & I were looking for a place with groomed trails since we're not very experienced nordic skiers. The locals highly recommended this location and it was definitely a great option. We asked about the trails for novices and were given a map with the routes shown. We had mentioned we weren't very experienced and I thought we would be asked if we wanted pointers but nothing was offered so we decided to just go on past knowledge (and a quick you tube review!). I was surprised that much of the trail we went on had only one set of marked lines. I had to leave the tracks quite a bit when I saw someone approaching from the opposite direction on the same side. I was also surprised that the trail (Sugar Hill) was not more clearly marked, but it is possible that I missed a sign along the way! All in all, it was a great experience. I am glad we chose this location.

As a native German speaking American, yet a lover of movies, I really wanted to love this place. A. No one spoke German. B. Hospitality was not their primary concern. We did not have dinner reservations and were told, flat out, forget it. Sat in the bar area and ordered 2 beers and 2 pretzels. Ok….pricey, but expected. When we had the audacity to move a bar stool. Head “male hostess”“ came over and told us in a stern voice not to move the stools. Really? It is cold and raining on a late September afternoon…and we just moved a stool. Not exactly Gemütlich.

We wanted to see the family history and photos which turned out to be located on the lower floor of the beautiful main lodge. If you choose to walk the ground a pass is required. You can rent sports equipment if you choose as well. It was interesting to see the family history after they left Austria and the photos of their touring and the family helping to construct the lodge.