Equinox Ski Touring Center

Manchester, Bennington County, Vermont

“The Equinox Ski Touring Center, Union St., P.O. Box 46, Machester Village, VT 05254. www.equinoxresort.com . 802-362-3223. 35 km trails. 35/35 km macine tracked/skating terrain. Instruction, rental. General info: Winter is fun just outside at The Equinox Cross Country Ski Center with 35 km of groomed trails and tracked terrain for every skill level, plus ice skating, snowshoeing and sledding on the resort's village and Equinox mountain trails. Lessons by PSIA certified instructors will introduce you to the sport or improve your technique. Travel over pristine trails on a guided snowmobile tour as well." -Cross Country Ski Vermont, 2004

Equinox Resort and Ground

From Equinox Resort Website

Location: 3567 Main Street, Route 7A, Manchester, VT 05254

Directory listings: 1974, 1975; 2001-2004

Known operators:

Today: Equinox still operates as a resort, cross country skiing offered at nearby Hildene

History

"What has over 200 years of history, six different architectural styles, and 17 different structures; has been visited by four different American Presidents; served as a hotbed for American Revolutionaries; and stands as a monument to the American government's policy of expropriating private property for the common good? The answer, of course, is the Equinox."

--From the Equinox Resort's website

The Equinox has a long history, little of which seems to involve cross country skiing. Equinox Ski Touring Center appears in two early (1974 and 1975) cross country directories advertising 5 miles of trails at the Equinox House and Lodge and another 15 miles of trails maintained around the base of Mount Equinox. In Feb. 1974 Equinox hosted an event called the Equinox Amble. After 1975, the Equinox Ski Touring Center does not seem to appear in directories again until the 2000s.

Between 2001 and 2004 Equinox offered 35 km of groomed touring trials along with ice skating, snowshoeing, and sledding. Lessons and guided tours were also available at the touring center.

By Equinox Ski Touring Center's turn of the century resurgance, the Equinox had undergone a number of changes and rennovations and now operates as a full fledged luxury resort including an 18-hole golf course, a full service spa, Orvis fly fishing and shooting schools, the British School of Falconry, and a Land Rover Experience Driving School. Today, Equinox offers cross country at nearby Hildene with discounts for Equinox guestsand complimentary transportation from the resort.

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See the full listing of directory entries for Equinox Ski Touring Center here.

View an Equinox Preservation Trust Trail Map and Guide for trails around base of Mt. Equinox here.