The Un-Rush: A Family Summer Weekend on Jay Peak Time

Summary

A family weekend at Jay Peak proves that sometimes the best mountain adventure is the one you don’t overschedule.

I wouldn’t change ski weekends for the world, but between early mornings, hauling gear, and the rush for first tracks, there’s surprisingly little downtime. In some ways, the same can be said about summer. Trips where you’re clocking 30,000 steps a day, long drives to the lake, and busy day camp schedules don’t leave much time for actual rest.

So we set off for Jay Peak with one goal: to slow down.

The winding country roads towards Jay Peak were strewn with end-of-summer wildflowers. Goldenrod already lined the ditches, a telltale sign that the seasons were starting to turn, adding a little wistfulness to that familiar excitement of driving up, up, up to Jay.

Arriving at the hill in winter means it’s go time, but a summer arrival is decidedly gentler. We unloaded the car—just a few backpacks instead of the usual mountain of ski gear—before checking in to our one-bedroom Hotel Jay suite. The suite was spacious and featured a full kitchen, but the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the green landscape did the heavy lifting.

We were instantly in chill mode. For once, there was nowhere we needed to be—and the slopeside pool was right outside our window.

 

Enter the Splash Zone

My daughter, Emma, is a Pisces, and true to form, she’s never met a body of water she didn’t love. Jay Peak’s Pump House indoor water park was no exception.

With our little fish in tow, we headed straight for the twisty Red and Green tube slides. They instantly became our favorites. Even on a busy day, we never faced a line, which meant lap after lap without the usual water park patience test. We also loved the not-so-lazy river, where surprisingly strong current and waves keep things lively.

For families with braver kids (or braver parents), La Chute looms large. The enclosed body slide launches riders through a freefall trapdoor before sending them through a full 360-degree loop.

After a few hours of sliding, swimming, and soaking in the hot tub, my mom brain had magically made the transition from summer rush to vacation mode. Insert a deep exhale.

Dinner Without a Deadline

Our family has a Friday night pizza tradition. Turns out, so does Jay Peak. Wood Fired Fridays at the Clubhouse Grille provided the perfect setting for an unhurried evening. No one was rushing off to bed because we had to be up before dawn. No one was checking the weather report to figure out how many layers of merino we’d be pulling on in the morning. We were just eating pizza, vibing to live music (a Grateful Dead cover band, obviously), and watching the sun slowly set behind the mountains.

Let the Mountain Set the Pace

The next morning, we swapped swimsuits for trail sneakers and set off for the easy Pond Loop and Ullr’s hiking trails. Emma stopped to observe every teeny-tiny toad, colorful mushroom, and first red leaves of fall. We made terrible time, and that was the point: no distance goal, no elevation target, no need to make it anywhere by a certain time.

We could have hiked all the way to the summit, but for the sake of our chilled-out agenda—and because taking the Aerial Tram is a Jay Peak must-do—we opted for the mountain’s most iconic ride.

If you’ve ridden the tram in winter, you know the experience: packed shoulder-to-shoulder, skis and snowboards everywhere, everyone eager to get up the mountain and get moving. Summer is a completely different vibe. There’s room to spread out, linger by the windows, and soak in the views.

There’s also time to strike up a conversation. Our operator, Jeff, was charming and friendly, and happy to answer all our questions. (Yes, the old tram was a wilder ride. No, moose and bears aren’t spotted on the regular.) He even walked us through the functionality of every button on the control panel, and—core memory alert!—let Emma push the green “Go” button. Was I a little jealous? Obviously. But watching my kiddo’s face light up was one of those tiny parenting moments that sticks with you.

With the treeline below us and the air a few degrees cooler, we headed down Vermonter. We reminisced about being there on skis just a few months earlier and taking in how different everything seemed without snow. We followed the trail to its crossing with the Long Trail, then scrambled up the boulders for sweeping views of the Northern Green Mountains and southern Quebec. Finally, we snapped selfies on the ridge, enjoyed a snack, and marveled at the adventurous souls—and their cute pups!—running up the rugged terrain.

Ending on a High Note

That evening, we drove ten minutes down the road to Omakase at the Tavern, an Asian-inspired restaurant we’d heard great things about. At first bite, Emma declared the chicken katsu curry every bit as good as our favorite spot in Osaka—no small feat for a restaurant tucked away in the Northeast Kingdom. (It’s only open weekends, so plan accordingly.)

To cap off our weekend, we caught the finale of Jay Peak’s Summer Music Series at the Stateside Amphitheater: the psychedelic, country-rock of Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country.

The ambiance was very much dance-like-nobody’s-watching. Someone showed up with a goat puppet that was absolutely rocking out. Smiles, laughter, and loose dancing filled the outdoor amphitheater with contagious joy.

It was undoubtedly the best conclusion for our time at Jay. We didn’t chase anything except our whims. We did less, and it felt like we’d gotten more. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, we started getting stoked for the new season just around the corner.

After all, it’s almost go time.

First-Timer’s Guide to Jay Peak

Know the Bases. Stateside and Tramside are the two main base areas at Jay Peak. Most summer attractions—including Hotel Jay, the Pump House, the outdoor pool, and the Aerial Tram—are at Tramside. Stateside is home to the Stateside Hotel, amphitheater, and Clips & Reels Recreation Center.

Stay Close. Hotel Jay is especially convenient for families because it connects to the Pump House and several dining options.

Don’t Overplan. Pick one or two anchors for the day—the waterpark, a hike, the tram, the pool—and leave room for wandering. That’s where this weekend getaway really worked for us.