The only Burton freeride terrain park in the Eastern U.S. 65+ natural features hidden in the trees. Here's everything you need to know before you drop in.
It was 2003. Jake Burton Carpenter had just gotten back from Bear Mountain in California, and something was bugging him. He watched rider after rider straight-line between rails, barely able to hold an edge or make a proper turn. They could crush rails and jumps, but they'd lost something fundamental — the feel of the whole mountain.
Jake was deeply influenced by Craig Kelly, the legendary pro who walked away from the contest circuit for the freedom of freeriding. Kelly believed riding was about the mountain, not the park. And Jake wanted to bridge the gap — to bring freestyle riders back into the trees, the natural terrain, the whole experience of being on a mountain.
Three years of development later, the first Stash park opened at Northstar in California. In 2008, Killington became the fifth Stash in the world and the first — and still only — Stash park in the Eastern U.S.
"Resorts weren't approaching parks like this. We saw an opportunity to help them innovate the next generation of resort runs. There were things that had never been done before — like making a park run through the trees with features, jumps, and transitions, integrating cat track gaps, or a cabin you could jump."
Jeff Boliba, VP of Global Resorts, BurtonThe concept was radical for 2008: take freestyle features off the groomed, open trail and weave them through the forest. Use natural materials — logs, stumps, berms carved from the terrain. Make riders turn, think, and adapt. Freestyle meets freeride, metal meets wood, park meets backcountry.
The Stash sprawls across Bear Mountain in a network of trails that weave on and off the main run, through glades, over natural rollers, and around hand-carved berms. Every feature is built from wood, stone, and snow — no metal, no plastic, nothing you wouldn't find in the woods.
Downed trees and cut logs set at varying heights and angles. Some are ride-on, some take commitment. The wood is more forgiving than metal — until it isn't.
Carved into the hillside, these banked turns let you carry speed through the trees. The backbone of the Slash & Berm race course. Lean in, trust your edges.
Wooden walls set into the terrain at angles. Ride up, ride across, or just admire them from below. The big ones on Bear Mountain separate the committed from the curious.
Curved logs arching over the trail like natural rainbows. Some are for sliding, some are for ducking under. All of them look incredible with fresh snow on top.
Natural terrain jumps shaped from the existing landscape. Nothing artificially built up — the mountain provides the amplitude. Snow quality changes how they ride every day.
Chainsaw-carved wooden sculptures hidden throughout the park. Yetis, animals, characters — each one hand-carved by artists, some during the annual Slash & Berm event. Finding them all is its own game.
The Stash isn't one trail — it's an ecosystem. Killington built a progression path so you can work your way up.
The entry point. Smaller natural features — rock walls, small wood jibs, gentle rollers. Low consequence, high fun. Perfect for riders who want to try natural features without the full commitment. Kids love it.
The main Stash on Bear Mountain has easier lines that stick closer to the groomed trail. Smaller log features, mellow berms, and the chance to scope out the bigger stuff before committing.
Venture off the main path into the trees. The wall rides get taller, the log rails get sketchier, and the berms get steeper. This is where the Slash & Berm race course lives. Helmet non-negotiable.
The ultimate test — a timed banked slalom race through the gnarliest lines in The Stash. Hairpin turns inches from trees, jumps over log jibs, and berms that punish hesitation. You don't just need skill. You need nerve.
Your first run through The Stash should be a scouting mission. Ride the main trail, see where features branch off, check the snow conditions on landings. Your second run, start picking off the smaller stuff.
After fresh snow, the landings are soft and forgiving. After a few days without snow, things get firm and fast. The log rails go from playful to punishing depending on conditions. Check the Killington conditions report before committing to the big features.
The Stash starts picking up around 11 AM. Early runs mean fewer people on features and better snow. After 2 PM, the light gets flat in the trees — harder to read the terrain.
Some features have blind landings. Having someone at the bottom to spot is smart. But a group of 8 clogging a narrow tree line is not. Two to three riders is the sweet spot.
The chainsaw-carved sculptures are scattered throughout the park. Some are obvious, some are hidden deep in the trees. Finding them all — and knowing which artists carved them — is an unofficial game among regulars.
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