New trails for 2026: Okemo's wild new zones

Okemo’s 2025–2026 trail map quietly slipped in three new smiley-face icons, labeled as “Kids Adventure Zones” in the legend. They don’t show up on the official trail list and, for a while, we had no idea what they were supposed to be—until now.

Two of the three zones are now open. Each one is named after a Vermont-native wild animal and marked with a sign that introduces the area and shares a bit of Native American folklore.

Red Fox Woods

At the intersection of Link and Upper World Cup is Red Fox Woods, following the path of the Bear Climb summer hiking trail, which was formerly a mountain bike trail from the summit.

While it is a path through a wooded area, it's technically not a glade. The trail is well defined and banks left or right on turns.  The pitch is moderate, but it's narrow and bumpy in spots. The end deposits you near the end of Easy Street, givng you the option of going down Ledges or Home Stretch. 

Here’s a quick preview of Red Fox Woods

Fisher Cat Slide

Fisher Cat Slide is a little more hidden. It's on skier's left at the top of Upper Tomahawk, just after the connection to Sweet Solitude.

Unlike Red Fox, skiers and riders have been using this unofficially for years. Now it has a sign and a name. It's also part of the Bear Climb summer hiking trail. It is bit more challenging than Red Fox with more turns and steeper pitches, banking sharply on the former mountain bike trail. The area finishes back out on Upper Tomahawk.

Black Bear Alley

This zone is next to Lower Mountain Road, just before the intersection with Switchback and Village Run. There’s still no sign or clearly marked entrance for Black Bear Alley yet, so we don’t know exactly what it will look like once it’s open. For now, it’s a densely wooded area with a gentle pitch that generally follows alongside Lower Mountain Road.

As of Feb.  1, Black Bear Alley is open! Unlike the others, this is more like a glade with no clearly defined path. It's quite bumpy, going over logs and rocks, but still it's a fun route to get to either Lower Mountain Road or Lower Arrow.

Our Take

These new zones are certainly fun for skiers and riders of all ages. We're not sure why they're designated as for children. Larger children and adults may find them more challenging as the more weight you have, the faster you will be pulled down the narrow path.

Have you checked out these new adventure zones yet? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.  We’d love to hear what you think of them.