Gunstock debuts new wedding venue, chairlift improvements

GILFORD — Gunstock Mountain Resort has many additions and operational upgrades for the upcoming fall and winter seasons, including a new summit wedding venue, faster chairlifts, and a revamped snowmaking system.

The resort’s $9 million, two-year capital improvements plan, introduced in 2025, aims to reinvest funds into the mountain, snowmaking systems, chairlifts, and facility.

A major improvement recently completed is a wedding venue at the summit. Previously, when weddings were held at Gunstock, they took place between the chairlift and the Panorama Pub. This closed both the chairlift and pub, impacting business on those weekends.

Robert Drake, president and general manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort, said the team was already sending wedding parties to Flintlock Trail to capture photos with Mount Washington in the background, so the resort pivoted to bring the venue to where the beautiful backdrop could be seen.

“We built that venue to convert to the summer wedding season, and then also for winter. So, the platform and deck that we built where the wedding party stands is a convertible deck, so it comes apart and we will move it each fall,” Drake said. “And then we custom built all the benches there. So, we will pull all of that out before we start making snow, and put it away for the winter, and then bring it back out in the summer.”

With the new venue complete, the resort is able to continue operating the chairlift and serving customers at the Panorama Pub while a wedding is taking place.

Drake said there were four weddings at the new venue this summer, and they are expecting a bulk of the ceremonies in the coming weeks, taking advantage of the fall foliage.

For the first time this year, Gunstock Mountain Resort will be run the Panorama chairlift daily during foliage season, now through Sunday, Nov. 1. The Panorama Pub will also be open for lunch throughout foliage season, so guests can hop off the chairlift for a meal.

Finished this year was the modernization of the Panorama lift, with new lift shacks at the bottom and summit. Drake said they have also rearranged their access gates, now having two, to streamline getting on the lift. The distance between the gate and the loading chair is being expanded. Collectively, these improvements make it easier for skiers to smoothly get up the mountain.

Drake said the resort has “continued their focus” to working on chairlifts. There is a new haul rope on the Tiger chair, and a new gearbox and engineering on the Pistol chair, which is located on the resort’s terrain park.

“The Pistol chair will run a little faster this year, which will be a nice upgrade for the folks skiing that side of the mountain,” Drake said.

Also new this winter, Gunstock staff will be able to make snow at the top and bottom of the mountain. Lower Trigger, an intermediate ski run on the mountain, will also have expanded snowmaking.

The 5,000 feet of new pipe being installed on the mountain will give the snowmaking systems the ability to simultaneously produce snow.

New terrain and trails are also being added.

“We're adding three new glades, as well as two natural areas,” Drake said. “We're calling it a natural area, it’s a run that just doesn't have snowmaking, and we don't have the ability to groom it. So, we'll be adding Lift Line, and that's the biggest one under the Tiger lift line. We're going to be opening that up for skiing, which will be great.”

The improvement plan for the 2026-27 season invests $4.5 million back into the mountain just in time for the 90th anniversary.

Drake said there are two important historical dates they keep in mind. In December 1936, the first trails on Gunstock Mountain opened, and in February 1937, they reopened the big ski jump in the campground.

Drake said there are many events at Gunstock in the coming months, such as a barbecue-themed season passholder party in the main lodge on Nov. 1, and the revamping of the Powder Keg Pub.

“We are bringing our mug club back,” Drake said. “We are working with a local New Hampshire artist to hand make all of the special commemorative 90th anniversary mugs that will be available for the Powder Keg Pub. And we're going to open the sales of that to our passholders during the season passholder party. So, it's really a time for us to begin celebrating with our passholders.”

Drake said for the 90th anniversary, a mural will be painted at the base area of the mountain.

“I really just want to not only focus on some of the upgrades that we've done, but really amplify our 90th anniversary, and all the special things we're going to be doing for our guests and locals over the course of the winter. And those events will kind of get an initial kickoff with our season passholder party.”