The Killington Ski Resort in Vermont is one of the best ski areas in Eastern USA. Often known as the “Beast of the East”, the latest mantra of Killington Resort is “Big, Biggest, Beast” because it is the largest ski resort in the East. Of course, that’s not saying much, because its skiable acreage is significantly less than an average sized Colorado or Utah ski resort, and when compared to the behemoth Europe ski resorts it makes the title of “beast” scaringly laughable. Where Killington does score well in the big stakes, is the density of trails it has packed into its 1,509 acres.

Killington is an impressive East Coast ski resort, and proximity to Boston, New York and Montreal are a huge drawcard, along with a good variety of terrain, and an impressive après ski scene.

Pros and Cons of Killington Vermont

Pros 

• Killington Ski Resort is large by eastern USA standards.
• The ski area has massive snowmaking capabilities, which contributes to a long season that usually goes from late October into May.
• Killington Vermont is fantastic if you want to party.
• Killington Resort has very good lift infrastructure.
• The hill has great terrain diversity for different ability levels.
• The freestyle terrain is impressive and includes multiple parks and a halfpipe.

Cons

• Killington Ski Resort gets swarmed on weekends and holidays considering its proximity to major cities, and congestion at some of the lifts is substantial.
• This is not a dream destination for powder hounds considering the crowds and typical east coast snow.
• Most of the lodging is spread out along the access road. There is not one or two central villages, so it’s not easy to get between your lodging and restaurants and bars.
• The ski area has 6 different base areas, which contributes to some navigation difficulty for newcomers. 
• Killington lacks somewhat in typical New England quaintness.
• There is very limited off-piste terrain and no alpine terrain.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Killington Ski Resort is on the Ikon Pass which makes it rather affordable if you want to visit other big name ski resorts, but this contributes to the throngs of people that descend upon Killington.
• Hopefully you like moguls.

Killington Ski and Snowboard Terrain

The Beast from the East has 1,509 acres of skiable terrain spread across 6 mountains, with 155 trails and a vertical descent of 3,050ft which is impressive by eastern state standards. The Killington ski area is serviced by 21 lifts including 3 gondolas, a hooded 6-pack, and 5 detachable quad chair lifts.

The trail split is 17% beginners, 40% intermediate, and 43% advanced/expert terrain. Beginners have a couple of dedicated zones away from scary hoons, which can be found on the peripheries of the resort (Ramshead and Sunrise), whilst intermediates have lots of long tree-lined cruisers all over the mountain.

Killington has some of the most challenging terrain of the east coast ski areas, which can be found on Bear Mountain and Killington Peak. Moguls are abundant, and this includes the gladed areas. If you can turn on a dime on the bumps in the trees then you’re definitely an expert! There is a little bit of hike-to terrain and stairs on the Catwalk that take you to some nice lines and even a few sneaky drop-offs in amongst the trees.

Killington Ski Resort has multiple terrain parks that provide up to 150 features during the peak of the season, and a half pipe that opens later in the season.

On weekends the ski resort is usually crowded. It gets so busy that Killington Resort had to install a few ski tunnels at busy slope intersections to reduce the carnage. The K1 gondola can develop long lines, in part due to pedestrians going up to the Peak Lodge.

Killington Snow

Killington receives a respectable 250 inches (6.3m) of snow on average per season. Mother Nature’s bounty is supplemented by extensive snowmaking which covers about 40% of the terrain. The Killington snow quality varies significantly across the resort considering the varied slope orientation, and it’s not uncommon to find icy or thin trails that be closed for significant parts of the season. Grooming is a major forte of the Killington Ski Resort, and each night approximately 55% of the trails are groomed.

With respect to the weather, this is Vermont where the winter weather can be fickle. And when it’s cold it’s often that wet cold that can be brutal and frigid. Dress warmly during winter!

Where is Killington Vermont?

The main base of the Killington Resort at K-1 Lodge is 5.7 miles from the town of Killington, which is located in Rutland County in Central Vermont in New England.

Killington is approximately 78 miles southeast of Burlington in Vermont, 160 miles northwest of Boston (approx. 3 hours by car) and 190 miles (3.5 hours) southeast of Montreal, whilst New York City is only 5 hours drive away (depending on the traffic). There are bus trips from New York City and Boston to Killington, although having a car can be an advantageous because Killington is very spread out.

The sister resort of Pico Mountain Ski Resort is about 6 miles away by road and much closer as the crow flies. Whilst connector trails have been cut, the two ski resorts are not yet interconnected.

Killington Lodging

There are extensive Killington lodging options, although not many are slopeside. There are ski-in ski-out condos and vacation homes in the Sunrise area of the ski resort (mostly beginner trails and very few restaurants or bars), and there are ski-in accommodations near the Snowshed base. Most of the Killington lodging can be found on the access road (Killington Road), which is where many restaurants and bars are also located. Other accommodations are on Route 4 or in town. Killington has a good network of free shuttle buses that provide transport to the mountain from various locations, but having a car adds to the convenience of accessing the slopes and the restaurants/bars.

Killington Accommodations Listings

Killington Ski Packages – Lodging & Lifts

Ski Resort Facilities

Killington Ski Resort has a handful of base lodges that have parking, shuttles, equipment rentals, and dining facilities. K-1 which provides access to the gondola to Killington Peak and the fancy Peak Lodge. Snowshed provides access to the mellow terrain and ski school. Ramshead services child friendly terrain and magic carpets. Bear services the terrain parks and advanced terrain. Skyship out on Route 4 has a gondola to take you up to some main slopes. The little Sunrise area has negligible amenities and is mostly for those staying in condos in that zone.

Killington Road (the main access road between the town of Killington and the resort) is the main hub of the après ski festivities, and has sports bars, fine dining venues, and nightclubs. Uber does a roaring trade providing transport between these night spots and accommodations.

Activities

The Killington area offers plenty of other activities besides downhill skiing and snowboarding. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular, and there are also snowmobiling tours available along picturesque trails. Other Killington activities include ice skating, sleigh rides and shopping.