Killington Ski Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Killington Ski Resort |
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Aerial view of Killington resort looking West
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 Killington Ski Resort
Location in the United States
Killington Ski Resort
Location in Vermont
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| Location | Killington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Rutland – 15 miles (24 km) |
| Coordinates | 43°37′34″N 72°47′53″W / 43.626°N 72.798°W |
| Vertical | 3,050 ft (930 m) |
| Top elevation | 4,229 ft (1,289 m) NAVD 88 |
| Base elevation | 1,165 ft (355 m) (Skyeship) |
| Skiable area | 1,509 acres (6.1 km2) |
| Runs | 155 - 28% beginner - 33% intermediate - 39% advanced |
| Lift system | 21 lifts: 2 Gondolas, 5 express quads, 4 quads, 3 triples, 1 double, 6 surface lifts |
| Lift capacity | 37,535 per hour |
| Snowfall | 250 inches (640 cm) |
| Snowmaking | 71% |
| Website | Killington.com |
Killington Mountain Resort & Ski Area is a super popular ski resort in Vermont, United States. It's located near the town of Killington. This amazing place is the biggest ski area in the eastern United States! It also has the largest vertical drop (the difference between the highest and lowest points you can ski) in New England. This drop is about 3,050 feet (930 meters). Since the 2013–14 ski season, Killington has been known as the "Beast of the East."
Contents
Discover Killington's History
How Killington Began
In 1954, a man named Perry H. Merrill had a great idea. He was known as the "Father of Vermont's State Parks and Alpine Ski Areas." He wanted to build a ski resort on Killington Peak, which is the second-highest mountain in Vermont. Preston Leete Smith agreed to help him make this dream come true. Killington officially opened its doors to skiers on December 13, 1958.
Growing Bigger and Better
During the 1960s, Killington grew very quickly. Many new ski trails were added. Preston Smith made sure that even beginner skiers could easily reach trails from every ski lift. In the 1960s, Killington also installed special equipment for snowmaking. This technology was invented in the 1950s. At first, some people thought it was a luxury. But after a few winters with not much natural snow, everyone saw how valuable snowmaking was!
In 1963, Killington introduced a special "ticket wicket." This was a new way to attach lift tickets to skiers' clothes. It helped prevent people from sharing tickets and also kept their ski clothing from getting damaged.
Bouncing Back from Storms
In the summer of 2011, Tropical Storm Irene caused a lot of damage in the Killington area. The storm brought heavy rain and flooding. U.S. Route 4, the main road to Killington, was damaged. The resort itself also suffered from too much water from the Ottauquechee River. For example, the Superstar Pub building was lifted off its base and had to be taken down. Since then, Killington has fixed all the damaged parts. Now, it's back to operating at its full potential!
Who Owns Killington?
Over the years, Killington has had a few different owners.
| Date | Owner |
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| December 1958 | Sherburne Corporation |
| November 1984 | S-K-I Limited |
| February 1996 | American Skiing Company |
| May 11, 2007 | Powdr Corporation and SP Land Company |
Since 2007, Powdr Corporation has been in charge of running the ski resort. SP Land Company focuses on developing the land around the resort, like building a ski village.
Skiing at Killington Resort
Killington is located in central Vermont. It boasts 155 trails and 21 lifts. The resort covers a huge area of 1,509 acres (6.1 km2) across six connected mountain peaks. There's even a seventh peak, Pico Mountain, which Killington bought in 1996. Pico operates as a separate resort, but you can use the same lift tickets there. People have talked about connecting Killington and Pico with lifts and trails since 1998, but no plans have been made yet.
The main mountain is Killington Peak, which stands at 4,229 ft (1,289 m). It's the second-highest peak in Vermont. It also has the second-largest vertical drop in the eastern United States. This drop is 3,050 ft (930 m). The mountains at Killington separate the town of Killington from the city of Rutland.
Awesome Ski Trails
Killington offers trails for every skill level, from beginners to expert skiers. Some famous trails include "Outer Limits," which is a very challenging double black diamond mogul trail. A special part of the mountain is set aside for terrain parks. These parks have five areas for both snowboarders and skiers. If you're new to skiing, Killington has a great learning area called the "Accelerated Learning Area."
Killington also has one of the biggest half-pipes in the East. You can find it at Bear Mountain during part of the winter. There are also boarder cross areas and several major trails with ramps and jumps.
A famous ski map artist, James Niehues, hand-painted the Killington ski map in 1990.
Exploring Killington's Mountains
- Snowshed: This area is perfect for beginners. It has an open slope with a lodge and restaurant at the bottom. The adult ski school is located here. The Killington Grand Hotel is also at the base of Snowshed.
- Ramshead Mountain: Ramshead offers trails for beginners and intermediate skiers. It has an express quad lift and a platter lift for race training. The ski school for kids and teenagers is at the Ramshead base lodge. "Squeeze Play" is an easy gladed trail where you ski through trees with wide spaces between them.
- Snowdon Mountain: Snowdon has a mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert trails. "Conclusion" is a challenging double black diamond trail. "Great Northern" is a beginner trail. This mountain has two chairlifts.
- Killington Peak: This is the highest of the six mountain peaks. Near the top, you'll find the "Canyon Area" with some of the steepest terrain. There are several double black diamond trails here, like Cascade and Downdraft. Easier trails connect this peak to the rest of the mountain. You'll find lodges and restaurants at both the top and bottom of Killington Peak.
- Skye Peak: This peak has every type of terrain. Trails include "upper Vertigo," which is the steepest non-gladed trail. "Ovation" is a black diamond that becomes a double black diamond. "Superstar" is a wide black diamond trail with lots of artificial snow. This helps Killington have one of the longest skiing seasons in the U.S., often closing in late May.
- Bear Mountain: Bear Mountain is home to "Outer Limits," a very steep double black diamond mogul run. It's also where the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge takes place. "Devil's Fiddle" is another double black diamond trail. Bear Mountain also has terrain parks, including a superpipe. It has a lodge and restaurant. Bear Mountain often hosts big ski races and freestyle events.
- Sunrise Mountain: Sunrise Mountain has only beginner terrain. It was developed in the early 1980s. However, because it's at a lower elevation, it was hard for Killington to keep enough snow on the lower parts of the trails. So, those parts were removed from the trail system. The upper part of the lift now gives direct access to the mountain for people staying in the Sunrise condos.
Pico Mountain: A Neighboring Adventure
Pico Mountain is on a separate mountain, Pico Peak, a few miles away from the main Killington resort. It has 57 trails that cover about 19 mi (31 km). Seven lifts serve these trails. Some popular runs include The Pike and Giant Killer. You can find hotels, condos, and restaurants at the base of Pico. You can get to Pico from Killington by car or bus.
Pico used to be its own ski resort called Pico Peak. In the mid-1990s, American Skiing Company, which also owned Killington, bought Pico. Later, Powdr Corp. bought both mountains and still runs them today. Your lift ticket for Killington is also good at Pico! There have been plans to connect Pico to the main Killington resort since it was purchased. Together, the two resorts offer over 1977 acres of skiable terrain.
Snow and Season Length
Killington gets about 250 inches (20.8 ft; 6.4 m) of natural snow each winter. Plus, it has a huge snowmaking system that covers 71% of its trails! This combination often gives Killington the longest skiing season in eastern North America. The season usually lasts from late October to late May, which is over 200 days! It has even opened as early as October 1 and closed as late as June 22.
Killington used to be famous for being the first ski area in the eastern U.S. to open and the last to close. However, in recent years, the season has started to get a bit shorter.
World Cup Races at Killington
Since November 2016, Killington has been a host for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup tour. This is a big international ski competition! Women's technical events, like giant slalom and slalom, are held on the "Superstar" run during Thanksgiving weekend. The American skier Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom events here for the first four years in a row!
| Season | Date | Giant Slalom Winner | Date | Slalom Winner | |
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| 2017 | 26 Nov 2016 |  Tessa Worley |
27 Nov 2016 |  Mikaela Shiffrin |
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| 2018 | 25 Nov 2017 |  Viktoria Rebensburg |
26 Nov 2017 | Mikaela Shiffrin |
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| 2019 | 24 Nov 2018 |  Federica Brignone |
25 Nov 2018 | Mikaela Shiffrin |
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| 2020 | 30 Nov 2019 | Marta Bassino |
01 Dec 2019 | Mikaela Shiffrin (4) |
Before 2016, the last World Cup races in the eastern U.S. were in March 1991 at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. The last ones in Vermont were in March 1978 at Stratton Mountain.
Killington's Mountain Facts
The lowest point you can ski at Killington is 1,165 ft (355 m) above sea level. The vertical drop, from top to bottom, is 3,050 ft (930 m).
Mountain Peaks
- Summit elevation (Killington Peak): 4,229 ft (1,289 m)
- Pico Peak: 3,967 ft (1,209 m)
- Skye Peak: 3,800 ft (1,158 m)
- Ramshead Peak: 3,610 ft (1,100 m)
- Snowdon Peak: 3,592 ft (1,095 m)
- Bear Mountain: 3,295 ft (1,004 m)
- Sunrise Mountain: 2,456 ft (749 m)
Trail Breakdown
Killington and Pico Mountain together have 212 trails. These trails stretch for about 73 miles (117 km)!
- Easier: 28% of trails
- More Difficult: 33% of trails
- Most Difficult: 39% of trails
Ski Lifts
Killington has 21 lifts to get you up the mountain:
- Gondolas: 2 (The original Killington Gondola was taken down in 1993 and replaced by the Skyeship.)
- Detachable Six-Pack: 1
- Quadruples: 9 (5 of these are high-speed lifts!)
- Triples: 3
- Doubles: 9
- Surface lifts: 6
Summer Fun at Killington
Killington isn't just for winter! In the summer, you can explore 45 miles (72 km) of hiking and mountain biking trails. There's also an 18-hole golf course. If you love mountain biking, you can use the lifts to get up the mountain. Then, you can ride down trails with cool features like jumps and obstacles. In 2015, the resort also got permission to add zip lines and a mountain coaster for even more summer fun!
Images for kids
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View from Mount Killington
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Another view from the peak
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A snowy view from the peak
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The top of the Great Northern run
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A wide view from Killington Peak
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A view from the challenging Outer Limits trail
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East Mountain Road
