Killington Vermont has become synonymous with winter sports. Killington ski vacations are popular with people from across Northeast and around the world. Killington Resort is New England’s largest and most popular and a ticket to that mega-mountain also gets you admission to the smaller Pico Peak, favored by some more experienced skiers for its expert terrain. Other popular winter sports in the Killington Vermont area include cross-country skiing, sleigh riding, ice skating, and snowmobiling.

Most years, Killington makes sure it is the first Vermont ski resort to open and slopes often remain open until late May or June, so Killington ski vacations can be planned for any of the winter months, though the best snow is found between mid-December and Easter. There are many Killington hotels that cater to the winter sports crowd. Many offer Killington ski packages combining lift passes and rooms. Lift tickets have become increasingly expensive; single day adult passes are creeping towards $100. Cheaper tickets are often available at nearby ski shops and inns (look for advertisements) and multi-day Killington ski packages are available online from the resort itself. The best rates for Killington ski packages are in early or late season, when the snow is less reliable.

Killington ski vacations are about more than just the skiing; there is also the renowned après ski. The nightlife in Killington Vermont is better than in most New England towns. Several bars and clubs have live music throughout the ski season. There are numerous restaurants serving hearty meals to tired skiers, and several options for fine dining. Some of the best choices include the fixed price four-course menu of New American cuisine at Hemingway’s restaurant and the exotic game on offer at Panache.

Vermont Map

Summer is also a good time for a Killington vacation. The restaurants, bars, and huge parking lots may seem depressingly empty in the warmer months, but there is still plenty to do and hotels offer good rates for a summertime Killington vacation. Killington’s gondola runs during the off-season, transporting mountain bikers to the 50-miles of mountain bike trails on the mountain. There is also some great Vermont hiking in the area. Hikers will enjoy the 3-hour loop on nearby Dear Leap Mountain. Sections of this loop form part of the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail. The latter passes Killington Vermont on its long path from Georgia to Maine.

Golfers may also consider a Killington vacation; the resort recently completed an impressive course at the bottom of the mountain.

Attractions near Killington Vermont include the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, which preserves buildings in the mountain village where the former president grew up and is buried. Nearby Plymouth Cheese Factory (open 10am to 5pm in the summer) was owned by Coolidge’s family until the late 1990s.

The town of Killington Vermont is relatively new: until 1999 the town was officially named Sherburne and some maps still use this name. The town was been a site of political controversy several times in recent years when it voted to secede from the state of Vermont and join New Hampshire. The votes were purely symbolic, an objection to perceived inequities in the town’s tax burden: secession would require the approval of the U.S. Congress. But even if it were to move to New Hampshire, a Killington vacation would remain the ultimate in Vermont ski vacations.