Killington, Vermont | On Mountain lodge + food guide

An introduction to Vermont's largest ski resort: what to eat at each lodge, event culture, plus a peak at the Hexagon Haus!

Killington, Vermont is a sprawling winter playground and my forever ski home. I’ve been chasing terrain here since I was 11 years old, with a hiatus during my mid-twenties when I drifted away from the sport, and a full circle moment of the childhood dream realized when in 2018 my sister and I, and our husbands, and our friend Marty purchased and renovated a house on the mountain.

Affectionately named the Hexagon Haus, from a 1970s den of red Formica kitchen counter tops, shag carpet, and angled rooms cramped with old furniture, we have lovingly renovated the Haus to a modern day family retreat. You can read more about it here! Yes, she is available to rent — we offer repeat guest bookings for the winter season (open dates TBD) but have availability right now through the fall with a 3-night minimum.

There are a lot of directions we could go here, my instinctual pull right now is to chat about the resort, with a focus on food + fun, and in a future post go into the Town of Killington itself, down the famous Access Road to highlight even more fantastic options for après ski, dining, and partying!

I recently read on a Substack note (now I can’t find it!) something poignant along the lines of: to re-create someone’s favorite experience in their shoes exactly how they did it will only give you blisters.

To that I add: if you’re doing it in ski boots, triple the blister count.

I hope my decades spent on this mountain: skiing, eating, drinking, exploring, and now raising kids can rise the noble task of living up to all my affections, should you choose to visit.

Killington’s vast terrain spans across six mountain peaks anchored by five unique base areas. With the highest lift accessed vertical in Vermont, 213 trails, 28 lifts, a peak lodge, a hidden yurt, an umbrella bar, on-mountain events featuring live music from local bands all winter (and spring!) long, the ‘beast of the east’ brings it big. That big mountain energy is giving to the snow sports community in equal measure. From beginners to bump skiers, big air park jumpers to downhill racers, families of all ages to hard partying share-house groups, a diverse set of winter enthusiasts are not just welcomed, they are celebrated.

Events (my favorites, that is!)

The Women’s World Cup alpine racing circuit makes a stop here. This extravaganza featuring the biggest names in Slalom skiing takes place on Superstar trail annually over Thanksgiving Weekend. Anyone can attend and general admission tickets are very affordable.

Subaru Winterfest is the second weekend in February. Bands Jam. Solo Stove Firepits blaze. Activities from ski demos to s’mores for the kids delight.

There’s an 80’s weekend (LAGNAF!) at the end of March, and Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge (Bump Off!) on the first weekend in April. Party on into spring with a Pond Skim, and wrap up with Dazed and Defrosted. If you’re looking to have a spring fling, guarantee it’s one of these weekend events.

spring is one of the best times to visit

Killington is consistent and always striving. I feel well taken care of — whether I’m dropping Camden at Ministars, loading a lift with the kids, chatting in the food court line with a maintenance worker about how much he loves his job, to cruising a nicely groomed trail someone worked hard to maintain. East Coast weather as variable as it is, Killington’s snowmaking team, add to that the grooming team, are the hardest working in the business. The proud to be here attitude seems to radiate off everyone from Mountain Ambassadors to cashiers, ski school instructors to lifties. If you spend enough time here or pause long enough to take it all in, the mountain and its presence feels like a giant hug, a warm embrace alongside days spent charging through elements of cold and snow.

And then, saddling up comfortably at any of the lodge bars, the same friendly fleet of bartenders are there to greet you year after year. Will we visit them all today?

Let’s start at the top!!

The Peak Lodge

There is no better Bloody Mary than a Peak Bloody Mary. Get it loaded with shrimp cocktail and bacon if you’re feeling frisky, and tip Katie well, she will remember you when you’re back the next day! She manages to be both personable and hustles, everyone wants to chat with her and everyone wants a speedy drink. A+ bartending.

The Peak Lodge has commanding views at an elevation of 4241’ to match the elevated bar food menu. You crushed some vert, now prepare to get your appetite crushed. The ahi tuna tacos, sweet and sticky glazed maple wings, and duck-a-dillas are on your winter bingo card starting now. A warm, tangy pretzel is substantial enough to fuel your run down steep Cascade, but that fluffy dough keeps you light on your skis. Option halfway down to take Flume, skiers right, named after something that spits you out like a log, heads or tails I’ll let you pick.

If the bar is packed (you happened to go on a Saturday at noon), hit up the peak food court for standard to substantial offerings. A salad bar and a sandwich station complement a creamy soup or hearty, loaded chili, and the made to order mac and cheese / pasta station never misses.

K-1 Lodge

Give a welcome to the brand sparkling new in Twenty twenty-two. Find the retail shop, rental equipment, and lockers on level 1. Head up the escalator — it might or might not be working, the first in Rutland County! — to the main level where from exposed utilitarian ceilings hang long black dome and sputnik light fixtures. Surrounded by two levels of windows among comfortable table seating and buttery leather couches rises a crackling fireplace. Seek out the thoughtfully zoned food court and the K-1 Brew-Bar: a coffee/espresso/beer/wine/cocktail counter. There’s a spacious outdoor deck with gas firepits. The days of wandering a cramped lodge, balancing a tray of food, and elbowing your way to a drink at the bar are memories of yore.¹

Speaking of bar, the grand scene is upstairs with plenty of seating, or find one of the clearly designated areas on each side to order a drink from the dream team: Matty B, Chip, Shannon or Mike. Uniform globe lights parade overhead, and high top tables gaze out at Superstar trail. There’s more table seating, more couches, shuffleboard, and live music at après. Restrooms are on each floor and there’s an elevator, should you be arriving with a wagon.²

The main food court is giving greatness. Pulled pork nachos, sweet potato black bean loaded rice bowls, a spicy crispy chicken sandwich with slaw and pickles, option to go casual with a made to order sandwich or panini, side of slender fries or zesty pasta salad.

Similar to the Peak, K-1 Lodge offers a distinct bar menu. I will ride at dawn for the K-1 Pub Burger. It rivals some of the best in class I’ve encountered in my Boston hey-day. A juicy patty is piled with crunchy slaw and a thick onion ring, lettuce, tomato. Feel free to split this with your neighbor.

Look ma, more wings! This time it’s Peach Habanero. Sticky, sweet and spicy with a little char.

Ledgewood Yurt

If you can find it, the reward is all yours. Warm up your skiing-all-morning-kissed-skin with mugs of aromatic hot mulled wine. Ideal for a ski date, but even better for a rousing group lunch. The menu is impressive, tables seat 8, mixed groups, first come first served starting at 11 am and they will take your name on a waitlist.

Ramshead Lodge

If you’re here with your kids around lunch time, and they are fueling up on chicken nuggets as per ush, grab a loaded baked potato. The fresh broccoli and black olives add an element of health to the bacon loaded, cheesy sour cream coated, soft sliced potato. If you’re here in the morning and accidentally skipped breakfast, their Portuguese muffin egg sandwich will fully anesthetize the pain of getting a 4 almost 5 year old and a just turned 2 year old in ski gear.

worth it though, you know?

At Ramshead you’ll find rentals for lesson participants, kids group lessons (ministars ages 4-6 // youth ages 7-17), two magic carpet progression slopes with a small pitch, and a high speed quad that leads you to long, gentle intermediate slopes — Header and Swirl. There is a windy green the kids love called Easy Street, plus relatively flat glades terrain like Squeeze Play. Lookers left spots Timberline with a Woodward Mountain Park. (Massive jumps and features, so steer the littles and beginners off that trail!) Far skiers right grab Caper to access the rest of the mountain, starting with intermediate terrain at the Snowdon Six bubble chair.

There’s a daycare located at RH, which we have never used but not for lack of trying. It’s employee kid care, local kid care on a regular basis and so spots seem to be limited. We have found awesome local babysitters and that works out nicely.

NOTE: There is no bar and no retail shop at Ramshead. Sometimes the food court fridge has beer? At the base, RH and Showshed connect via two distinct tunnels — a ski tunnel and a walking underpass in the parking lot. Head over to Snowshed for more beginner terrain, and après…

Snowshed Lodge

Adult group and any private lesson will meet here. There’s rentals, demos, and a Killington Sports Retail Shop abundant with branded gear. A magic carpet glides up on a flat beginner area, making this an ideal spot for very first timers. Snowshed Slope is a perfectly pitched green, great for practicing wide turns once you have the stamina, serviced by a high speed quad and a backup old double chair. The Long Trail Pub (not to be confused with the actual Long Trail Brewery down the street in Bridgewater Corners) is on the upper level. The only secret to this basic pub grub is I like the salty chips & dip at après with a cloudy draft Fiddlehead IPA. On lucky evenings a band or guitarist takes the stage and everyone can jam a bit. Despite the tired atmosphere save for a few retro-y neon lights, the mountain hug is pretty nice out the windows.

SS or RH Lodges are the place for you if the following are true: you’re taking lessons, you are a beginner skier, you have little kids, you are renting equipment. If you’re really trying to avoid crowds Long Trail Pub is sneaky like that. I mean check them out if you want, even if you don’t fit a, b, c, or d. I like these lodges but they’ve certainly aged!

All tickets/rentals/lessons must be purchased / booked online. Tickets can be printed at self service kiosks and ticket windows are staffed for issues that arise. (Option to re-load existing RFID cards via online purchasing.)

Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain Lodge is no different in terms of an aging space, and the food court is standard, nothing to boast. For me it’s all nostalgia inside here. This is the best parking lot in peak season because it offers easy access to the lifts with no morning crowds. It is situated off East Mountain Road versus K1, SS, and RH are on the Access Road. To quickly get at playful and speedy intermediate and advanced terrain, park at Bear! The sun’s a risin’ in the east so if it’s that kind of day, sunshine hits Bear first. Bear Mountain Blue we call it, where the rich blue sky here is like nowhere else on the mountain (on earth? my bias).

The Rollin’ Rooster Food Truck parked here has your back for lunch or a snack on peak days. Tell no one about the time I ate a crispy chicken thigh while riding up Skye Peak Quad. It was snowing. Hot chicken thigh a la fresh pow. For liquid nourishment, Heather will take care of you at the bar. Head out to the deck or grab a window seat to watch skiers tackle steep bumps on Outer Limits. Then head up the Bear Mountain Quad and give it a try yourself!

Skyeship Base

If you’re driving in from the East and want to avoid going up a mountain road, or check out a different lodge, grab a spot at the parking lot here directly off Route 4 and board the gondola to Skye Peak. The lodge cafeteria as well as the revamped SkyeBar have been in a transitional state (under construction after some flooding). I’ll update this when I know more about the new offerings. No rentals, no retail, only tickets kiosks and a customer service desk.

she is beauty she is grace. err. she is a lodge modeled in the Les Otten late 90s. RIP original SkyeBar.

The noble ‘Peak-to-Creek’ finishes here — a nickname for the long windy green run down Great Eastern, offering ultimate cruising fun. GE is the trail where my sister and I, as children, proclaimed to each other our homeownership dreams. If you’re staying at the Hexagon Haus this is where you’ll ski down to during high season: January thru March.

Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill

(Is she still speaking about places to eat on the mountain?)

(Did you know you can get fried plantains at Killington?)

My Jerked Cheese and plantains are a Jamaican offering in the most basic and comforting form. I’ll leave the menu here since I have it! As the space is small with limited indoor seating, it’s a sneaky good spot on a warmer winter day. Plan to eat outside on the deck or among the red Adirondack chairs in the snow.

The Jerk is located at Northbrook, a mid mountain area where three lifts converge — Needles Eye Quad, NorthBrook Quad, and the Skyeship Gondola Mid-Station. Most refer to this area as Needles Eye, as that’s the main trail and the high speed quad.

local musician Nick Bredice plays a Winterfest set at Northbrook.

Waffle Cabins

Don’t forget to get. yourself. a waffle. (Said to the tune of Big Time Adulting when Caitlyn jabs the phone and orders you to ‘get yourself a snack!’) Substitute a Waffle and hot coffee at any point for a meal if you’re feeling lodge averse and the slopes are delivering, or of your kids are crushing it an deserve a treat. Waffle Cabins are located at Ramshead, K-1 Gondola area, Bear Mountain by Skye Peak Quad and Snowshed inside the lodge.

When you feel it down to your bones, all around you, in every aspect of an experience, a love so deep is simply not a one way slope. Killington loves you back just as much.

I hope if you visit that you love the scene, the slopes and the food as much as I do!!

Please share this newsletter with folks you know planning winter travel or traveling to K-town!

Now that you have a taste, what do you want to know more about?!

• How to navigate the mountain — an in depth guide to trails, avoiding crowds and skiing the best terrain?

• Skiing with kids — tips, gear, lessons, etc?

• The town of Killington itself — eat, drink, shop, play?

1. KBL and Mahogany Ridge always in our memories and hearts, iykyk.

2. If you are shuttling multiple toddlers anywhere, specifically to a mountain with ski gear, but not limited to such an event, this Collapsible Folding Wagon is the way to go! It is ideal for that phase where your family has mostly outgrown a stroller and not everyone can carry all their belongings.