Killington Peak

Killington Peak is the second-highest summit in Vermont, rising to 4,229 feet above sea level in the central Green Mountains — a broad, forested peak crowned in winter by the infrastructure of the East’s largest ski resort and in summer by a fire tower offering panoramic views. The mountain gives its name to the renowned Killington Resort, whose trails and ski runs descend from near the summit.

Though best known as a ski destination (with the longest ski season in the East), Killington Peak is also a rewarding summer hiking objective. Trails from Sherburne Pass and the resort area climb through the Green Mountain forest to the summit ridge, passing through spruce-fir and northern hardwood forest and emerging to views that sweep across Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and, on clear days, Massachusetts. A major Green Mountain summit, Killington Peak is a treasured natural icon of Vermont.

Killington Peak is above all a skiing and snowboarding destination in winter — the East’s largest ski resort, with the longest season (typically October to May) and a vast network of trails and lifts on multiple peaks. In the warmer months, hikers reach the summit on trails from Sherburne Pass (the Bucklin Trail and the Long Trail’s connector), and the resort operates a gondola in summer. The fire tower on the summit provides sweeping views. Mountain biking (at the resort), hiking and trail running in the Long Trail corridor round out the summer and fall draw. Skiing the East’s largest resort in winter, and hiking to the panoramic summit in summer and fall, are the signature draws.

Winter (October through May, with the longest ski season in the East) is the prime season for skiing and snowboarding, while summer brings hiking on the trails and summer gondola rides, and fall brings spectacular Green Mountain foliage visible from the summit and the ski trails. Spring skiing can be excellent. Clear days give the famous multi-state views. Winter for skiing and late summer through fall for hiking and the foliage views are the highlights — check resort operations for summer gondola and trail access, and always check the summit forecast for mountain weather.

The central Green Mountains are part of the homeland of the Abenaki people. Killington Resort was founded in 1958 and grew into the East’s largest ski area, transforming the region into a major ski destination. The Long Trail, begun in 1910 and passing near the summit, is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in America. The fire tower on the summit is a historic structure. Killington Peak preserves both the wild summit of one of Vermont’s highest peaks and the history of skiing in the East, a treasured icon of Vermont.

Killington Peak is built of ancient metamorphic rock — schist and quartzite formed from seafloor sediments, folded and uplifted during the Appalachian mountain-building hundreds of millions of years ago and then deeply eroded into the present Green Mountain ridge. Ice Age glaciers scoured the upper slopes and left a rounded, forested summit with a thin soil cover. The resistant rock left Killington standing as Vermont’s second-highest peak. The ancient uplifted schist, the long erosion and the glacial polishing created this broad Green Mountain summit.

Killington’s slopes support the wildlife of the central Green Mountains — moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, and boreal birds in the high spruce-fir forest, including Bicknell’s thrush in summer, as well as the raptors and ravens that soar along the ridge. The high forest and the ski glades (attractive to moose and deer in summer) create varied habitat. The mountain offers wildlife watching across its elevational zones, with moose in the glades and boreal birds near the summit among the highlights, accessible on hiking trails in the warmer months.

Killington Peak supports the northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest ecosystems of the central Green Mountains, transitioning from mixed hardwoods in the lower ski glades to dense spruce-fir near the summit. The high summit supports Bicknell’s thrush and other boreal-dependent species. The resort’s ski terrain has altered some slope ecology, while the undeveloped summit and the Long Trail corridor remain wild. Protecting the high-elevation forest, the boreal species and the Long Trail corridor sustains the ecology and the natural character of Vermont’s second-highest peak.

Killington Peak is iconic in Vermont as both the second-highest natural summit in the state and the mountain that gave its name to the East’s largest ski resort — a peak that defines Vermont’s identity as a ski destination while also offering summer hiking, Long Trail history and panoramic Green Mountain views. From the summit, the Green Mountains stretch in every direction. Killington Peak is a cherished summit and a defining landmark of Vermont.

Killington Peak is in central Vermont, near the resort town of Killington/Sherburne, off U.S. Route 4 at Sherburne Pass, about 15 miles east of Rutland. In winter, access is through Killington Resort (lift tickets required). In summer, hikers reach the summit via the Bucklin Trail (from Wheelerville Road) or the Long Trail and its connector, and the resort may operate the gondola seasonally (check resort schedules and fees). There are no services on the summit in summer. Check Killington Resort and Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation for summer hiking access, gondola operations and trail conditions.

Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation and conservation partners protect the summit and the Long Trail corridor. Visitors help by staying on designated trails (especially in the high, thin-soiled spruce-fir zone), heeding any summit area restrictions, respecting Bicknell’s thrush nesting habitat in the high spruce-fir, packing out everything, and following Leave No Trace. The high-elevation boreal zone and the Long Trail corridor are sensitive. Protecting the summit forest, the boreal species and the hiking trails sustains the natural character of Vermont’s second-highest peak alongside the resort.

Killington Peak is a real mountain: summer hikers face steep, rocky, sometimes muddy trails and exposed summit conditions where weather changes fast (wind, cold, fog and lightning possible). Check the forecast, start early, carry layers, water and food, and be ready to turn back. In winter, the resort manages ski terrain, but sidecountry and backcountry terrain carry avalanche and tree-well hazards. The Long Trail sections near the summit are serious terrain. Respect the mountain weather, the steep rocky trails and the real summit exposure even on this well-known peak.

Winter resort access requires lift tickets. Summer hiking on national-forest and Long Trail land is generally free; the resort’s summer gondola charges a fare if operating. Stay on marked trails; camp only at designated Long Trail shelters (Long Trail rules). Dogs must be leashed/controlled. Drones are restricted. No fires except where permitted. Pack out all trash. Check Killington Resort and Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation for summer access, gondola fares, trail rules and conditions before visiting.

Killington Resort village (with lodging, dining and year-round activities), the town of Woodstock to the east, Rutland (Vermont’s second city) to the west, the Long Trail and the Green Mountains, Pico Peak, and the Sherburne Pass corridor lie near the summit. The central Green Mountains and Killington define the region. Killington Peak anchors a year-round Vermont mountain adventure, easily combined with Woodstock, Rutland, the Long Trail and a scenic drive over Sherburne Pass.

In winter, ski Killington’s vast terrain (the East’s longest season). In summer or fall, hike up the Bucklin Trail or the Long Trail connector to the fire tower on Vermont’s second-highest summit for sweeping Green Mountain views — a strenuous but rewarding day hike (wear sturdy shoes; the trail is rocky and can be muddy). Check whether the resort’s summer gondola is running for an easier approach. Come in fall for brilliant foliage on the ski glades and ridgeline, check the summit forecast, and carry layers for the exposed top.