The Ultimate VT Ski Guide: Sugarbush & Killington

In this Ultimate VT Ski Guide: Sugarbush & Killington, I share with you everything you want to know about visiting these two mountains! Do you have the Ikon Pass? If so, be sure to hit up these mountains since you have them on your pass! If not, still consider picking up some lift tickets in advance and make a weekend getaway to these fun mountain towns. 

I just got back home from an adventure filled, fun, apres ski weekend where my boyfriend and I ski bummed Vermont in my Subaru Forester. We spent all day Saturday at Sugarbush Mountain in Warren, VT. At the end of that ski day we drove one hour over to Killington Mountain in Killington, VT. That afternoon/night we explored the town of Killington, partied and skied “The Beast” all day Sunday! 

Here, I will share with you everything we learned about the two mountains, what you want to know before you go, the best places to eat, drink, party, ski and more!! Let’s get into it-

The Ultimate VT Ski Guide: Sugarbush & Killington

Sugarbush

Sugarbush is a really fun resort to ski at, I loved it! There’s a lot to explore here…with one lift ticket, you have access to two mountains!

Lincoln Peak, the main Sugarbush Mountain and Mt. Ellen which is right next door, just a quick chairlift or shuttle ride away. 

Size

Terrain

There is something for everyone here but I would say that Sugarbush is more on the difficult side. This is a great mountain for expert level skiers considering there are areas on the mountain that only offer black and double blacks. You can find a lot of fun but difficult trails that rarely ever get groomed and are covered in moguls.

The groomed trails at Sugarbush are very nice…super long, wide runs with amazing views in all directions. The groomed trails were in great condition while we were here in mid march!

Fun trails to checkout  

For some moderate level groomers: head up Super Bravo Express Quad and go down Downspout, to Lower Downspout, to Lower Jester and finish Coffee Run for a fun mostly blue (end on green) run. Or go up Heaven’s Gate Triple and take: Jester, Allyn’s Traverse, Valley House Traverse, Snowball and finish out on Spring Fling for a really nice, long blue run!

For some more difficult/expert level: head up Heaven’s Gate Triple and take Sigi’s Ripcord and Lower Ripcord, a fast and fun run! For another more difficult run, go up Heaven’s Gate Triple again and take Paradise, to Lower Paradise, Lower Ripcord and end on Lower Downspout. That’s a really fun but tough run, especially later in the year with less cover which means a lot of open rocks so be safe. Have a blast though, this run is a workout!

Mountain vibe 

The vibe I got from Sugarbush is friendly, family and low key. Everyone we talked and interacted with were so nice. We visited on a Saturday and I didn’t get the crazy, party vibe like some other mountains, more low key but still fun!

Parking 

Arrive early and get prime parking!

We arrived at Sugarbush a few minutes before the lifts opened and got a great parking spot less than a 2 minute walk to the lift. They seem to have plenty of parking available but waking up extra early to get a good spot is worth it.

Where to eat/drink

Check out Castle Rock Pub located in the Gate House Lodge at Lincoln Peak, just steps off the lift. Here you can find great pub food, drink and lots of local beer! Try their nachos grande and be sure to add the beef chili, so good.

If you want something more grab and go style, head over to 802 Burritos also located right off the lift at the Gateyard Courthouse pick-up window.

Après ski 

After your ski day is over hangout for a bit and grab a drink! When we were at Sugarbush the sun started to come out as we finished up our ski day so we found a comfy place to sit at the Lincoln Peak Village courtyard area and found some drinks!

There was a drink tent setup right in the courtyard area the day we were there and I assume it’s setup on most weekends.

This was the perfect way to end our ski day! A local Sip of Sunshine beer, the sun and an comfy place to relax outside. I highly recommend doing this!

Where to stay  

I recommend staying at the beautiful Clay Brook Hotel located in the Lincoln Peak Village, just steps from the lifts. You won’t be disappointed staying here and you are in prime location!

Another option we often do is car camp! Most ski resorts don’t mind if you do this, you will most likely see other people doing it as well. We usually park in one of the back lots to avoid any issues or if we notice others doing it in a close by lot we find a spot and do the same.

A great way to still stay at the mountain but save money!

Killington (The Beast)

Next up, Killington! Aka The Beast…it’s earned this name “The Beast of the East” since it’s the largest ski area in the Eastern US!

Killington is one of my favorite mountains to ski and visit! The awesome terrain, stunning views and really fun town/nightlife make it an all around great place to go.

Size

Terrain

Killington does offer something for all level skiers, the mountain is broken down by being: 17% easier, 40% more difficult, 43% most/extremely difficult.

I consider it to be a more difficult level mountain with some really fun long runs which you can’t find everywhere out East!

Fun trails to checkout

A must do: take the K-1 Express Gondola to the summit of Killington, you have got to see the views from this point they are amazing!! Once you are at the summit, off the K-1 and you are looking for a fun blue run take Blue Heaven, to Bear Trax, down Launchpad, and end on Bittersweet.

If you want something difficult, take the Superstar Express Quad up and hit Juanita, to Flume and end on Ovation-Lower. This is a really fun and challenging glade trail!

Another one I really like- take the K-1 Gondola up and go down Blue Heaven, to The Jug-Upper, The Jug- Lower and then hit Jug Handle!

Mountain vibe

The vibe at Killington is super fun…It’s a bit of a party mountain vibe with a lot of young skiers and riders. You will see people from all over at this mountain since it’s the biggest in the East.

The staff and other skiers and riders are all very friendly and fun, I’ve never had a bad day at Kililington!

Parking

Since this mountain is so big there is a lot of parking…Like usual, I recommend you arrive early to assure you get a close spot.

What we always do is park at Skyeship Lodge (enter this into your GPS) to avoid the crowds. This lodge is tucked along Route 4 not near any other lodges or parking lots. Here, you will park your car and board the gondola that will then bring you on a nice relaxing ride up to the mountain!

We love to do this because you avoid all crowds and traffic. At the end of the day you will take one long run back to the car all the way to this lodge! Just check the maps and you will see what I mean, it’s easy to follow.

Where to eat/drink

At the K-1 Base area: Be sure to check out The Roaring Brook Umbrella Bar! One of my favorite places to warm up and grab a drink.

At the bottom of Needle’s Eye- The Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill is a ski in/out access only, grab and go shack for delicious snacks and sandwiches. If it’s a nice day, hangout on the deck and grab and drink!

Next to the K-1 Patio, stop at The Beastro! A taco trailer that offers amazing Mexican food, we love their nachos. Grab and go, then bring you food into The Roaring Brook Umbrella Bar to have with a few drinks.

At some point of your day at Killington head up the K-1 Gondola to the Peak Lodge! The views are just stunning up here and they offer a variety of food and drink, it’s a pretty cool lodge.

Après ski

The options are endless! We opted to head off the mountain and go into town for some après ski.

Moguls Sports Pub and Restaurant: Just minutes down the road from the mountain, this fun BBQ sports bar is the perfect place to go after a full day of skiing! The food is delicious, they have lots of drink options and the staff are friendly. You can play pool, shuffle board, darts and more! We liked it here because it had a local feel to it.

The Lookout Tavern: Also only minutes down the road from the mountain, The Lookout Tavern offers drinks and pub food and great views. I recommend checking this place out!

Nightlife

The town of Killington has the most fun nightlife I’ve experienced in the East! If you like to party after a day on the slopes, you will have a blast here. Be sure to visit The Pickle Barrel and The Wobbly Barn.

The Pickle Barrel, located just minutes from the mountain is a super fun well known nightclub. We arrived at 7pm and thought the band was already on little did we know that was just the happy hour band. The bar then closed for an hour at 8pm to setup for the night. We went back later on around 10pm and what an awesome time we had…the place gets packed and the bands they bring in are amazing. You can dance all night long here! You will have a blast. Bring cash there is often a cover.

The Wobbly Barn is another very fun nightclub! Only 2 minutes away from the Pickle Barrel which means you have to check them both out! We headed here when the other bar was closing for an hour. This place also has amazing live music and dancing! Bring cash here as well, there is often a cover.

There are free shuttles that go around the Killington area and will bring you to and from these bars. If you drink too much be sure to stay safe and use these!!

Where to stay

Have a blast!

Sugarbush and Killington are really fun mountains…we decided to visit these ones because we have them both on the Ikon ski pass. Whether you have that pass or not, I would definitely recommend making a weekend trip to visit both of these awesome resorts!

They are both a blast but also very different….this makes it nice to experience two different resorts!

I hope my Ultimate VT Ski Guide: Sugarbush & Killington has been helpful for you! I tried to share everything I thought would’ve helped me to know before I visited these mountains. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask in the comments below!

Do you have a trip planned to one or both of these ski resorts or have you already been? Tell me about your experiences in the comments below and follow along with me on Instagram where I’m most active with posting about my adventures and travels!

Thank you for being here! See you on the slops (: