How To Spend A Weekend in Killington, Vermont

This year for my birthday I wanted to do something different. I love to travel for my birthday, but I decided to actually embrace the winter. I’ve never really liked being a winter baby. When I planned my Sweet 16, I literally moved my birthday to another month lol (I had a party in April I believe, it was pretty iconic). But, for my 28th trip around the sun, I decided to celebrate by crossing a new state and a new experience off of my bucket list: snowboarding in Vermont. I invited my best friends and planned an adventurous, snowy weekend in Killington.

Where To Stay

During our long weekend, we stayed at the Mountain Inn. I research a handful of hotels in the area and decided on this one because the room looked nice, they have a distillery onsite, and a heated pool. The hotel was on the smaller side, but not too busy. It was pricey though! Rooms were about $230+ per night. Was it worth it? I think so! We spent a lot of time at the hotel, so I was glad it actually had stuff for us to do. Plus, our room had a nice balcony with mountain views. The staff was overall very nice and they even had a free shuttle that took us to the mountain on our ski/snowboard day.

I decorated the hotel room for my birthday. I found all of the balloons and the snowflakes on Amazon and packed them in my suitcase. If you’re going to decorate your room, don’t forget to pack tape and scissors too! We ended up asking the front desk at the hotel for some, which luckily they were able to help us out.

The heated pool was a major highlight. It was about 95 degrees and yes, it was outside in the snow! It was definitely freezing getting in and out, but while we were inside the pool it was lovely. Honestly a really cool and relaxing experience!

Transportation

If you’re able to have a car in Killington, then that’s going to make things a whole lot easier! However, if you’re like us and you’re worried about driving in the snow or you don’t have a car then it’s possible to get around, but not easy! Be aware that there is literally no Uber or Lyft in the area. We took an Amtrak train from NYC to Rutland. From Rutland we had to take a bus to Killington. Luckily, the bus wasn’t busy, so the driver dropped us off right at the hotel. Definite small town vibes.

There is only a handful of bars and restaurants near the ski resort and, like, one or two main taxi companies. However, they do also have some free shuttles that can take you between the ski resort area and the bars. We were able to use shuttles and taxis to get where we needed to go, just be aware that it took some figuring out and calling ahead. And make sure you have cash to pay and tip the drivers.

What To Do

Try skiing or snowboarding

The main reason to go to Killington is to go skiing or snowboarding. This was something I wanted to try for a while. However, I did later find out that Killington is one of the nicest and most expensive places to go… literal Olympic athletes train at Killington. However, if you are a beginner, they do offer classes and there is a bunny slope. The classes will cost you over $100, but honestly I recommend taking one. I didn’t, and let me tell you, I could NOT get the hang of snowboarding. It was harder than I imagined. I’m glad I tried, but I couldn’t even stay on the board for one minute. Maybe I’ll try skiing next time.

Get drinks at the ski lodge

After giving the slopes a try, we hung out in the Snowshed Lodge. A couple of my friends didn’t ski or snowboard at all and just waited for us in the lodge, which is also fine! We went on a Saturday and there was drinks, snacks, and live music at the lodge.

Go snowmobiling

On Sunday, most of us went snowmobiling. I booked a one-hour tour in Bridgewater through Snowmobile Vermont. We had a great time riding through the snowy mountains! I would definitely recommend. The guides were super nice, they had us watch a training video, and they made sure we were familiar with the snowmobile before actually driving it. It was little nerve-racking, but a really great experience.

Play In The Snow Or Get Cozy Indoors

A few of us took advantage of the scenery to shoot some snowy photos. And because being in the cold is so exhausting, we also had a lot of chill time. One night, we all gathered in my hotel room for drinks and games. We all wore cute pajamas, danced to my birthday playlist, and had a great time!

Where To Eat & Drink

Mountain Inn Distillery

As I mentioned above, the hotel we stayed at also had a distillery, Still on the Mountain, which is where we had my birthday dinner. I loved the convenience because we were able to get dressed up and not have to go outside in the cold. The restaurant was fresh farm-to-table and the burger I had was amazing. We also got drinks there a couple of other times during our stay. They had a cute upstairs lounge area where you could take your drinks and play games, like darts and cornhole.

The Garlic

The Garlic is an Italian restaurant where we had dinner one night. I enjoyed it! Not too fancy, but definitely nicer than the sports bars. The menu had a lot of options and good drinks.

Pickle Barrel

Pickle Barrel is a nightclub that seemed to be the most popular spot for nightlife in the area. It was packed. We honestly didn’t spend a lot of time there, but if you’re looking to party then this is where you want to go. Just be aware that they do charge a cover fee.

Jax

Jax is the bar right next door. It was bit more chill, but also had live music. They seemed to offer more food too. On our first night there we couldn’t find food anywhere that was opened, so we walked into Jax and bought a huge pizza to go. It was delicious!

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Would you spend a weekend in Killington, Vermont?