Killington Mountain Resort & Ski Area is a
ski resort near
Killington,
Vermont. It is the largest
ski area in the Eastern
United States, and has the
largest vertical in
New England as well at 3050 feet.
History
In 1954, Perry H. Merrill, the Father of Vermont's State Parks and Alpine Ski Areas and Vermont State land lease officer, wanted to see a ski resort developed on
Killington Peak, the second highest mountain in
Vermont. He found Preston Leete Smith who shared the vision. They agreed to work together to develop this area. Killington opened December 13, 1958.
In the 1960s the resort continued to expand at a pace "well above industry standards." Many new trails were created and Smith had beginner trails accessible from every lift. In the 1960s, Killington installed
snowmaking equipment, which had been invented in the 1950s, but considered a
banana belt luxury. Several low-snow seasons proved their value.
Killington introduced the
ticket wicket in 1963 to prevent skiers sharing
lift tickets, while also not damaging ski clothing.
Ownership
Powdr has announced that it will stop honoring "lifetime" lift passes issued by the previous owners after two years. A class action lawsuit...
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