The Longest Season in the East to Open with Woodward Killington Pop-Up Park, Multiple Lifts and Ample Terrain to Ensure Proper Physical Distancing; Opening Day Parking Reservations Available Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 a.m.
Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, and part of POWDR, will kick off the 2020-21 winter season at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, becoming the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and snowboarding.
The first turns of the season, on Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 22, will be reserved exclusively for Killington Season Pass, Beast 365 and Ikon pass holders — all of whom have met Vermont quarantine requirements. The resort will open to the general public on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 at 9 a.m.
“We’re happy to be back on snow with top-to-bottom turns and ask guests to help us protect the longevity of the season by following resort and state health guidelines as part of Operation Stay Safe,” says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain. “There’s one common thread that connects our guests, staff, and community — their undying passion for skiing and riding. By managing the number of people visiting Killington at any given time, those on resort will be able to appropriately physically distance, stay safe and have fun.”
Killington believes taking comprehensive action and remaining nimble and able to adjust to on the ground dynamics will result in guests getting back on the slopes this winter and ensure the economic viability of mountain towns can be preserved. Working closely with the State of Vermont and local officials, Killington has created thoughtful and scalable plans for nearly every area of business with a goal to protect the wellbeing of surrounding communities. These plans are consistent with current and future local and state regulations as well as industry best practices, while also designed to provide a great guest experience at Killington Resort this season.
Outdoor recreation, including skiing and snowboarding, is proven to improve mental and physical health of participants. Over the summer, there was a demand for outdoor recreation in the mountains and is expected to continue moving into winter. Killington’s priority is to protect the wellbeing of all for the duration of the season with Operation Stay Safe — a thorough, adaptable plan that puts safety first, is consistent with all local regulations set forth by the state of Vermont, and follows the National Ski Areas Association’s Ski Well, Be Well best practices. Actions being taken to prioritize the wellbeing of guests, staff and community include: strictly enforced facial covering policy, parking reservation system to manage the number of people on property so all can physically distance, required affidavit signing from guests at the resort, contact tracing for all guests through our RFID card system and lodge capacity controls, physical distancing protocols on mountain and throughout the resort and lodging facilities, daily health assessments by staff and increased sanitation stations and frequency in our cleaning schedule around the resort.
The parking reservation system, part of Killington’s Operation Stay Safe, will be in place every day of the season and parking spaces must be reserved before arriving to the resort to ensure availability. Parking reservations will be made available starting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, November 19 for Opening Day. Parking reservations for November 21-22 will be released one day at a time, at 7:30 a.m. on the day prior.
On Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, the K-1 Express Gondola, North Ridge Quad, Snowdon Six Express and Snowdon Triple will provide access to top-to-bottom terrain for skiers and snowboarders from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Skiing and snowboarding will be on advanced terrain only with a temporary pop-up park in the North Ridge area on Reason. The early season rail garden is the first terrain park to open in the east each season. No beginner terrain is available at this time. Early season conditions exist, and snowmaking and other on-mountain operations may be in progress throughout the day on open terrain.
Base Lodge Access & Available Services
The K-1 Ticket Trailer located in Bay 2 of the K-1 parking lot will be open Friday, Nov. 20 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and the weekend starting at 7:30 a.m., for RFID pass pick up. Passes can also be picked up at the ticket window located at the front of the K-1 Base Lodge and Snowshed Sales Center.
K-1 Base Lodge will be open starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 for restroom access, retail, bag check and limited dining options.
Opening Day through Sunday, Nov. 22 is reserved for Killington Season Pass and Ikon Pass Holders. Children ages 6 and under will receive a Kids Ski Free ticket if accompanied by a season pass holder. No other passes, tickets, Express Cards, vouchers or reciprocal discounts will be accepted through Sunday, Nov. 22.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, daily lift tickets will start at $89 for adults (ages 19-64), $69 for youth (ages 7-18) and $76 for seniors (ages 65-79). Express Card holders will receive 50% off lift ticket window rate for midweek, and 25% off weekend rates.
New This Season
Text alerts available. Sign up to receive text messages and get critical operations updates as needed by texting BEAST to 64600 or use the opt-in form.
Killington App. Available in for Apple and Android users, the Killington App will enhance the guest experience with real-time lift and trail status, lift wait times, tracking and more.
Killington is now a Smoke Free Resort. Smoking is prohibited in all resort areas, except parking lots.
For more information about Killington Resort 2020/21 experiences and passes, visit: Killington.com.
