The Ultimate Killington Vermont Camper Van Winter Travel Guide

Killington, Vermont is a great place to visit in the winter. Whether you are skiing/snowboarding, hiking, or just enjoying the sites and town, Killington has it all. The main attraction is Killington Ski Resort and for good reason, it is also known as “The Beast from the East.”

Camping in Killington

Skyeship overflow lot at Killington

Killington Ski Resort is very camper van friendly and allows you to camp for two nights every week while skiing for FREE! We took full advantage of this and the location is amazing. The Skyeship overflow lot is where you park. This is located on the opposite side of the road from the Base Lodge on Route 4. There is a bridge to walk over Route 4 and boom you are at the bottom of the Skyeship Gondola. We loved being this close to a lift. 

Only a few other vehicles were camping while we were there. The area was quiet at night. There are no camping facilities in this parking lot in the winter. It is just a parking lot. You are expected to be clean and quiet. They say you may have to move around if they are plowing snow, but we never had an issue with this. The Base Lodge across the street does have restrooms open during normal operating hours. Overall we loved the convenience to be able to walk form the van to the lift and would stay here again.

Appalachian Trailhead

After camping at the Skyeship parking lot for a few nights, we found another great spot to stay for free. Head back north of Route 4 to the Inn at Long Trail. Across the Street is a parking lot for the Appalachian Trail. There were a couple of other vehicles in the lot, but it worked out well. Since you are next to Route 4 there is some road noise, but it didn’t bother us while we slept. There were no facilities here, but it was still close to Killington and it provided us with hiking options.

Other options are Harvest Hosts or Boondockers. Mom and Pop’s Maple Farm is about 40 minutes from the resort, and if we had more time we would have explored this option. Note that the state park campground is closed in the winter. As always it is a little harder to find spots in the winter, but it is doable in Killington.

Activities in Killington

Ski/Snowboard/Tube

Skiing at Killington Ski Resort

We went to Killington to ski and it was a ton of fun. For a mountain on the east coast, Killington is a big resort. They have over 1500 acres of terrain with 73 miles of trails and 155 trails. They have everything from green runs to double blacks to a terrain park. No matter what level you are at, there are runs for everyone.  If you have small ones you can take them tubing. Overall we liked the mountain and what it has to offer.

Killington has plenty of ski and board rental companies. Black Dog Sports is very close to the lifts and has excellent reviews. We used First Stop Board Barn - Ski, Bike, Snowboard & Paddle Shop. They were awesome and a little cheaper. They are located further south on Route 4 and we would recommend checking them out. There are also a bunch of other small shops to rent from like Darkside Snowboards. Finding rental gear will not be a problem.

Hiking

Put your winter boots on, grab some crampons or snowshoes, and go for a hike. Killington has beautiful hikes. When we stayed at the Appalachian Trail parking lot, there was a trail across the street and it was a winter wonderland to the top. Once you peaked you had beautiful views of the area.

Thundering Brook Falls is another hike and it is super easy. It is only 1/2 a mile, but a nice little hike that is well-maintained and a great option for a family. Sherburne Trail Loop is another relatively easy hike with nice views. This trail is about 3 1/2 miles with 330 feet of elevation gain, so not too bad.

Food and Drink

There are multiple breweries and a distillery to grab a nice drink after a day on the mountain. Long Trail Brewery is a little bit off the mountain but has excellent beers and food. If you want to stay closer to the mountain, Casey’s Caboose has great food with vegan and gluten-free options. Although I highly recommend a burger. Casey’s has a solid beer, cider, and mixed drink selection. Plus Casey’s has some cool history associated with it.

Where to Shower in Killington

Finding places to refill water can be hard to find in the winter, so we chose not to use our shower in our camper van to conserve water. We used the Pico Fitness Center to shower. The fitness center is located at Pico Mountain which is close to Killington. The day pass is $17 which allows you to workout and get a shower. Another option is the Fairhaven Travel Center which is 24 miles away from Killington.

Overall, we had a great time in Killington. It was easy to find places to camp, we never experienced long lift lines on the mountain, and the hiking was beautiful. It was everything we needed for a fun vacation in our camper van. We will definitely find our way back there for another trip!