Killington Plans Another $25 Million in Upgrades as Investment Hits $65 Million Total

Killington Resort is spending another $25 million this summer, bringing total capital investment since its 2024 ownership change to $65 million.

Vermont's largest ski resort finished the 2025-26 season having debuted a significant package of improvements - the new Superstar Six detachable chairlift, more than 1,000 low-energy snow guns, new maintenance barns, and lodging upgrades - all backed by a $40 million investment. That apparently wasn't the finish line.

Independence Group LLC, the private investor group that acquired Killington two years ago, is now directing a further $25 million into the resort ahead of the 2026-27 season. The work spans lift replacement, snowmaking expansion, lift maintenance, dining infrastructure, and summer operations.

Snowdon Triple becomes the Snowdon Quad

The headline capital item is the replacement of the Snowdon Triple, a lift that has been running since 1973. In its place will be a new Doppelmayr-manufactured fixed-grip quad chairlift, with the resort allocating approximately $7.5 million to the project.

The choice of fixed-grip over detachable is deliberate. A fixed-grip lift runs slower but handles high winds and difficult conditions more reliably than a detachable - a practical consideration for a resort that markets itself on its season length and early-season operations. The new quad will deliver a 33% capacity increase over the triple it replaces, a marginally faster ride, and a backup generator capable of running the lift at full speed during a power outage.

Killington began work on the replacement in April, with the old triple already torn down and construction crews boring holes for new towers and terminals. Completion is targeted for near the start of the 2026-27 winter season.

Snowmaking continues to expand

Following last season's installation of 1,044 new low-energy snow guns, Killington is adding further snowmaking capacity. New pipelines and 23 snow guns will be installed on the Conclusion trail, which has operated without active snowmaking for close to a decade. Additional pipeline work is planned for the Bear Mountain area, and two new high-capacity fan guns will be added to the Mouse Trap and Skyeburst trails, with the existing fan guns relocated rather than retired.

Lift maintenance across Killington and Pico

A $1.3 million lift maintenance programme covers both Killington and its sister resort, Pico Mountain. At Killington, the work targets the Needle's Eye Quad, Skye Peak Quad, Skyeship Gondola, K-1 Gondola, and Bear Mountain Quad. Pico's Summit Quad is also included. The scope covers acceleration and deceleration systems, drive and brake upgrades, tower work, and other reliability-focused components.

Dining and lodge upgrades

The ski-in ski-out Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill has already been expanded this season - more indoor seating, an expanded outdoor deck with 100 seats, a full bar, and improved back-of-house facilities. That building is being renamed the Needle's Eye Lodge, with a further full rebuild planned for summer 2027. The existing venue is expected to remain operational throughout the 2026-27 season.

At the Snowshed Lodge, Killington is installing an AI-assisted checkout system using 3D cameras to scan items. The resort claims the new process is 400% faster than a traditional point-of-sale transaction.

Summer operations

A new remote-controlled Moritz crawler - a compact machine designed for steep and difficult terrain where larger equipment can't operate - will arrive later this summer and will be put to work on bike park maintenance immediately.

The bike park itself is getting a new 1.5-mile blue single-track hybrid trail, accessible from Lower Blue Magic on Ramshead, along with a new dual slalom course and jump line in the same area. The resort's Adventure Centre will add a Beast Tower and Climbing Wall ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, a new Trampoline Jump, an expanded Roaring Brook Mining attraction, and additional lawn games.