Vermont, Usa · Ikon
Pico Mountain
267 acres, 61 runs near Killington. Historic Vermont resort, big-mountain skiing, Ikon Pass access.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
13 Dec 2025
Closes
5 Apr 2026
Days open
113
Annual snow
15ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Pico Mountain's summit reaches 3,966 feet, dropping roughly 1,965 vertical feet to a base at 2,001 feet across 61 runs spread over 267 acres near Killington, Vermont. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 36 per cent advanced, 16 per cent beginner and 3 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 186 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass affiliation. Six lifts, including two quad chairs and two double chairs, serve the mountain alongside two triple chairs.
Pico Mountain holds genuine historical significance as one of the first commercial ski resorts established in Vermont, and its more modest scale relative to neighbouring Killington has earned it a reputation as a hidden gem offering big-mountain skiing with small-mountain charm and value.
The Mead family founded Pico, opening it as Pico Peak on Thanksgiving Day in 1937. Their daughter, Andrea Mead-Lawrence, went on to win a pair of gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, a remarkable point of pride for the small resort that shaped her earliest skiing. Pico also holds the distinction of hosting the first T-bar lift ever operated in the United States, beginning service in 1940.
The resort went into receivership in 1996 and was purchased by neighbouring Killington Mountain Resort in December 1997, linking the two mountains under common ownership. Powdr Corp acquired both Killington and Pico in 2007, making significant capital investments over subsequent years, before a group of local investors, including Killington homeowners Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, acquired controlling interest in both resorts from Powdr in August 2024. Adult daily tickets run from 109 to 149 US dollars, with a substantial discount for Vermont and New Hampshire residents and free access for seniors aged 80 and over.
1,965ft
Vertical
61
Runs
267 acres
Skiable
15ft
Annual snow
Ikon
Pass
The Terrain
61 runs across 267 acres skiable
Pico Mountain spreads 61 runs across 267 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 10 beginner runs to find your feet and 24 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
61
runs
61 runs across 4 grades
Beginner10 runs · 16%
Intermediate27 runs · 45%
Advanced22 runs · 36%
Expert2 runs · 3%
Time it right
When to visit Pico Mountain
The 2025-26 season at Pico Mountain ran from 13 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 186 inches across the resort's intermediate-and-advanced-weighted terrain. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Pico's varied terrain. As an Ikon Pass resort, Pico draws visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass alongside its core Vermont and regional visitor base, many of whom appreciate the mountain's considerably lighter crowds relative to neighbouring Killington.
Substantial discounts for Vermont and New Hampshire residents, alongside free access for seniors aged 80 and over, reflect the resort's long-standing value-focused pricing philosophy. School holiday periods bring family visitation given the resort's varied terrain and more relaxed atmosphere compared to larger regional destinations.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Following the August 2024 acquisition by local investors, alongside Killington, from Powdr Corp, Pico continues building on nearly nine decades of history since its Thanksgiving Day 1937 founding by the Mead family. The mountain's hidden-gem reputation and historic ties to Olympic gold medallist Andrea Mead-Lawrence remain central to its identity each season.
Season 2025 - 2026
13 Dec 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
113
Days open
15 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Pico Mountain, and where to stay
Pico Mountain sits near Killington, Vermont, with a base elevation of 2,001 feet and a summit at 3,966 feet across a roughly 1,965-foot vertical drop over 267 acres. This central Vermont setting places the resort in the immediate vicinity of its considerably larger neighbour, Killington.
The town of Killington and nearby Rutland provide substantial lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort, giving Pico visitors access to the broader area's extensive amenities without the crowds of the larger neighbouring resort. The broader Green Mountains region surrounds both mountains.
US Route 4 provides direct access to the resort, the same route serving neighbouring Killington. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled road is regularly maintained given the area's status as a major regional ski destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport offers limited commercial service within a reasonable drive, while Burlington International Airport and airports in the greater Boston area serve as the primary gateways for visitors flying in from further afield.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Pico Mountain, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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Lift system
Pico Mountain runs six lifts: two double chairs, two quad chairs and two triple chairs, serving 61 runs across 267 acres near Killington. This lift network, more modest in scale than neighbouring Killington's extensive system, reflects Pico's identity as a smaller, value-focused mountain.
The resort's lift heritage runs deep, with Pico hosting the first T-bar lift ever to operate in the United States, beginning service in 1940, a genuinely significant milestone in American ski lift history predating the resort's later chairlift infrastructure by decades.
Following the 1996 receivership and Killington's December 1997 purchase of the resort, Pico's lift network benefited from association with its considerably larger neighbour, though the mountain has retained its own distinct, more compact lift configuration. The two quad chairs and two triple chairs now distribute the bulk of skier traffic across Pico's intermediate-and-advanced-weighted terrain.
Since the August 2024 acquisition of controlling interest in both Killington and Pico by a group of local investors, including Killington homeowners Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, from Powdr Corp, continued investment is expected to support this six-lift network under the new, locally rooted ownership. Specific further planned lift projects are not confirmed in available resort information. Pico's compact lift system remains well suited to its identity as an accessible, less crowded alternative to its larger neighbour.
7lifts across 4 types
2
Quad Chairs
2
Triple Chairs
2
Double Chairs
1
T-Bar
Pico Mountain lift system
Pico Mountain is served by 7 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Pico Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.