Information on hiking Killington

[Charlie and Beth]

I'm planning to climb Killington tomorrow and am having trouble finding resources on the web with information on the trails. Does anyone have information or a web link to hiking info on the area?

Thanks
Beth

 

[rocket21]

It really depends upon how large a hike you want it to be - if you want something shorter/easy to navigate (though steep), you can hike up the ski area starting at the base of the K1 gondola. Not exactly a nature hike (and watch out for the mountain bikers bombing down the bike trails), but plenty of views.

I've only hiked Killington once and did so from Route 4 just up the hill from Pico via the Sherburne Pass Trail to the AT to the steep connector trail to the summit. It's a nice hike, but there aren't any views really until you get to the summit of Killington (unless you take a side trip to the summit of Pico).

Another popular way up is the Bucklin Trail.

There might also be a hiking map for the ski area (there were references to it when I visited last fall, but I couldn't seem to locate one).

Here's my trip report (from last fall):
Sept. 30 2006 TR

 

[MichaelJ]

The direct route is the Bucklin Trail. Take Rte 4 west over the pass and down past Pico, past the AT parking area. Just before a bridge will be Wheelerville Road on your left, with a large number of mailboxes at the end of the dirt road.

Go several miles down Wheelerville, I forget exactly how much, but you will come to a point where the road takes a sharp turn to the right, there's a gated forest road ahead of you, and a parking lot on the left which is the start of the Bucklin Trail.

The trail is very moderate, no crossings of issue, and will hit the AT/LT at Cooper Lodge. I believe it's yellow-blazed. From there, you can take a blue-blazed spur trail up a short, steep distance to the summit of Killington.

Leave the summit through the trees on the walking trail and come out at the top of the gondola. Walk down a bit and you can stop in the summit building for a rest stop and food. From there, come back the way you came, or, if you're feeling adventurous, start walking down Great Northern, following it to, I think High Traverse? In any case, keep the summit lodge on your left as you curve around; you'll pass the top of the North Ridge Triple (the Rime and Reason trails) on your right. As you approach the woods, you'll see a trail continuing past a number of warning signs telling you that you're screwed for leaving the ski area boundary. Keep going, and in surprisingly little time you'll be back at Cooper Lodge.

If you want to have more fun, you can head up that forest road and visit Mendon (a NE100 peak) then over to Killington. The road has some unmarked turns and the peak is a bushwhack and if you want to go that way you'll need more information.

If you want more fun without the difficulty, leave a car at either the top of the pass on Rte 4 (across from the Inn at Long Trail) or at the AT-signed parking lot a few miles west on 4, and from Cooper Lodge follow the LT/AT north towards Pico. Stay left on the LT/AT for the parking lot, bear right on the Sherburne Pass Trail, make the side trip up to the top of Pico (a NE100 peak), then continue to the top of the pass.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

If you're just after Killington, then the Bucklin trail is a bit nicer, but if you're also working in the NE100 and need Pico, then take the old Long Trail section which rocket21 describes. If you take the old LT - watch out for the big patch of nettles at the beginning of the hike ...

 

[Charlie and Beth]

Thanks for the help

Thanks for all the good advice. I think I'll just do Killington via the Bucklin this time and save Pico for when Charlie can join me.

I appreciate the input, thanks again.
Beth

 

[timmus]

I just hiked Killington last weekend, and I started from the ski area. They have a decent map with all the hiking trails that goes up on the east side of the mountain.

I picked the E trail up, round-trip took me 2.5h. This trail is not share with mountain bikers, and is actually very pleasant. Very few sections on ski slopes.

 

[una_dogger]

The Bucklin TrailHead is exactly 3.75 miles down Wheelerville Rd, on the left, before a big 90 degree bend in the road.

Have a great hike!

 

[brianW]

I did Killington via the ski area a few years back. At th lodge there were mt. bike/hiking trail maps that I used. We went up toward Rams Head and then off toward Killington staying high up on the ridges as possible. Very enjoyable hike with great vies do to the ski trails. -brianW

 

[rocket21]

I did Killington via the ski area a few years back. At th lodge there were mt. bike/hiking trail maps that I used. We went up toward Rams Head and then off toward Killington staying high up on the ridges as possible. Very enjoyable hike with great vies do to the ski trails. -brianW

Rams Head is especially of interest because it was abandoned a few years back, so its slowly starting to grow in.

 

[Charlie and Beth]

The hike

After reading the posts prior to leaving, I thought that I would do the Bucklin Trail.

My reason for heading to Killington was that my 16 year old and I were meeting my older son (23) who just got married in June and moved to Pennsylvania but was at Killington mountain biking for the weekend with some friends from college.

After meeting up with older son for breakfast, we decided that the thing to do was to rent a bike for younger son so they could ride together and I would hike up from the lodge. I took Trail E which was really nice, very woodsy with a nice grade and fantastic views from the slope crossings. I encountered two fawns, who didn't seem spooked by me despite their presumed experience with zooming mountain bikers. When I hit the area under the gondola, my boys were just coming up over my head so, they waited for me at the top and we summited together. It turned out to be a really great day on all sorts of levels, including a beautiful drive back to Maine.

Beth