cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the killington/Rutland, VT area

Mountain Top Resort Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Center (802-483-2311, www.mountaintopinn.com), in Chittenden, has 60 km of trails with 40 km groomed for classic and skate skiing and 2 km of trails with snowmaking. For a full page of info about Mountain Top click here. Mountain Top Resort is tucked away in high country not far from Killington on a 700 acres estate. The main lodge has 32 rooms and the ski center offers lessons and xc ski and snowshoe equipment rentals. Ski shop with snack bar and warming hut. Mountain Top also offers sledding, ice skating, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. The rooms and facilities have been refurbished extensively and there is an Aveda Spa & Salon on site. Fine dining, massage services, and specially priced vacation packages. Beautiful Green Mountain views above the lake. CCSAA member

The Woodstock Nordic Center (802-457-1100, www.woodstockinn.com) offers 10 km of meadow skiing in the town of Woodstock at the golf course behind the Woodstock Inn & Resort, 20 km of woodland trails at Mt. Peg and 30 km of trails on Mt. Tom on old carriage roads in the midst of Vermont's first tree farm and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park site. For a full page of info about Woodstock Nordic Center click here. The center has rental equipment and lessons. The Woodstock Inn & Resort, which operates the touring center is a 142 room AAA four Diamond Resort in the heart of Woodstock. Now it is also the Tubbs Snowshoes Adventure Center offering special packages and guided tours. The town is the quintessential New England town with a wonderful collection of restaurants and shops. CCSAA member

Killington Resort is the largest alpine ski resort in the eastern US with hundreds of trails with great variety, a great selections of amenities including shopping and dining, and the most ski days (longest ski season) available in the east. Killington is known for its diversity of terrain and grooming expertise, providing alpine skiers and riders of all ability levels a choice of wide-open groomed cruisers, narrow classic New England runs, moguls, steeps and gladed skiing areas and multiple terrain features for snowboarders and freeskiers.

Off-mountain activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice skating, combined with more than 100 restaurants and bars and shopping options throughout the region, making Killington the top resort in the Northeast for après and lively evening entertainment. During the summer months, Killington features an 18-hole championship Geoffrey Cornish-designed golf course; a Mountain Bike Park served by the K-1 Gondola and a full 18-hole disc golf course.

A winner of the NSAA Golden Eagle Award in 2013 and 2010 winner of the Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence and Pollution Prevention, Killington Resort continues to implement innovative energy conservation measures and environmental management practices to reduce energy consumption and the effects of climate change. Killington Resort is easily accessible from all major East Coast cities by plane, train and automobile. Jet Blue and codeshare partner Cape Air provide daily flights between Boston's Logan International Airport and Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport – a short 30 minute drive to the slopes of Killington Resort. Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express provides daily service between Rutland and New York City's Pennsylvania Station.

Wilderness Trails Ski Touring Center in Quechee, VT is on Main Street in Quechee, which is off Route 4, east of Killington and Woodstock. The center has 18 km and a restaurant with style in the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm. Rental equipment, lessons, and guided tours available. Skiers can ski or hike down into the Quechee Gorge, the second most visited landmark in Vermont.