Killington Resort Debuts Newly Upgraded Skyeship Gondola

KILLINGTON, Vt. (December 31, 2025) – Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, opened up the Skyeship Gondola for the 2025–26 winter season on Thursday, December 25. The opening of the Skyeship Gondola marked the return of Killington’s iconic Peak to Creek route, which spans over 3,000 vertical feet and covers 4.5 miles from Killington Peak to the Skyeship base area, one of the longest continuous ski routes in Eastern North America.

The upgraded lift features 116 brand-new gondola cabins and a fully renovated gondola service and storage barn in the Needles Eye area, all completed during extensive summer and fall construction before this winter. These upgrades are just part of a broader two-year, $60 million investment in mountain infrastructure and the guest experience, $38 million of which has already been completed.

The new Skyeship cabins, manufactured by Sigma, are similar in appearance to the Sigma cabins on Killington’s K-1 Gondola, installed in 2018, and deliver a noticeably quieter, smoother, and more reliable ride than the old cabins. The updated cabin design includes improved door mechanisms that operate at the top of the lift rather than near the base, reducing the likelihood of freezing and improving consistency during cold and variable winter conditions.

The new cabins hang approximately nine inches lower than the previous Skyeship cabins, requiring loading decks at the base, mid-station, and summit to be lowered this past summer. These infrastructure upgrades ensure safer, more efficient loading while maintaining a comfortable experience for guests.

To support the opening of the Skyeship Gondola and Peak to Creek route, snowmaking on the lower section of Great Eastern, Killington’s lowest-elevation trail, began back on Thursday, December 4. Thanks to recent snowmaking investments, including new pipeline installed on Valley Plunge and the deployment of 1,044 low-energy snowguns over the past two summers, snowmaking teams were able to operate approximately 50 snowguns in this area without diverting water from other parts of the mountain. These upgrades have allowed Killington to run more snowguns simultaneously while still using less energy than in previous seasons.

The Skyeship Gondola’s original cabins, which dated back to the lift’s opening in the mid-90s, were retired and auctioned off earlier this year. Proceeds from the auction, totaling more than $150,000, will be allocated to support local community mountains across New England, reinforcing one of the core pillars of Killington’s Upward & Outward initiative. With support from the Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF), eligible community ski areas can apply for infrastructure funding through an online application available on Killington’s website.

Guests may have already noticed the newly renovated Skyeship Gondola barn while skiing or riding through the Needles Eye area, adjacent to the Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill. While the exterior received a fresh blue paint scheme, the most significant improvements occurred inside. The building now features three upgraded service bays for Lift Maintenance teams, along with a heated interior environment designed to reduce overnight cabin icing. Together, these enhancements improve lift reliability while providing a more comfortable, efficient workspace for Mountain Operations staff throughout the winter.

Originally built by Leitner-Poma and first opened for the 1994–95 winter season, the Skyeship Gondola remains unique among ski area lifts. The system operates as two independent stages along much of the route of the former Killington Gondola, allowing operators to run only the upper section later in the season when lower-elevation terrain is no longer in use, adding flexibility and efficiency during shoulder periods.

For more information on lift and trail openings throughout the winter season, visit killington.com/conditions or follow @killingtonmtn on social media.

View high-resolution images from this summer’s construction and installation work courtesy of Killington Resort.

About Killington Resort
Located in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Killington Resort has earned its moniker “The Beast of the East” with four seasons of adventure spread across six peaks, plus Pico Mountain. With the most expansive snowmaking and lift system in Eastern North America, Killington offers more than 200 trails and 92 miles of diverse snow sports terrain, including a world-class terrain park network and the longest season in the East. During the summer, Killington features a destination bike park with 30 miles of mountain biking trails, an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. With elevated on-mountain dining, a plethora of après options and a commitment to investment, quality, and the environment, Killington is a can’t-miss destination for the whole family. Killington is locally and independently owned and looking forward to a bright future including the forthcoming Great Gulf Village and more. Visit killington.com for more information and be social with #beast365.

Contact: Amy Laramie, VP of Marketing & Events
Cell: (201) 230-9084
Email: communications@killington.com