Killington

Killington is a big resort - the Beast of the East as the locals like to call it. If you thought the east coast of America was lame and no match for the central or western resorts, then think again. Killington has seven mountains of steeps, bumps, mega carving terrain, loads of fun-parks and halfpipes, all serviced by a modern and well equipped lift system that includes an artistically painted and heated gondola.

Visitors arriving here thinking that they will have the place licked in a day or two will be surely tested. You will need at least a couple weeks to ride all the runs and then a further month just to get to know what you have just been down. Killington reportedly has the largest snow-making facilities in the east, and like a number of other US resorts, it's a particularly snowboard-friendly place having hosted many snowboard events.

The United States Amateur Snowboard Association once chose Killington as its training ground, and it's easy to see why: the terrain is perfect for all levels and all styles. One thing that boarders should be aware of is traversing, as it's very easy to end up spending a lot of time travelling across the mountain, trying to get around. An excellent tool here is the free Ride Guide which tells you everything worth knowing, from a snowboarder's perspective, about the mountain and surrounding town - you can pick up a copy at the ticket office.