Pico Peak, Rutland, VT

Pico Peak is part of the Green Mountain's Coolidge Range in Vermont. The elevation of Pico Peak in Rutland, Vermont is 3,957 feet. This makes it a good choice for hiking and winter skiing. There is a maintained hiking trail to the summit of Pico Peak. This peak is considered to be the second highest peak. Killington Peak is the first highest. Hikers that look to the south will see Rams Head and to the north they will find Deer Leap Mountain. This peak is across Sherburne Pass. The mountain that holds the name Pico Peak is shaped like a cone.

Water that is shed from the summit of Pico Peak makes its way to Long Island Sound in Connecticut from the northeast side and into Lake Champlain from the northwest side. Eventually the water from this side gets into the Saint Lawrence River then on to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Quebec.

In 1910 this peak and one thousand acres was given to Mortimer Proctor as a birthday gift. He decided to sell the land in 1948 to a ski company called Pico Ski Inc. Pico first opened in 1937 and is credited with having the first T-bar ski lift in the United States in 1940. Pico Mountain ski area is part of the Killington Ski Resort today. The lodge on the northwest side is on Route 4.

There is an Alpine Slide that is used for recreation during the summer months on Pico Peak, but skiing is the big winter time draw. There are fifty total trails on the mountain for skiing. Twenty are easy, forty eight are intermediate and thirty two advanced or expert. Six chair lifts take skiers to the runs, two are double lifts, two are triple chairs and two are quad lifts. They have the capability to make snow and they receive an annual snowfall of approximately two hundred and fifty inches.

Lift ticket rates are fifty two dollars for adults at any time, thirty nine dollars for juniors at any time and seniors are fifty two dollars at any time.

Lodging is available and some are even close enough to walk or ski to the slopes. The Pico Resort Hotel and Condominiums is one of the places that you can ski in and ski out. Guests of the hotel get to use the Pico Sports Center for free. They have a seventy five foot indoor pool, hot tub, fitness area with weights and cardio machines and a Sauna. Guests that wish to ski at Killington can take the free shuttle or the evening shuttle to entertainment.

The Vermont Inn has sixteen rooms, a restaurant, fitness center, sauna, and outdoor hot tub. The Red Clover Inn has a restaurant, food, wine and fourteen guest rooms and the last offering is Cascades Lodge with great views, a walk to the slopes, restaurant, pub, indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. Skiers in the area can enjoy all the amenities that the different hotels provide.