You can trade VIX futures I believe (never done it). I have traded VIX options recently which trade on the cboe.
What I was really refering to is the shot of volatility we just went through, it was awesome if you were long options. Several months ago when the s&p was trading at 1390, I bot 30 of the Dec 139 SPY puts for $4.50. I just sold those out yesterday for $4.70 when the s&p was at 1455. So even though I was 65 points higher than when I bot these, AND have whittled down 3-4 months of time, the blowup in volatility gave me the chance to make a small profit and more importantly, give me the chance to reset.
If you don't know options trading, I HIGHLY recommend getting versed in them. They give you great leverage, can give you more room for error, and are a great tool if you want to trade rather than invest.