Green Mountain Club

Maintaining & Protecting Vermont's Long Trail Since 1910

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Mud Season Trail Index | HikeVT

Thundering Falls along the Appalachian Trail
Thundering Falls along the Appalachian Trail. Photo courtesy: Howard Muscott

Let’s HikeVT! Explore our Mud Season trail index to find appropriate hikes for the season. Mud season typically runs from late March through Memorial Day weekend, when warm temperatures usher in snowmelt and rain — making trails extremely muddy. During this time, conditions are subject to change rapidly. We recommend seeking alternative hikes during mud season to protect trails from further damage as they thaw.

High-elevation trails (above 2,500′) are especially vulnerable to damage. When planning a hike, always check with the land manager of a particular trail to see if it is open. Please use caution when hiking and turn around if you encounter muddy sections of trail.  Read more about mud season, including how to gear up, how to stay safe, and alternative activities to protect trails.

As weather oscillates above and below freezing, you may want to also check out our late winter hiking guide. Be sure to plan ahead, and have Microspikes and/or snowshoes for icy, snow-covered peaks.

Make sure you plan ahead:

  • Many roads used to access the Long Trail are seasonal. Check the status of specific roads ahead of time using this general map of Vermont roads or this list of US Forest Service Roads.
  • Guidebooks and maps are available for purchase at GMC’s Visitor Center, GMC’s online store, and in most Vermont bookstores and outdoor gear retailers. Many maps have digital versions.

Universally Accessible Hikes

Quinn walks down Barnes Camp Boardwalk, an appropriate mud season trail
Barnes Camp Boardwalk. Photo courtesy: Amy Potter

Universally accessible hikes around Vermont, including:

  1. Moose Bog Trail, Ferdinand
  2. Sentinel Rock State Park, Westmore
  3. Thundering Falls Boardwalk, Killington
  4. Barnes Camp Boardwalk, Stowe

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Hikes to Scenic Waterways

Hike near waterways like this along the Colchester Causeway during Mud Season.
The Colchester Causeway is part of the Island Line Trail, which runs from Burlington to South Hero. Photo by: Chloe Miller

Low-elevation hikes with views of lakes and ponds around Vermont, including:

  1. Brighton State Park, Brighton
  2. Island Line Trail, Burlington to South Hero
  3. Kettle Pond State Park, Groton
  4. Emerald Lake State Park, East Dorset
  5. Little Pond Trail, Woodford

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Alternatives to popular Vermont peaks

Hikers overlook view at Stark's Nest, an appropriate mud season alternative to Mt Ellen
Hikers take in the view at Stark’s Nest, an alternative to Mt. Ellen. Photo by: Ernesta McIntosh, 2018

Simulate your favorite peaks with these alternatives around Vermont, including:

  1. Camel’s Hump alternative, in Stowe
  2. Mount Mansfield alternative, in Stowe
  3. Mount Ellen alternative, in Waitsfield
  4. Mount Abraham alternative, in Charlotte
  5. Killington Peak alternative, in Windsor

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High-mileage hikes around the state

Quinn on rocky shore along river at Stowe Recreation Path, a recommendation in our mud season trail index
Stowe Recreation Path is an 11-mile roundtrip walk. Photo courtesy: Amy Potter

Low-elevation hikes with high mileage around Vermont, including:

  1. North Branch Trail, Ferdinand
  2. Island Line Trail, Burlington to South Hero
  3. Stowe Recreation Path, Stowe
  4. Bear Swamp Loop, Middlesex
  5. Bristol Trail Network, Bristol
  6. Mt. Ascutney Parkway, Windsor
  7. West River Trail, Londonderry to Townsend

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Scenic hikes around the state

Gravel Road along Mt. Philo is Mud Season HikeVT trail rec.
The durable paths along Mt. Philo allow for a scenic and safe HikeVT outing during mud season. Photo courtesy: Chloe Miller

Scenic, low-elevation hikes around Vermont, including:

  1. Sentinel Rock Trail, Westmore
  2. Sunset Rock, Stowe
  3. Mount Philo, Charlotte
  4. Bristol Ledges Trail, Bristol
  5. Mt. Ascutney Parkway, Windsor
  6. Prospect Rock, Manchester

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More HikeVT trails to explore, by season:

  • Mud season HikeVT recommendations: scenic hikes; high-mileage hikes; alternatives to popular peaks; hikes to waterways; accessible hikes; day hikes
  • Summer and fall HikeVT recommendations
  • Summer day hikes
  • Fall day hikes
  • Winter HikeVT recommendations by skill level: easy hikes; moderate hikes; moderate to difficult hikes; difficult hikes; and difficult hikes above 4,000 feet; day hikes

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Maps:

  • Long Trail Map
  • Winter Hiking Guide
  • Long Trail Guide

Places to rent snowshoes:

  • Umiak Outdoor Outfitters, Stowe
  • Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington
  • First Stop Board Barn, Killington
  • The Mountain Goat, Manchester
  • VT Libraries with Snowshoes through Rise VT

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Questions? Our visitor center staff is here to assist you. Call (802) 244-7037 or email [email protected].

Big News for Strategic Conservation of the Long Trail System

May 1, 2025

This article appears in the 2025 Spring Long Trail News and was written by GMC Director of Conservation Mollie Flanigan. In previous editions I've described the process of developing the Green Mountain Club Strategic Conservation Plan that outlines our road map to permanently protecting the Long … Read more

About Mud Season HikeVT Trail Recommendations Become a Member Trip Planning Trail Maps Volunteer Opportunities

Mission

The Green Mountain Club is the founder and maintainer of the Long Trail - the oldest long distance hiking trail in America. Established in 1910 to build this trail stretching the length of Vermont, the club now also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and trails in the Northeast Kingdom in its mission to "make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people." Read more...

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4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road
Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677
802.244.7037 | Email GMC

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