Let’s HikeVT! Explore our Summer Trail Index to find appropriate hikes for the season. The summer hiking season typically runs from Memorial Day weekend through Indigenous Peoples Day.
Don’t forget to share your photos online: #HikeVT!
Make sure you plan ahead:
- Check our COVID-19 Response page for current hiking recommendations and a link to Vermont’s official travel guidelines. For information on trail etiquette during COVID-19, see our blog about the “Prepare, Park, Play, and Move On” mentality.
- Read through trail updates and hiking how-to’s for guidance.
- 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.
Hikes to a Waterfall View
Vermont hikes with waterfall views and swimming holes, including:
- Gnome Stairs, Barton
- Mill Trail, Stowe
- Moss Glen Falls, Stowe
- Thundering Falls, Killington
- Lye Brook Falls, Manchester
Hikes to a Sunrise View
Best early-morning hikes around Vermont, including:
- Bald Mountain, Westmore
- Puffer Shelter, Bolton/ Stowe
- Theron Dean, Starksboro
- Skyline Lodge, Ripton
- Bromley, Winhall
Hikes to a Swimming Spot
Hikes around Vermont with swim spots along the way, including:
- Ritterbush Pond, Eden (on the Long Trail)
- Lake Pleiad, Hancock (on the Long Trail)
- Clarendon Gorge, Clarendon (on the Long Trail)
- Little Rock Pond, Mount Holly (on the Long Trail)
- Universally Accessible Trail: North Branch Cascades Trail, Worcester
- Spectacle Pond, Brighton (Northeast Kingdom)
Best Hikes for Beginner Backpackers
Overnight Hikes for Beginner Backpackers around Vermont, including:
- Jay Camp, Westfield
- Taylor Lodge, Stowe
- Skyline Lodge, Ripton
- Little Rock Pond Shelter & Tenting Area, Mount Molly
- Stratton Pond Shelter & Tenting Area, Stratton
Day Hike Alternatives to Vermont’s Most Popular Peaks
Hike This, Not That: Alternative hikes, including:
- Butler Loop, Underhill | Alternative to Mt. Mansfield
- Skyline Trail, Worcester to Middlesex | Alternative to the Monroe Skyline, along Mts. Abe and Ellen
- Beaver Meadow, Chilcoot, LT, Whiteface Loop, Morristown | Alternative to Camel’s Hump
- Ludlow Mountain/Okemo, Mount Holly | Alternative to Mt. Killington
- Branch Pond Trail, Sunderland | Alternative to Stratton Pond
Kid-Friendly Hikes
Family-friendly hikes around Vermont, including:
- Wiessner Woods, Stowe
- Short Trail, Waterbury Center
- Beane Trail, Huntington
- Appalachian Trail to Kent Pond, Killington
- Long Trail to Little Rock Pond, Mount Tabor
Best First Hikes for Summer
Find staff favorites in Vermont for kickstarting the hiking season:
- Sterling Pond, in Stowe
- Mt. Ellen via the Jerusalem Trail, in Starksboro
- Mt. Abraham from Lincoln Gap, in Warren
- Duxbury Window Trail, in Bolton
- White Rock Mountain via the Middlesex Trail, in Middlesex
Make sure you plan ahead:
- Check our COVID-19 Response page for current hiking recommendations and a link to Vermont’s official travel guidelines.
- 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.
More HikeVT trails to explore, by season:
- Summer recommendations: by location; first hikes; day hikes; kid-friendly hikes; alternatives to popular peaks; beginner overnight hikes; hikes to swimming spots; hikes with a sunrise view; hikes to waterfalls;
- Fall recommendations: by location; day hikes;
- Winter recommendations by skill level: easy hikes; moderate hikes; moderate to difficult hikes; difficult hikes; and difficult hikes above 4,000 feet; day hikes
- Mud season recommendations: scenic hikes; high-mileage hikes; alternatives to popular peaks; hikes to waterways; accessible hikes; day hikes
Maps:
Questions? Our visitor center staff is here to assist you. Call (802) 244-7037 or email [email protected].
