HikeVT

Throughout summer and fall of 2020 we posted weekly hike suggestions to help you explore your state. In a year when many of us had to change our plans to stay close to home, we hope these suggestions helped you make the best of it! Many of these suggestions can be hiked throughout winter as well, so we hope you can continue to use this list to HikeVT through the colder months. Learn more about winter hiking here, and stay tuned for more HikeVT tips to help you safely hike in Vermont this winter.

Before you go:

Please 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.

Many roads used to access the Long Trail are seasonal. You can check the status of a specific road 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.

Hikes around the state

Our list of great Fall hikes in Vermont can be found here: Day Hikes – Fall

Hikes by Region

Hikes in Northern Vermont: 

Hikes on the West Side of Mount Mansfield, including: 

1. Nebraska Notch – EASY
2. Cantilever Rock – MODERATE 
3. Maple Ridge Trail > Sunset Ridge Trail Loop – DIFFICULT
   
4. Lamoille Valley Rail Trail – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes from Barnes Camp in Stowe, Vermont, including:

1. Barnes Camp to Smugglers’ Notch Picnic Area – EASY
2. Haselton Trail – MODERATE
3. Mount Mansfield via Long Trail South > Haselton Trail Loop – DIFFICULT
4. Smugglers’ Notch Boardwalk– EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes in the Lamoille River Valley near Johnson, Vermont, including:

1. Lamoille River Bridge – EASY 
2. Prospect Rock via Long Trail – MODERATE
   
3. Laraway Lookout – DIFFICULT
   
4. Lamoille Valley Rail Trail – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes from Eden Crossing near Eden Vermont, including: 

1. Ritterbush Lookout – EASY
2. Devil’s Gulch – MODERATE (Bonus Hike: Spruce Ledge Camp)
3. Belvidere Mountain – DIFFICULT
   
4. Babcock Nature Preserve – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes at or near Wheeler Pond in Barton, Vermont, including:

1. Wheeler Pond Trail – EASY 
2. Wheeler Mountain Trail – MODERATE
   
3. Mount Hor – DIFFICULT
   
4. Sentinel Rock – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

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Hikes in Central Vermont: 

Hikes on the west side of Camel’s Hump in Huntington, Vermont, including:

1. Old CCC Camp via Forest City Trail – EASY 
2. Montclair Glen Lodge via Forest City Trail – MODERATE 
   
3. Camel’s Hump summit via Forest City > Long Trail > Burrows Loop – DIFFICULT
   
4. Raven Ridge Natural Area – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes on the East Side of Camel’s Hump in Duxbury, Vermont, including: 

1. Camel’s Hump View Trail – EASY, UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE
2. Hump Brook Tenting Area – MODERATE   (Bonus hike: Dean Trail beaver pond lookout!)
3. Camel’s Hump summit via Monroe Trail > Alpine Trail > Monroe Trail Loop – DIFFICULT

Hikes from Duxbury Road in Bolton, Vermont, including:

1. Gleason Brook Bridge on the Long Trail – EASY
2. Duxbury Window on the Long Trail – MODERATE 
3. Bamforth Ridge Shelter on the Long Trail – DIFFICULT 
4. Winooski River Footbridge – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes at or near Appalachian Gap near Waitsfield, Vermont, including:

1. Beane Trail to Birch Glen Shelter– EASY
2. Molly Stark’s Balcony – MODERATE  
3. Theron Dean Shelter – DIFFICULT 
4. Raven Ridge Natural Area – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes from or near Lincoln Gap near Warren, Vermont, including: 

1. Sunset Ledge – EASY
2. Orvis Lookout – MODERATE 
3. Mount Abraham – DIFFICULT
   
4. Hosford Heart of the Valley Trail – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes from the Sherburne Pass Trail parking lot in Killington, VT, including:

1. Deer Leap Trail – EASY  (Bonus hike: Deer Leap Loop!)
2. Pico Peak – MODERATE
3. Killington Summit via Sherburne Pass Trail – DIFFICULT
4. Thundering Falls Boardwalk – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes on the Appalachian Trail in Eastern Vermont, including: 

1. Lewis Field – EASY
2. Dupuis Hill – MODERATE 
3. Joe Ranger Rd to Pomfret Rd – DIFFICULT
   
4. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion Grounds and Gardens – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

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Hikes in Southern Vermont: 

Hikes near Little Rock Pond in Mt Tabor, Vermont, including: 

1. Big Branch Picnic Area – EASY 
2. Little Rock Pond – MODERATE 
3. Green Mountain Trail Loop – DIFFICULT (Bonus hike: Homer Stone Brook Trail) 
4. Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail – EASY, ACCESSIBLE
   

Hikes to or near Griffith Lake near Peru, Vermont, including:

1. Griffith Lake – EASY
2. Baker Peak via Griffith Lake Trail – MODERATE  
3. Baker Peak via Lake – DIFFICULT  (Bonus hike: Baker Peak > Griffith Lake Loop!)
4. Hildene estate boardwalk – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes from or near Stratton-Arlington Road in Stratton, Vermont, including:

1. Branch Pond – EASY  (Bonus hike: Bourn Pond!)
2. Stratton Pond Trail – MODERATE  
3. Stratton Mountain – DIFFICULT  
4. West River Trail at Jamaica State Park – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

Hikes in the Bennington area of Southern Vermont, including: 

1. Little Pond Trail – EASY
2. Harmon Hill – MODERATE 
   
3. Bald Mountain – DIFFICULT
   
4. Shaftsbury State Park – EASY, ACCESSIBLE

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