Growing up in the Mid-Atlantic, the concept of mud season was unknown to me before becoming interested in hiking the Long Trail. When I moved to Vermont at the start of hiking season in 2023, I still didn’t know the full scope of it.
So, for my first official mud season, I decided to challenge myself to explore Vermont more and find different mud season-appropriate hikes around the state. I wanted to gain a better understanding of trails around the state, find new favorites, and be able to offer suggestions from experience when people call into the visitor’s center with questions on hikes in various regions. It was great to get out and explore Vermont, find the beauty in the melting, muddy trails, and kickstart my hiking season.
Below is the roundup of the hikes featured throughout mud season on GMC’s Instagram and Facebook. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy mud season this year, and find inspiration for the next time you need a mud-friendly hike!
Northwestern Vermont: Colchester Causeway and Mt. Philo
The Colchester Causeway, a crushed gravel rail trail, separates Lake Champlain and Malletts Bay, following the rail bed of the old Island Line Railway. From Causeway Park in Colchester, it’s a little over 6-miles round trip out to The Cut and back. The trail features sweeping views of the Adirondacks to the west, and Mount Mansfield, Bolton, Camels Hump, and Mounts Abe and Ellen to the east. This trail is also accessible and bikeable, so it has many recreation options.
Mt. Philo, Vermont’s first state park, is a great warm-up to hiking season. Located in Charlotte, hikers can hike up the paved auto road for beautiful views of Lake Champlain, Vermont’s farmland, and the Adirondack Mountains. The summit includes several scenic overlooks with benches and picnic tables to enjoy a snack and a view. The hike is a little over 2 miles round trip and provides elevation for an excellent training hike.
View this hike on TrailFinder.
Northeast Kingdom: Eagle Point Wildlife Management Area and the Nulhegan River Trail
The Northeast Kingdom has many great hiking spots, and if you’re looking for a pleasant stroll with views of Lake Memphremagog and wetlands, check out Eagle Point Wildlife Management Area in Newport City. Part of the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, it features a 1.6-mile trail through meadow right along the Canadian border. It’s a beautiful spot for birding, with waterfowl, birds of prey, and songbirds flying all around. There’s also a short trail to a wetland overlook with views of Hall’s Creek.
View this hike on TrailFinder.
Another great mud season hike is the Nulhegan River Trail in the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. This 1-mile hike starts behind the Visitor Center and meanders along the Nulhegan River. There’s some elevation change at the start and end of the hike but is another great easy trail.
View this hike on TrailFinder.
West Central Vermont: Mount Independence State Historic Site
This 1.6-mile crushed gravel accessible trail winds through the southern part of Mount Independence, features several short spur trails, and has 15 interpretive stops along the way detailing the site’s historical significance before and during the Revolutionary War and the archaeological features uncovered during excavations in the 1990s.
As a student of history, my favorite part was walking past the foundations of buildings long since gone and imagining the infrastructure built nearly 250 years ago!
View this hike on TrailFinder.
Southwestern Vermont: The Equinox Preserve
While there is access to the summit of Mt. Equinox, there are several options for low-elevation trails that can be linked together to explore the Equinox Preserve in Manchester, VT. The trails take hikers on packed earth trails through hardwood forests, with the opportunity to connect to Pond Loop around Equinox Loop. Along the trails, evidence of spring can be found with sounds of birds and sightings of spring ephemerals!
View this hike on TrailFinder.
Southeastern Vermont: Putney Mountain
The Putney Mountain Association and the Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve offer many hiking options around Putney Mountain, all at low elevations below 2,500 feet. I hiked to Pauls’ Ledges, a 3.4-mile loop through the woods ending with beautiful views of Stratton Mountain. Paul’s Ledges is in a large clearing with a picnic table, so it’s a perfect place for lunch or a snack after the hike up.
If you’re looking for an easy hike around a gorgeous pond, check out the Pond Loop at Grout Pond. This 2.6-mile hike takes you around a beautiful Vermont pond, where there are also opportunities for camping (for more information check out the Forest Service’s page. The trail has minimal elevation, several wooden boardwalks to navigate the wet, low-lying areas, and has beautiful views of Stratton Mountain.
View this hike on TrailFinder.
Forest Roads Statewide
Central and Southern Vermont are crisscrossed with forest service roads, which make for great “choose your own adventure” hikes! Class 4 roads and forest roads in the Green Mountain National Forest give hikers the opportunity to hike on durable surfaces, explore new parts of the forest, and get some elevation hiking in.
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