Hike Suggestions Near Lake Willoughby, VT??

[ChileMass]

Hey all -

The family and camping group are venturing to the Green Mountian State for the first time on 7/21 - 25, and we need a couple of hiking suggestions. Our target is something from 1000-3000' of vertical, 4-6 miles round trip, nice views, not too far from the lake. Our group will include some people with hiking experience, but also some kids and relative newbies as well.

I have to admit that while I have skied many, many hills in VT, I have never hiked there, so looking forward to it. Thanks for the input.....

CM

 

[riverc0il]

I actually just hiked Mount Hor this afternoon, coincidentally. Nice short hike (~1.4-1.7ish miles one way depending on how many of the outlooks you visit) with one short steep and muddy section, mostly flat though. Only 700 vertical gain. Mount Wheeler is also a fairly short hike with two options. Mount Pisgah, on the other side of the lake) offers some fine views as well. Boss knows more about the area, but those are the three more well known peaks that I am familiar with. None of the mountains in this area are very tall nor the hikes long. Any number of them should be doable in the 4-6 hour range. The biggest of them all in the area is of course, Burke ringing in at 2000 verts with a fire tower up top with nice views of the Willoughby Gap and on a clear day, nice views of the spine of the northern Greens. Red and Blue trails are your options for hiking trails, I think you need to pick them up at the CCC road though so starting at mid-burke isn't a bad option to cut off a few hundred flat vertical feet.

 

[thetrailboss]

Chile--PM me. :wink: Some great places, but I'd prefer keeping them on the DL. :wink:

 

[ChileMass]

PM sent

 

[thetrailboss]

Received and reply sent.

 

[kingdom-tele]

my favorite hike in the area is bald mtn, TB probably already fillled you in, there are two hike options, the long pond trail is the shortest and the easiest, best views in the kingdom from the fire tower in my opinion, don't forget haystack, right around the corner from long pond, easy 1 mile hike with awesome south views to burke, can make that a 3 mile loop if you want as the south trail drops off the other side, the north trail to pisgah is a nice walk in the woods to and usually not as crowded as the south trail, they are all great, have fun

 

[thetrailboss]

Kingdom--have you been up Bald lately? Just wondering how crowded it is after Vermont Life proclaimed that it was one of the the best hikes in VT.

 

[kingdom-tele]

thats funny, i had know idea about that proclamation, i hike over there mid week after work, have yet to run into more than a few people, feels like the same ol' bald mtn so far, but then again i am not there on the weekend- head for longer day hikes along the long trail on the weekend- for me though meeting people on the trail is always more fun than meeting them at wal-mart