Vermont offers hiking adventures for every pace and season where sweeping views, lush forests, and natural landmarks await around every turn. From rugged mountain summits to serene lakeshore paths, listed below are hiking opportunities showcasing the state’s most iconic trails and parks.
vermonts highest peak
Mount Mansfield rises above Underhill State Park with open ledges, alpine krummholz, and long views over the Green Mountains and Champlain Valley. Hikers move quickly from shady hardwood forest to a windswept ridge that feels rugged, airy, and distinctly high-country.
Iconic open summit cone
Camel’s Hump crowns Camel’s Hump State Park with a distinctive, bald summit and wide views over central Vermont and the surrounding Green Mountains. The climb threads through deep forest and ledgy switchbacks before breaking into open rock, where the mood shifts to big-sky, breezy, and quietly dramatic.
Green Mountains ski summit
Killington Peak towers above Killington with open ski slopes, lift lines, and forested ridges stretching across the Green Mountains. In summer the mountain feels like a high alpine balcony, blending quiet wooded approaches with lively base-area energy and broad, layered mountain views.
Compact granite vista perch
Stowe Pinnacle in CC Putnam State Forest tops out on a smooth granite dome facing Mount Mansfield and the Stowe valley. The short, steep trail feels like a fast elevator from mixed hardwoods to a bright, breezy ledge where the landscape drops away in a wide, photogenic sweep.
Champlain valley overlook
Mt. Philo State Park lifts a small, wooded summit above farms, Lake Champlain, and the distant Adirondacks. The walk has a relaxed, neighborhood-mountain feel, with gentle switchbacks, grassy picnic ledges, and a cozy summit loop that’s made for sunrises, sunsets, and easy repeats.
Gorge-side river walkway
Quechee State Park centers on a deep, forest-framed gorge where the Ottauquechee River carves through layered rock below a high roadway bridge. Trails and viewpoints feel relaxed and close-to-town, with the steady rush of water, shifting light on the cliffs, and easy paths between overlooks.
Forest rail-grade waterfall hike
The Lye Brook Falls Trail in Manchester follows an old rail-grade path through mossy hardwood forest toward a tall, stepped cascade on a rocky wall. The walk feels quietly immersive and steadily shaded, ending in a cool amphitheater of spray, wet stone, and tall trunks framing the falls.
Boardwalk to tiered falls
Thundering Brook Falls Trail in Killington uses a wooden boardwalk and short path to reach a multi-tiered waterfall dropping through a narrow, wooded ravine. The setting feels compact and accessible, with the sound of rushing water, wet rock faces, and glimpses of surrounding wetland and forest.
Steep gorge swimming hole
Bingham Falls Trail in Stowe descends through hemlock forest and stone steps to a churning waterfall and deep, emerald pool tucked in a rock-walled gorge. The experience is short but vivid, with cool air, echoing water, and smooth ledges that make the spot feel like a hidden pocket in the valley.
Lakeshore cliff woods loop
Red Rocks Park in South Burlington winds soft forest paths out to red stone cliffs and pocket coves overlooking Lake Champlain and the Adirondack skyline. The trail network feels calm and neighborhood-friendly, mixing shaded loops, breezy viewpoints, and quiet shoreline spots just minutes from city streets.
Cliffside lake ridge hike
Willoughby State Forest rises above Lake Willoughby with trails that climb to narrow ridgelines and cliff-top windows over a deep, fjord-like lake. The hike feels dramatic yet intimate, with shaded forest sections, sudden ledge openings, and blue water laid out far below the rocky viewpoints.
Standalone summit with tower
Mount Ascutney State Park centers on a solitary peak rising steeply from the Connecticut River valley, with rocky outcrops and a summit fire tower facing New Hampshire’s hills. Trails feel like classic New England climbs, weaving through mature woods, boulder fields, and breezy viewpoints that reward steady effort.
Carriage roads & pond loops
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller in Woodstock blends historic estate grounds with wooded carriage roads, pondside paths, and gently graded hill walks. The experience is quietly pastoral, with tidy stone walls, shaded lanes, and layered forest views that make every loop feel both cultivated and deeply green.
Green-water shoreline circuit
Emerald Lake State Park wraps a bright, spring-fed lake in short shoreline trails, small overlooks, and wooded picnic clearings backed by low ridges. The mood is easygoing and summery, with clear shallows, mirrored tree lines, and gentle paths that invite slow laps around the water.
Lake Dunmore beach & bluffs
Branbury State Park sits on the shore of Lake Dunmore where sandy swimming areas meet forested slopes rising toward the Moosalamoo region. Trails and paths feel relaxed and varied, linking beachfront, shaded camp loops, and short climbs with filtered views over the lake and nearby hills.