Nobody said getting back in shape was easy--but if you're going to suffer, you might as well do it somewhere beautiful. I picked a hiking trail in Vermont after getting lured in by some stunning photos online. Inspired (and slightly delusional), I stopped and picked up a pair of Oboz hiking shoes and some solid hiking socks--thankfully, one of my better decisions. Let me be clear: this trail was no joke. It twisted, turned, and climbed in ways that made my heart rate spike enough to question my life choices. At one point, I genuinely thought I heard Bigfoot breathing down my neck--turns out it was just me gasping for air. Here are the stats: 4,083 ft summit 7.4 miles round trip 2,645 ft vertical rise 6 hours of hiking The mountain is known as Tawabodi-e-wadso, which means "The Saddle Mountain" in the Waubawakee Native American language. Yes, I did my research--mainly because I felt like I needed to know the name of the place that almost killed me. (Kidding... kind of.) But here's the real truth: it was absolutely worth it. The trail winds through beautiful groves of maple and oak, with peaceful river streams breaking up the climb. It was majestic, serene, and a perfect reminder of why nature is one of the best places to push your limits. And yes, the shoes held up like champs. Bottom line: A tough but rewarding hike--equal parts humbling and awe-inspiring. If you're looking to reconnect with nature and your cardiovascular system, this one's for you. read more

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We started the hike via the Huntington parking lot and hikes the Burrow trail. Do not underestimate this hike. It is all incline up and lots of rock scrambling. We are not experienced hikes and took us 5 hrs to finish. It is true that it is shaded the whole time, but no one mentioned about the amount of bugs on the whole trail. After asking a local, we find out that they are called "black flies". They are small and annoying little bugs that cling on to your skin and bite you. We put bugs spray but did not keep them away from us. Apparently they come in season that received alot of rain. (first week of June) And it just happens to hatch new eggs as the weather gets hot and wet. So if you plan to hike this with there is alot of rain, I suggest wearing a netted hat. Because these flies are soon annoying and just takes out the fun of the hike. Although it was not an easy hike with annoying bugs biting our skin, the summit was one of 360 view of the landscape. It is beautiful and view are breathtaking!!!! read more

Camel's Hump State Park - Hiking Near Me - Duxbury, Vermont

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The hike is about 2.4 miles one way and it's very rocky for the most part. Not as steep as the Sterling Pond trail near Smuggler's Notch (2,000 ft elevation gain vs 3,000 ft in 1 mile) but still pretty challenging. The view up top is incredible and definitely worth the effort. read more

Camel's Hump State Park - Hiking Near Me - Duxbury, Vermont

Best view out of all summits I've done this season (Mt.Abe, Snake Mtn., Mansfield and Mt. Mooselamoo)! CH is easily recognizable and is 3rd highest peak in VT. I hiked Burrows Trail (Huntington) on a sunny July Sunday. I arrived about 11:45am. This is a hard rated trail with just over 5M rtn and about 2500ft in elevation gain. Hiking Only and dogs on leash. +++. Undeveloped Park! No gondolas, hotels and no lifts. ++. Mostly Experienced and courteous hikers and their 4 legged companions =. While the trail provided a decent workout, it's canopied the whole way and no views until you approach the summit /rock scramble. The trail itself is heavily rooted and rocky the whole way. The only big boulders are Carpenters until near the summit scramble. Heavy traffic - at least 75 people going up and down. +. 4 outhouses at the parking lot. No running water and no facilities on the trail. +++. Best view from the summit! 360 Mass to Canada and NY to NH. Lots of peaks and the big lake. Awesome breeze at the top. - Traffic at the summit / at least 25 people were already perched there. This is a very popular Mtn. There were 2 hosts from GMC there and were friendly. - Parking is free but tight. There were at least 50 cars and the lot accommodates about 20... so rest were outside dirt parking along the tight dirt road. Overall, I found this trail to be too popular. The fun parts were the long rock scramble close to the summit and vistas after I reached alpine vegetation. CH joins Long Trail towards the final ascent to summit. The view was fantastic even with so many people. Maybe Monroe route next time for less traffic and a longer workout. f read more

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Camel's Hump State Park, home to Vermont's second-tallest mountain peak "Camel's Hump" (the same mountain featured on the Vermont Quarter coin design), is a fantastically beautiful and vast public space to enjoy the outdoors. I visited the state park to climb the 4,083 foot peak and it was one of the best climbs I have had in some time. I accessed the park through Huntington Center, down Camel's Hump Road and took the Burrow's trail... a 5.6 mile round trip adventure on foot from the parking lot. Speaking of, the lot fills up quickly though there seemed to be plenty of cars parking to one side of the dirt road leading up to it. Keep in mind the later you start, the more distance you may have to add to your hike. The trail itself is a popular one so expect some traffic on the way up and down in the warmer months. It is well-marked and cared for though so it is not surprising how many people choose it as their route to the top! After reaching the summit, I continued onto the Long Trail then the Alpine Trail to check out the wreckage left from a B-27 Bomber that crashed into the mountain side in 1944 while on a training mission. Just the wings are left, but it certainly added some history and depth to my time in the park. Memorial Day having just passed, the crash site was adorned with small American flags. Even if you don't trek all the way down to the site from the summit, do take some time to check out the views from this side of the mountain. They were some of the best from the day. Stay on the rocks as you reach the summit so as to not disturb the fragile vegetation at that altitude. I passed a lot of dogs on this hike so it is certainly canine-friendly. A must-visit! read more

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Love, love, love this hike. I grew up climbing Camels Hump, and now I hike it whenever I'm in town (about once a year). It's a great workout with fantastic shade throughout, and the views at the top are phenomenal. Although it's much harder in winter, you can hike it year round. Great for dogs but may be challenging for some. read more

Camel's Hump State Park - Izzy at the summit - Hiking Near Me - Duxbury, Vermont

Decided to hike this for Memorial Day and it was so worth the 2.5 mile ascent. Summit views are spectacular. I can see why this is the most popular hike in the area. The route is very rocky, so wear proper hiking shoes. Saw a woman struggling in flimsy flip-flops near the start (not sure what she was thinking). It's dog friendly and people are really good about being respectful of others on the trail. Better to get there early morning (8am) to avoid some of the crowds. A definite must see if in Vermont and you like to hike. read more

This mountain is no joke! We did the "easier" trail and it still took us about and hour and a half going at a brisk pace. Very steep once you get towards the top, my quads were on fire! But some neat trails along the way. However when we got to the top, not a view to be seen, all clouds!! :(( so it wasn't even worth it but I got a good workout so there's that. read more

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The parking area for Camel's Hump is located down a long dirt road. It's a little rough, but we made it just fine in a Mazda 6. The mountain gets quite crowded, so show up early. One of the great things about Camel's Hump is that you can combine the Forest City and Burrows trails to form a loop. I would recommend going up Forest City, unless you feel like beating on your knees. Camel's Hump is one of the few mountains in New England where you can experience true alpine conditions. Stay on the trail, and be wary of the fragile alpine plantlife. Sadly, we had about five feet of visibility at the summit. Judging by some of the excellent views we had at lower elevations, I can only assume that the view from the top must be stunning on a clear day. For being over 4,000 ft, Camel's Hump isn't all that difficult of a hike, yet it does take a while. It's worth the trip. read more

A new New England favorite. Great trail network and the highest undeveloped peak in VT - no roads or ski chairs in site. Sweet views at the top between Lake Camplain, Mt. Mansfield, etc. Well traveled but well cared for. Worth doing your research before you climb. There are 2 main access points, one the west and one on the East side of the mountain. If you plug in the park into GPS it will take you to the west/Huntington/Burrow's trail. We opted to access from the east/Duxbury/Monroe trail. And we're glad we did! We made our day a whole lot longer and interesting by going up via Monroe to Dean and down via Aline to Monroe. The summit was packed, but delightfully we were alone most of our time on the trail, especially on Dean and Alpine. Not only was the climb a blast and a half, but with Waterbury right outside the park, their were bountiful options for dinner and drinks after we got off the mountain. read more

This is some great hiking. We accessed the mountain through the town of Huntington Center. Once you turn onto Camel Hump Road, it's about a 3 mile ride to the parking lot. It's a bumpy unpaved ride at that. Nothing the truck couldn't handle though. We couldn't believe there were houses all the way up the road. Winters must be brutal. The parking lot starts off at 1,800 feet and the peek is 4,083 feet. 4.8 miles roundtrip on the Burrows Trail, but there are other trails you can pick up at the top for a nice longer loop back to the parking lot. The wife and I are used to 1,200 foot climbs in the Hudson Valley and Catskill region, so for us, a 2,300 foot climb was awesome. There were times during the climb when I thought she was going to kick my ass, but hey, it was my turn to pick the activity. The smells of Christmas appear as you get closer to the top and you know you're so close. You'll eventually reach a clearing where four of the trails meet. The peak is just another .3 miles and worth it. Once you reach the peak you feel accomplished. It was a cloudy day for us and the views were non existent, but we did get some great shots and plan on going back on a clear day. As always, the hike down is easy. Once you start to see your vehicle from the trail, you feel some relief. The below link has great info about the mountain along with a downloadable pdf map for your phone. http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/camelshump.htm Make sure to stop at On The Rise bakery in Richmond for an after hike snack. read more

A sick VT hike. The unpaved path was a bit rough on our compact rental car's tires, but it was hardly whiplash. We first did the view trail, which was a pleasant 20 minute stroll. As a pack of testosterone fueled college males, we decided to embark on the Monroe trail. Not many great views, but the Hump boasts some fun hiking, especially as you get higher up. In the middle of May, it got snowier and snowier as it got rockier and more and more treacherous - so I loved it. Plenty of spots to chill for a second next to a creek. Not a difficult climb, but we didn't make it to the top solely due to time constraints. It's in your best interest to start before noon if you want to descend while there's still light out. read more

This mountain was my first mountain hike. When my buddies and I went there it was -6 °F at the base, and much colder at the top with wind chills (About -20). Dress in many layers if you go when its that cold, and you'll find yourself shedding a few layers to cool off. Monroe trail starts off easy and moderately steepens. With 3 inches of snow on the trail, micro-spikes are certainly helpful. It took about 3 hours or so to summit, and about 1 hour to descent via Monroe trail again. Being from Rhode Island, I had never seen mountains like this before. I was amazed by the scenery, it was beautiful! I made a video of our ascent, linked below. The video description has a little info on how we drove to the wrong side of the mountain, plan ahead with your GPS. Overall a fantastic hike, I would without a doubt 100% recommend this hike if you are not in too bad of shape! Comment on the video if you have any questions! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIHW6-G-M6g read more