A great, "quick" hike that is pretty aggressive for flatlander tourists visiting the Killington area. What it is short in distance is made up with altitude, attitude and a reward at the end.
We were taking the scenic route from Western NY to Manchester NH and were looking for a nice 1-hour roadside hike and this certainly fit the bill.
AllTrails has this trail marked as a "Moderate". Please understand that this is a very subjective scale and that for avid mountain hikers, this might be an easy climb, but if you're a tourist visiting from NYC or Boston, be ready for a workout.
The trail is very intimidating at the beginning. It's heavily traveled and eroded with lots of roots and boulders exposed. You can tell that it could scare a lot of people int stopping and turning around. Don't fall for it. Not saying it's a piece of cake later but it's a clearer central trail.
The trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail, which gives it some credibility and a little bragging right.
The view at the end of this out-and-back is a tremendous reward and of course, the downhill return is much easier with gravity on your side. Just watch your step, it's very easy to mess up an ankle. read more