If you are looking to hike and summit Mount Killington, Bucklin Trail is a wonderful option. Much…read moremore of a traditional hike (as opposed to climbing the ski trails on the resort), the path is well-marked and well-maintained. It is approximately 7.5 miles round trip to the summit and back. It is marked with blue blazes that are easy to follow. To find the trailhead, you must turn down Wheelerville Road off Route 4... keep in mind that this is an unpaved road. After approximately 4 miles, you will reach a sharp turn in the road. There is a turnoff to the left with a decent sized area for parking. The trail begins here and remains relatively flat for almost 2 miles. It follows Brewers Brook for some time, with a couple of bridge crosses over its rocky waters. After the initial 2 miles, the trail begins to climb more steeply until it joins the Appalachian and Long Trail (follow the white blazes for this section). Along this section is Cooper Lodge, a refuge for backpackers... built in 1939, it is the highest shelter on the Long Trail. Unfortunately it was covered in graffiti (I mean really... who brings spray paint 4,000 feet up a mountain?). To end the hike you scramble up the last and steepest part of the climb, emerging from the treeline to a panoramic view of the surrounding Green Mountains. It took about 3.5-4 hours of actual trekking to complete the hike. I am not a fast hiker by any means and took several breaks along the way (especially as it got steep!). Beware of the black flies that swarm in the spring/early summer. Overall, I was very pleased with this hike. Waterfalls, rivers, bridges, panoramic views. Doesn't get better than that!

Peaceful wooded area surrounding the rushing river. Easy to navigate. Good parking lot. Part of the…read moreAppalachian Trail.

Look at me, parking the van and going for a semi-random walk in the woods. Yes, there is parking…read morehere for the Clarendon Gorge Appalachian Trailhead which meets up with the Long Trail (which runs through Vermont from the Massachusetts border to Canada and the Appalachian Trail. About a tenth of a mile down a well worth path from the trailhead is the Clarendon Gorge Bridge (which is also called the "Bob Brugmann Memorial Bridge" after a hiker who attempted to cross the raging river below but fell and died) that wobbles 30 feet or so over the riverbed. Yes, wobbles. It is a cable-suspension bridge and it was built in 1975 to replace an earlier bridge that was washed away in a flood in 1973. I expected it to be even wobblier but it has netting to keep you safe and the anchors look quite solid. Note that it's quite a drop into the riverbed from either side and there are no railings or protections to stop you from doing something stupid. Also, there is wildlife. Never hike alone and always bring a friend! [Review 18464 overall - 64 in Vermont - 1986 of 2022.]

I was looking for a short and easy hike with views and this place popped up after searching the…read moreinternet. There's a dirt road that leads to the parking area for this trail. The parking lot was packed when we went but some people were parking on the side of the road. There's a sign at the beginning of the trail which is a boardwalk. The boardwalk was nicely maintained and easy to walk on. The whole trail is 0.5 miles and it's out and back. Once we got to the dirt trail, there were a couple of other trail entrances which connects to the larger Appalachian Trail; we decided to head to the waterfall. There was a viewing platform and the waterfall was majestic! We climbed up to near the top of the waterfall and it was steep but worth it. If you're looking for an easy and kid-friendly hike, this is the one you can't miss if you're in the area. I also think it's stroller friendly.

Very easy hike to this huge, powerful waterfall…read more Since we were there in early April, snow has not been melted away. The first part of the walk was easy with clean planks, about half way. But towards the last part of the walk was a bit icy, so walk slowly. Nothing too concerned, but just be mindful of this. Be cautious and take your time, and you will get to the fall in time.

I stayed in the cabin moose and it was absolutely terrific! Very clean and spacious. The ceiling…read morefan kept us cool even during late summer heat. The bathrooms and showers were also very clean (just remember to bring quarters because you do have to pay for showers). There's lovely restaurants and nearby day hikes. 10/10!

Gifford Woods State Park is a great location for hikers (or any visitor to the Killington area for…read morethat matter) to bunk for a couple of nights. The park hosts 4 cabins, 22 tent/RV sites, and 21 lean-to sites located around two paved/well-maintained dirt roads on the premises. It appears to be open Memorial Day weekend to late October. It is a breeze to find, easily located just off Route 100. The Appalachian Trail runs right through the park so you may catch a glimpse of some thru-hikers on their journey between Maine and Georgia! The park is very well-maintained! The campsite was neatly raked, the fire pit cleaned out for use. I stayed at campsite #1 and it was quite spacious...a bit further removed from the road than the other campsites. The whole site was marked out with a fine gravel, plenty of room for parking and maneuvering the car. Each road loop contains modern bathrooms and coin-operated hot showers. There are areas for picnicking, volleyball, horseshoes, trash/recycling, and drinking water. Kent Pond is just across the way complete with boat launch and fishing! Booking and check-in were a breeze for this location. I called 10 days before our intended arrival and got a site no problem. On arrival, the ranger at the park office was very friendly and sold us firewood and ice straight from there. If you need any assistance during off-hours, the ranger lives in a cute house attached to the park office. They encouraged us to knock on the door at any time if we needed help. The campsite is pet-friendly and I came across quite a few well-behaved dogs during my stay. Quiet hours are from 10pm-7am. The park itself is pretty quiet all day long... I heard nothing but birds chirping, trees rustling, and a bit less-welcoming: the traffic from Route 100. This didn't bother me so much since I generally wear earplugs to sleep but something to consider if you prefer a more rustic atmosphere when camping. Tent sites are between $20-$22/night, $27-$29 for a lean-to site, and $50 for cabins. There is a 2-night minimum for reservations. Affordable, clean, convenient... I would definitely stay here again!

A great trip for anyone of any experience level in the outdoors! Me and my boyfriend chose the…read moreupper winding river and it was great! John is very accommodating, helpful, and has great energy on the trips. He even brought his dog which was a great surprise! One thing I would say to make sure of is that you check with John first to see how much the trip will cost, other than that we had an amazing experience!

Wonderful 4 days hiking and kayaking! The trails and…read morewaterways are gorgeous, food delicious, accommodations rustic and comfy. ATA is professionally run and takes care of everything--all you have to do is show up! Friendly and competent guides are icing on the cake!

We hiked this trail as part of a hiking vacation. It has about 1000 feet of elevation (you are in…read moreVT), and its a nice loop. Its a morning hike experience. Tons of "lookout points" - so nice views along the way. Near Rutland, VT. Plenty of easy parking. Dogs are allowed on this trail. I liked it, but not sure Id go out of my way to do it again. So many other hikes in the area.

Very poorly marked trail, went out for an hour-2 hour hike and ended up doing a 7 mile hike because…read moreit was so confusing!

Kent pond is a small pond that has some stunning foliage views where you can actually kayak or…read morecanoe. Great in fall but the water is cold. A Lil further down the street where you can actually walk or drive to is the water fall. A really short hike to the falls has small creeks and/or brooks along the way. The fall is pretty tall and if you want to be adventurous enough you can try going off the trail. I believe thos is part of the Appalachian trail.

Not much to say, just that the place is stunning and it felt really good to put my feet in the…read morewater after they were in hiking boots all day. There's a bench right by the water so you can sit and enjoy the peaceful. People were there with tiny boats so I assume that is another thing you can do there.

Love this place. Have been going for 3 years now. Multiple times a year. Super convenient, just 2…read moremins from the launch point. He makes it very easy to return the kayaks too. This is my number one option to rent kayaks at chittenden.

Stumbled onto this place by accident, on a visit to the breathtaking waters of the Chittenden…read morereservoir. These folks could not have been more accommodating. The prices were reasonable, and you can't get closer to the reservoir without jumping in. The kayaks were clean and in good condition, not the fanciest, but more than adequate for a daylong paddle. Best of all was the reservoir itself, surrounded by mountains, massive and gorgeous. You owe it to yourself to kayak here, and if you do, you can't do better than Reservoir Dawgs.

The Path of Life Garden and Sculpture Park blew me away…read more.. As the website describes: a 14-acre landscape where you can experience the great circle of life while traveling through 18 unique sculptures and pieces of art. Inspired by several gardens in Europe, the installations symbolize the journey from birth to death and beyond. So cool, don't mis this if you're in the area. (literally next door to the Harpoon Brewery)

My nephews (8 & 10) & I signed up for the tubing trip this morning. When they dropped us off, we…read morewere told that it would be best if we walked out a ways to the second cove in order to get the best current out into the water. We did that, with our cooler raft in tow. However, i ended up pushing my nephews in their tubes for about a half mile (past the second cove) before we were able to get going. This took about an hour and a half. About 3/4 the way through our time on the water, we heard thunder. I realized they hadn't covered what to do in the case of bad weather in the briefing. So thankfully I was able to call the company from my tube & they advised us to get out of the water if we heard thunder & wait 15 min before getting back in. We heard thunder in and off for about 45 min so stayed out of the water on some rocks while we waited. I felt like we were bothering the company when they called & they didn't seem at all concerned, telling me it was a passing shower. After we returned to the water, we saw some lightening so I tried getting us over to shore. The water was getting choppy & we weren't going anywhere so I got out of my tube & pulled all of us to shore. We built a small shelter using our tubes & tried to stay dry but at this point, it was pouring. I called the company again & they said there was nothing they could do & couldn't come pick us up based on our location. I checked my GPS & we were .6 miles away from our stopping location. The company told us to start walking back along the shore. We did that and along the way my nephew slipped on the rocks because it was still pouring. Finally, when we made it back, we had to drag all the gear up the hill (which was mentioned during the briefing but we weren't expecting to do this in the pouring rain. When we got back, I expressed my disappointment that they'd send anyone out with conditions like that expected as I truly felt our lives were in danger. The woman said no one was blaming anyone and I corrected her. Yes, I blame the company for putting our lives in danger. She explained that they had no idea about the weather conditions and that this system just popped up out of nowhere. I can understand that but at no point did anyone offer to come & help us. They could have easily walked from where they were & helped us walk back. I would not recommend this company due to the lack of safety measures & how isolated we felt when conditions got bad.