Vermont Stick Season Hikes That Get Better After the Leaves Fall
November 03, 2025
Seasoned hikers know that stick season is one of the best times to explore the trails. Sure, the crowds are gone. But what’s even better is that without the leaf cover, new vistas open up through the hardwoods with surprising views you can’t see in summer.
Here are six Vermont stick season hikes—recommended by the Green Mountain Club—where the views get better after the leaves are down.
-The payoff of hiking in stick season is seeing different views not possible in summer.
West Ridge Trail, Bennington
Mileage and elevation gain: variable
The West Ridge Trail threads through the heart of the Glastenbury Wilderness, a place that feels remote and wild no matter the season. But in late fall when the canopy opens, hikers are rewarded with peekaboo views of both Bald Mountain and Glastenbury Mountain through the bare hardwoods.
The 6.8-mile ridge connects the two summits and can be reached via the Bald Mountain Trail (4 miles from Bennington) or Bear Wallow Trail (2 miles from Woodford). The forest feels especially vast and quiet this time of year. It’s an ideal spot to appreciate Vermont’s wilderness and forests before the snow falls.
Keep in mind that the only exits from the West Ridge Trail are at either mountain.
Ice Beds Trail, Wallingford
1.4 miles round trip, ~300 feet elevation gain
Short but striking, the Ice Beds Trail is a geological gem tucked in the White Rocks National Recreation Area. The path climbs gently from the picnic area to a knoll opposite the White Rocks Cliffs, where ancient Cheshire quartzite was exposed over 12,000 years ago. With no leaves to block the view, the cliffs shine in stark contrast against the gray sky.
-Stick season in the Northeast Kingdom.
Bluff Mountain Community Trail, Brighton
3.1 miles round trip, ~1,074 feet elevation gain
In the Northeast Kingdom, Bluff Mountain offers one of the region’s best stick season climbs. The Community Trail begins in a mixed forest of pine and hardwoods before ascending a stone staircase and passing through a small bog. With the leaves down, south-facing views open up dramatically as you near the top.
Take the yellow-blazed Lookout Trail for a sweeping vista over Island Pond and the surrounding hills. The loop option adds a bit more challenge, but the reward is the quiet beauty of Vermont’s northern mountains.
-A hiker on the trail during Vermont stick season. Courtesy / Green Mountain Club
Green Mountain Trail, Danby
6.7 miles round trip, ~1,000 feet elevation gain
The Green Mountain Trail forms a scenic loop through mixed hardwoods and leads to a quiet summit overlooking Southern Vermont. Beginning on Brooklyn Road, the trail climbs gradually past viewpoints that are far more expansive once the leaves are gone.
In stick season, you can trace the shape of Little Rock Pond below and follow the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail south along its shoreline. You can extend the hike to 11.3 miles (and about 1,800 feet of gain) by starting at Homer Stone Brook Trail in South Wallingford—a worthy challenge.
-A hiking trail during stick season in Bolton.
Stimson Ridge, Bolton
8.6 miles round trip, ~1,600 feet elevation gain
Rising above Route 2 in Bolton, Stimson Ridge is a section of the Long Trail that feels different in every season. In stick season, this hike is spectacular. As the hardwood leaves fall, views of the Winooski River Valley and the surrounding ridgelines unfold in all directions.
From the Long Trail parking area, climb a series of switchbacks to meet the Duck Brook Trail (the “Old LT”), then continue toward Buchanan Shelter.
Without summer’s dense foliage, this hike offers glimpses of the valley and the mountains that frame it, making the climb well worth the effort.
Green Mountain Club directions
Spruce Mountain Fire Tower, Plainfield
4.4 miles round trip, ~1,180 feet elevation gain
A favorite among central Vermont hikers, Spruce Mountain in Groton State Forest leads to a classic fire tower with 360-degree views. The trail winds through hardwoods, then transitions into spruce-fir forest as you approach the summit. Along the way, small clearings and boulder fields offer new perspectives on the forest below, with views that are even clearer when the trees are bare.
At the top, climb the fire tower for a panorama stretching from the Green Mountains to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. On a crisp, stick-season day, visibility can be stunning, revealing the subtle contours of Groton State Forest and distant peaks dusted with early snow.
Safety tips for hiking during hunting season
- Wear blaze orange clothing that is visible from both the front and the back.
- Avoid wearing brown or white, the colors of a deer.
- Be especially careful while hiking in valleys and near roads and trailheads.
- Avoid hiking during dawn and dusk due to low visibility.
- Please leave your dogs at home. If you bring them along, dress your dogs in bright bandanas or a blaze orange vest.
- Wave and talk to let hunters know you’re there.
- Stick to well-populated trails where hunters are likely to avoid.
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-Main image: The view from Giles Mountain fire tower in Norwich, October 2025. Another great stick season hike! And my first climb to the top of a fire tower (I’m afraid of heights), thanks to the guidance of my friend Rob Gurwitt, editor and founder of Daybreak.
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