Hiking in
the Northeast Kingdom is like Hiking in Alaska.
There are over 1,313,710 acres of land; 71,315 acres of public state forestlands
and parks. There are many commercial campgrounds, and State Parks that allow
primitive camping along with those of you who wish to bring your mobile home
with you. All of our towns, villages, ski , lake side resorts and outdoor
recreation centers offer suggestions on a glorious spring, summer or autumn hike
or walk in their area, and every one is worth taking in. A lifetime of hiking
adventure awaits you in the Northeast Kingdom.
- 2,053 square miles in the Kingdom;
- 1,313,710 acres of land;
- 71,315 acres of public state forest lands and
parks;
- 1,632 acres of public federal forest lands and
parks;
- 5,855 acres of public lakes and ponds;
- 3,840 miles of public rivers and streams;
- 50 public boat launches on the lakes in the Kingdom;
- In addition, thousands of miles of snowmobile
trails.
A few simple precautions will insure your safety: turn back if weather
threatens; hike with a partner; pack plenty of food and clothing; carry a first
aid kit, and let someone know your itinerary. Another useful thing to learn is
how to communicate in Morse Code with a whistle, in case you ever become
stranded or disabled. You should also think of bringing along your cell phone
and spare battery or other communication device.
Finally, while maximizing enjoyment of your backcountry ventures, you must
always minimize your impact on nature when hiking or camping. Just follow the
rule of thumb, "Pack it in; pack it out". Let us all do our part to keep Island
Pond and the Northeast Kingdom as beautiful as it is now for decades to come!
Hiking The Lands owned by the Paper
Companies
With the great expanse of land owned by the paper companies in the
"Northeast Kingdom", if you plan on hiking on these lands, please remember that
you are on private land that is open to the public except were posted. The paper
company does not permit overnight camping. Also it would be a good idea to bring
along some topo-maps, compass or GPS and keep track of where you've been. There
are many side roads and moose trails, etc. and it is very easy to get lost.
Some Great Hikes!
Burke Mountain, East Burke,
VT.
Overview:
The only ways to get up Burke are via the toll road or ski trails. The good news
is that the toll road is not busy, even during the summer. It should take you
less than 2 hours to get to the top. You'll climb about 1,800 vertical feet. The
hike is steady but not straining.
Getting there:
Take Route 5 north, through Lyndonville. Just north of Lyndonville, turn right
onto VT 114 (north) towards the town of East Burke. Just after the center of
East Burke, take a right onto the access road for Burke Mountain. (there is a
large sign) Follow this road until you see the entrance to the toll road. Don't
take the earlier turn-off for the base lodge - you want to head towards the
mid-mountain lodge. The entrance to the auto road is just before the
mid-mountain lodge. There will be condos on your right.
The Trail:
Pretty self-explanatory. Follow the auto road to the top. You can also take some
ski trails, most of which connect with the auto road higher up the mountain. The
climb is steady, but somewhat gradual. At the start of the hike, you'll pass the
Burke Mountain Sugar House. About half way up, there is a nice picnic pavilion.
You'll know that you are almost to the top when you see the quad chairlift.
Just prior to the parking area at the top, continue to your left up to the
summit. (or take the summit trail from the parking lot). There is a
well-maintained fire tower just past the broadcast facilities. From the fire
tower, you'll have good views of the White Mountains as well as Lake Willoughby,
Mansfield and Jay.
Mount Pisgah ,
West Burke, VT.
Getting there:
Trail access is off of VT Route 5A. Take Route 5 to
West Burke, and turn onto Route 5A. Follow Route 5A for 5.9 miles to a parking
area located on the left side of the road. You can park on either side of the
road. If you get to the lake, you have gone too far.
The Trail:
The trail begins across from the parking area, on the east
side of the road. The entrance is marked by a small white sign that says "Pisgah
Trail." Light blue blazes mark the trail, but as of 4/98 many were faded or
missing.
Follow this trail across a swamp and some wooden bridges. The trail then follows
a ridge that parallels a pond. At the end of the ridge, the trail turns to the
right. This begins the climb. There is some water run-off in this area, so look
out for mud. You will climb a series of switchbacks on the well-maintained
trail. Eventually, you will follow a higher ridge, with several overlooks of
Lake Willoughby. Don't waste too much film here, because you'll have better
views of the lake later on.
The trail will turn away from this ridge, towards the east. It works its way
around the back-side of the summit and eventually to a large flat rock
out-cropping. Take some time on this rock to enjoy the views of Burke, Mansfield
and Sugarbush. The trail continues on the top of the rock. Keep your eyes open.
After a couple hundred yards, there will be a left turnoff for the trail that
goes to the overlook of the lake. Look for a trail that goes steeply down
towards the west.
Note: As of 4/98 there
were many blowdowns at the higher elevations. This is damage from the ice storm.
Navigation is trickier, but not difficult.
Willoughby State Forest,
Westmore, VT
South Trail. Parking is off Rt.5A,
trail is 3.5 miles and a moderate-difficult walk. Sweeping views of the
Northeast Kingdom, after steep climb through rocky trail to the lookout of
Pulpit Rock.
Jay Peak, Jay, VT
This hike begins on Rt. 242, 9.5 miles
northeast of Montgomery Center. Park in the small parking area where the Long
Trail crosses Rt. 242. Just north of the highway, the Atlas Valley Shelter is
located, it can accommodate up to four hikers. The Jay Loop Trail begins just
north of here. Follow this trail .2 miles to Jay Camp, a frame cabin with bunk
space. The Jay Loop rejoins the Long Trail 12 miles to the north. Views from the
open summit of Jay Peak are among the best in the east displaying the White
Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, Owl's Head in Quebec
and the magnificent Lake Memphremagog which straddles the international border
of the United States and Canada.
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