Hiking Mount Mansfield, Vermont
Climbing Mount Mansfield is definitely one of the better hikes we’ve done in Vermont so far. Mount Mansfield is located in Smuggler’s Notch State Park near the town of Stowe, famous for its winter sports facilities. Rising up to 4,393 feet (1,339 meters), it is the tallest mountain in Vermont.
According to Wikipedia, Mount Mansfield is one of only three places in the state where alpine tundra from the Ice Ages still survives. It is both an extremely fragile place and the most-visited mountain in Vermont, which is all the more reason to stay on the designated trails when hiking.
When you look at the mountain from the east, it kind of looks like the profile of a man’s face. Several prominent points on the mountain are named after facial features; the Adam’s Apple, Chin, Nose and Forehead are a few examples.
There are several trails to the summit, the most popular of which is the Long Trail North. The Long Trail is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the USA and runs from southern Vermont to the Canadian border, along the ridges of the Green Mountains.
We went down along the Long Trail, but up via the shortest and steepest possible way. (After hiking the Precipice Trail in Maine, we now like a challenge!)
Hell Brook Trail – Long Trail Loop
The Hell Brook Trail runs straight up the mountain. Literally, there is no shorter way to get from Mount Mansfield’s base to its summit.
It runs steeply up the east face towards the Chin, where it joins the Adam’s Apple Trail and, shortly after, the Long Trail in Eagle Pass. The Hell Brook Trail essentially follows the Hell Brook and climbs steadily for 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) to the Chin.
From there it is another 0.3 mile (0.5 kilometer) to the summit. The trail is rocky – you have to use your hands to climb up rocks – and mostly wet – sometimes you actually walk in the Hell Brook.
Because it is so wet and slippery, the recommended direction to hike this trail is up. If you want to go back down the same way, it is suggested to use walking poles. It is a scenic trail, too, occasionally offering excellent views.
But because it is also quite challenging, the trail is a lot quieter than the popular Long Trail. This makes it a wonderfully rewarding route to Mount Mansfield’s summit.
Before joining the Long Trail, the trail flattens out for a short while before ascending steeply again towards the summit, the highest point in Vermont.
After spending about an hour and a half in solitude ascending the Hell Brook Trail, you will most likely be surprised by the amount of people at the summit. When we got there, there were dozens of people sitting around. The crowd didn’t really bother us though.
The views were spectacular, as you may expect from a mountain this size. It was windy and chilly at the summit and I had forgotten to bring a sweatshirt – an embarrassing rookie mistake.
We quickly ate our sandwiches and headed back down; this time along the Long Trail South. This steady 2.3-mile (3.7-kilometer) descent took us another hour and a half minutes to complete.
Hiking Mount Mansfield
A short walk along the road brought us back to our car that was parked at the large Long Trail South parking lot.
This Hell Brook Trail-Long Trail loop includes about 1.25 miles of walking on the road; the total distance is a little more than 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) and it takes roughly three hours and twenty minutes to complete the full loop.
You hike so we don’t have to! Haha. Man, those pictures. Woo-wee.
Haha, and I’m loving it! Thanks, I’m glad you like my photos, Ryan. 🙂
One of my favorite hikes! No matter how many times I’ve hiked Mansfield it always surprises me to see the amount of people at the top. Hit up Camel’s Hump next!
Looks beautiful and I know I’d love this hike. Superb view from the top.
The views were phenomenal, indeed, Leigh!
Hi Bram, thanks for the info of Mt Mansfield. I am curious about the pics you took of you and Carolin on the summit of Mt Mansfield. It appears you are standing where it is not recommended because of growth…just a friendly comment.
Hi Helen. I agree that it may appear as such, but I assure you that we never ventured outside of the designated areas for hiking on Mount Mansfield (or anywhere else). The areas where you’re allowed to go are clearly marked.
I was impressed that you started the post by talking about alpine vegetation on Mt. Mansfield. I definitely looks like you and Caroline were standing in the sedge for your summit photos. If you were I just wanted to point out that any vegetation on or off the trail is fragile and it’s really important that you stand and walk only on rocks while in the alpine area. Footsteps on the vegetation compress the soil which leads to major vegetation die back in the long run. I just wanted to point that out for anyone replicating this hike so that we can preserve Mansfield for everybody!
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for commenting! You are absolutely right, we were standing just off the trail for those two photos (in pretty much the same spot), but we would never, EVER, walk in an area that’s fenced off. I do appreciate your point that any vegetation along the trail near the summit is fragile and I do encourage people not follow the bad, albeit legal, example I’ve set in this post. Thank you again for leaving such an important comment.