During this past summer of 2020, I did my best to discover as many new trails in the nearby area as possible. As you can probably tell from the existence of this blog, I absolutely love spending time outdoors and exploring the natural beauty of the picturesque state where I am now a resident. However, spending time in the outdoors seemed especially important during this particular summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic; I was acutely aware that an unusual and challenging school year lay ahead for myself as an educator, and was equally aware of the potential for a lot more time indoors than usual taking place this coming winter.
The point is: the Haystack Mountain trail was on my list of places to explore during the summer. I should note right now that there are two Haystack Mountains (that I am aware of; perhaps there are even more?) in Vermont: one in Pawlet and one in Wilmington. I visited the Haystack Mountain in Wilmington with my husband and my always-adventure-ready corgi, Fiddle, in late July 2020.
The start of the Haystack Mountain trail in Wilmington, VT. 
Fiddle enjoyed the wet rocks. 
The woods surrounding the trail.
Getting to Wilmington’s Haystack Mountain involved some less-than-paved roads that made us quite thankful that we were hiking in the summer, rather than during the potentially treacherous mud season. We arrived relatively early in the morning and only saw one or two other cars at this time, so it was fairly simple to maintain social distance during the ascent (the descent was another story). We also had the fortune of good weather on our side, with the sun shining brightly in the summer sky, though the ground was still somewhat wet from the previous day’s rain.
The start of the Haystack Mountain trail is a simple, flat gravel road that is very barely inclined. This road constitutes approximately the first half mile of the 5-mile trail. On the positive side, this gives you some time to get going before any serious hiking challenges (for example: roots, rocks, and steep hills) appear. On the less than positive side, it’s not as visually appealing as the rest of the trail, though this is still Vermont and there’s still green mountain state beauty to be found throughout this whole mountain trail.
After that first half mile, the Haystack Mountain trail gets a lot more lively; it gets steeper, with many roots and rocks throughout. Personally, I brought hiking poles to help with the balance on the unstable ground, and I was glad I did. (Even if you don’t bring poles, I would suggest at least making sure to wear a decent pair of hiking boots.) The plant life surrounding the trail also gets more interesting as you get deeper into the woods, There are wild flowers, ferns, berries, and more, as you head up to the summit. The trail narrows as you ascend, as well. We were generally going single file after that first half mile.
When you reach this sign, you are very close… 
Roots and rocks abound. 
Plant life on the trail: berries!
There is a sign that indicates when there is a mere 0.3 miles left to the summit, which you would see after hiking the for about an hour and a half, a little over two miles. The section of the trail following this sign is the steepest and most challenging part of this mountain adventure. However, I suppose if the short legs of a corgi can handle it, it could be worse! I was fine going up, but needed some help from my husband getting down, which is a regular pattern of mine when hiking (I believe it’s because uphill = using your leg muscles, while downhill = using your core muscles – I need to work on some core strength…).
Once we we reached the summit, the view was, of course, beautiful, with the green mountains seeming to roll on for miles and miles as we looked out. Another pair of hikers were up there, as well, and it seemed like there was room for our two groups but not much more. We stopped to eat sandwiches for lunch and just as we were finishing, a line to the summit started forming with multiple groups arriving. In normal times, the crowding would be an inconvenience, but it’s especially something to be aware of during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, considering how difficult it can be to maintain social distance.
The descent was less than ideal in several ways. First of all, despite having hiking poles, I managed to get distracted for a moment (I’m never going to talk to my husband while on a downhill incline again!), slip on a loose stick, and fall backwards right on to my tailbone. This resulted in a less than comfortable hike down, and it ended up taking a few weeks (!) to fully recover. That was one thing and the crowds were another. Due to the fact that the trail was very narrow, it was a bit of a challenge to have to step aside frequently, not only for social distancing purposes, but simply so hikers could pass us or vice versa. Considering all of this, I was relieved when we reached the wider, gravel area once again.
Overall, I am glad I had the opportunity to explore this trail. I do not blame the trail at all for my fall! It’s a good workout with much natural beauty to offer, and an especially lovely view at the summit. The hike takes about three hours overall, so you can enjoy the adventure without it taking up your whole day. However, I would caution anyone who is planning to visit to consider how narrow the trail is and how little space there is at the summit. I’d imagine this trail is best to visit during the early morning hours on a weekday, if possible, or perhaps during the very early morning or late afternoon on a weekend. The views at the top are absolutely worth the challenge.
Freshly Vermont rating: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆