In the past year, I have had the fantastic opportunity to head to Manchester, Vermont and visit the Equinox Preserve three times. The first time, my husband, my energetic corgi Fiddle, and I explored all of the lower trails, as well as the absolutely gorgeous pond. The second time Fiddle stayed home and my husband and I got a great workout by climbing to the summit of Equinox Mountain (and, of course, back down). Finally, we brought Fiddle back to check out the trails in the middle (and to return to the pond because, man, is it beautiful). Each one of the 914 acres making up this stunning and well-organized area is a delight. It is a completely free way to spend a few hours or a whole day basking in the loveliness of Vermont nature.

The Lower Trails

If you look at the map of the Equinox preserve trails, you will see a great variety of trails with little elevation. These trails include the West Union trail, which is the entrance, as well as the easygoing Flatlanders Pass, the short but sweet Aspen trail, and the peaceful Red Gate and Snicket trails, and the awe-inspiring Pond Loop.

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All of these trails are clearly marked and the map at the entrance provides helpful information. There are even suggested routes based on the time you have available, with the Flatlanders Pass to the Pond Loop being suggested for those that have an hour to spare. As mentioned (and pictured!), the pond is an especially noteworthy sight, looking especially grand surrounded by rolling green mountains stretching far into the horizon. We visited these trails during the month of May, which worked well as the weather was comfortable and the flowers were freshly blooming. I would love to come back and explore this area during another season – I imagine the pond would also be highly impressive to set sight upon during a Vermont winter.

The Middle Trails

If you’d like more of a challenge than the pond loop and its neighbors, but aren’t up for a full mountain-climbing adventure, the preserve has a few longer trails with a bit more elevation that can meet those terms. These “middle” trails include the Mount Bluff trail, the Trout Lily trail, the Maidenhair trial, the Trillium trail, and the SVAC loop.

The Mount Bluff trail is noteworthy due to the fact that it connects to “Robin’s Lookout” – this route is recommended by the organization for anyone with around two hours to spare. From this lookout, you can take in a scenic view of the Battenkill Valley.

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The Maidenhair trail includes some slight hills and the Trout Lily trail offers the chance to get more quickly from the Flatlanders Pass to the Mount Bluff trail, or vice versa, though the speed also comes at the cost of hills. The Trillium trail is generally wide and flat, allowing for a nice amount of sun while still providing cover from the surrounding trees. You can find the plant it is named for growing throughout (it’s so nice when things in life just make sense, isn’t it?).

The SVAC loop is neat, as its central stop is the Southern Vermont Arts Center. Considering that we enjoyed all of these trails during the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not experience what the interior of this art museum has to offer, but this is another reason I would like to return. Taking an art break in the middle of one’s hiking day seems like a unique spin on an outdoor adventure. There are some outdoor sculptures around the establishment, which can be appreciated whether or not you visit the full museum.

The Blue Summit Trail

The Blue Summit trail is the trail to take if you’d like to climb Equinox Mountain. While it’s not Everest, it definitely takes a certain level of physical fitness and energy to tackle. According to the organization, this trail is recommended if you have “all day” but it’s doable in 4-5 hours, depending on how many breaks you take. (As you can probably tell, I am not a fast hiker – it’s hard to be when there are so many lovely things to take photos of all over every trail!)

The trail starts with a gradual incline but as you go on, the incline becomes steeper and flat sections are few and far between. The round trip of this hike involves 6.3 miles, and those first 3 miles are steadily uphill. Your legs will feel it for sure.

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There is a reprieve a little over halfway up the mountain: there is a flat area with a bench and, a little walk away from the bench, a spring (pictured), where water bursts forth from a pipe. (As with all areas of this preserve, the way to the spring is clearly marked.) My husband and I happened to be climbing this mountain on one of the hotter days in late May, and appreciated how icy the water from the spring felt against our sweat-covered skin. The spring appears to be strategically located, as, following our cold water adventure, the trail seemed to be steeper than it was before (though perhaps it only seemed this way due to exertion).

The summit, in normal times, looks like it should provide some reprieve after the strenuous uphill journey, with restrooms and an indoor area constructed in relation to a monastery. I would have liked to find out more about this connection between the monastery and the mountain, but the inside of the viewing area (including restrooms) was closed due to the pandemic.

There were some relaxing aspects to the summit despite the indoor sections being closed; there were signs describing the views and several picnic tables. We sat at one of these tables for our usual hiking lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches plus a variety of snacks.

Before heading back down the mountain, we walked from the summit to “Lookout Rock”, which provided a pretty view, though it was similar to the view from the summit. On the path between the summit and the rock, my heart hurt deeply from passing by a gravestone of a beloved canine, who was murdered by a hunter in 1955. Etched on the stone was a poem about a dog’s love. While this affected me greatly emotionally, it did also give me some extra motivation to get moving back down the mountain to head home and spend more time with my wonderful dog while he is here with me. Considering that going downhill is more of a challenge for me than going uphill, this was helpful. When we completed the full trail, it felt like a true accomplishment.

All three of my experiences visiting the Equinox Preserve were very positive. I feel fortunate to live near such a spectacular section of Vermont nature.

Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars. ★★★★★