did Mt Aeolus starting at School St and finished at the Quarry. First half is a no brainer, further up from lookout and the trail is poorly marked. Bushwhacked with faint, old trail ribbons to the peak but no way down the rocky face. Stay west of the peak or you’re deep in the bush. You’ll come to the south face of Owls head.
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This is a fun, short hike but quite steep towards the peak. Well marked throughout. Spectacular views!
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Great easy trail for the Jeep. Saw a few ATVs along the way. Ran into a few water crossings, turned around at a large and long one as I was by myself and don’t have a winch or ability to self rescue.
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This morning s a beautiful hike with some steep challenging stretches and some gorgeous stretches of old forest.
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We did this loop as an easy over nighter after backpacking in the white mountains a few days prior.
Really nice hike along the AT/LT from the parking lot of the same name (Appalachian trail and long trail parking), a little steep up to Stratton mountain but not too bad. If you’re in trail shape it’s a breeze, if you’re not it could be strenuous.
Overall, this is a moderately hard hike up and easy back down on the Stratton pond trail.
Day 1 takes you about 6-7 miles to either tent sites on the north shore of Stratton pond or the Stratton pond shelter (fee, though not currently bc covid). Prior to the pond you come to the top of Stratton mountain, which is origin story of the AT and the LT. We elected not to go up the fire tower as there were around 30 folks who had just hiked about 15-20 minutes from the ski resort to get there - just be aware it’s easily accessed (we weren’t aware) by all sorts of folks who did not labor to get there (sadly, we picked up others trash and such but didn’t have the courage to touch the giant pile of used toilet paper and shit in the middle of the trail on just the other side of the tower...).
From the top of Stratton mountain it’s an easy descent down to the pond where we recommend taking a dip after setting up camp, and cooking dinner along the shore and eating as the sun sets.
On day 2 it’s a very easy and quick hike out, but not you are on the road for 0.9 miles to get back to the parking lot. Alternatively, you can extend the hike a bit and take the trail further to the west through the lye wilderness to the AT/LT and skip the road hiking.
Great hike! We met some really awesome folks and the caretaker was a nice fun-guy.
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Wonderful moderate hike. Gravel road, rocks and root, but nothing too bad. Nice views of the surrounding mountains and nearby lakes.
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Great Hike. Not too difficult although it is a bit more challenging during mud season. Well maintained trail and beautiful views!
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I wouldn’t call this hike difficult. It’s a gorgeous trail and not terribly steep.
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This is a great hike. Some stretches of it were way more moderate than easy. The overlook is amazing!
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Parking can be kinda tricky. The lot is limited in size and there are no parking signs outside the lot. Locals told me that they’ve heard that tickets/towing have occurred in the past. If you cant park in the lot, then you can park at the school lot and take the blue trail in.
After a short flat section, the trail consistently climbs the rest of the way. The trail is well travelled but still in very good condition. The only water on the trail if you have a dog is a reliable spring that’s a little less than halfway from the top. The best part of the peak is the solitude of lookout rock.
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The trail may not be officially a trail, but it was a very easy trail to follow. The woods road section is quite flat. After crossing the dry stream bed, it become an ATV trail until you reach the pass. The climb to the pass is steady and follows a very pleasant cascading brook through the woods. When you reach the pass take a right and follow another ATV trail. When you reach a cairn with a right turnoff, take the narrower, steeper herd path as it approaches the two peaks. I would suggest taking the right turnoff towards the south peak and the old fire tower for the best views of the hike along with a possible camping spot. The trail continues past the fire tower towards the north peak. There are some signs to help you towards the north peak but it’s pretty intuitive. In typical Vermont fashion there’s a giant mud pit between the two peaks.
On the way down, be careful of the plethora of turnoffs to make sure to go back towards your car.
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The trail was very wet because of recent rain but it was still a great hike.
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The falls are beautiful. We decided to stay and try the hike before having to leave town. We are glad we did. Well worth the detour.
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Snowshoed a section of this hike from Mad Tom Notch Rd (winter trailhead) in Peru to the summit of Styles Peak. The winter trailhead requires a 1 mile walk up the road (it's plowed due to active logging in the area) to the LT trailhead. A beautiful climb with a fairly steep grade and switchbacks. Thick spruce forest above 3,000' and great views all along the way. Deep drifts at the summit kept me from the actual lookout, but still a great trail.
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