Mount Mansfield

Mount Mansfield is the highest peak in Vermont, rising to 4,393 feet as the crown of the Green Mountains above the resort town of Stowe. Its long summit ridge famously resembles the profile of a human face looking skyward, with features known as the Chin (the high point), Nose, Forehead and Adam’s Apple. From its open, rocky crest, sweeping views reach across Vermont to Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks and, on clear days, Canada.

The summit holds one of Vermont’s rare patches of arctic-alpine tundra, a fragile relic of the Ice Age, and is crossed by the Long Trail, America’s oldest long-distance hiking trail. Reached by hiking trails, an auto toll road and a gondola from the Stowe ski resort, Mansfield is a beloved year-round destination for hiking and skiing. The rooftop of Vermont, Mount Mansfield is a treasured natural icon of the state.

Mount Mansfield offers hiking on a network of trails (including the Long Trail along the summit ridge and routes from Underhill and Stowe), the auto toll road and the gondola from Stowe Mountain Resort to near the top, and walking the open ridge between the Nose and Chin for spectacular views. In winter, Stowe’s slopes make it a premier ski destination, with backcountry skiing and snowshoeing too. Hiking the alpine ridge for the views and skiing in winter are the signature draws. The combination of the state’s highest summit, rare alpine tundra and varied access makes Mansfield a beloved destination.

Summer and fall are prime for hiking, when the trails are clear and the views are sweeping — fall brings world-famous Vermont foliage across the Green Mountains (spectacular from the ridge), and the gondola and toll road operate in the warmer months. Winter makes Stowe a major ski destination. The exposed summit can see harsh weather any time. Summer and fall for hiking and the foliage, and winter for skiing, are the highlights — come on a clear day for the views, dress for changeable mountain weather, and tread only on rock on the fragile alpine summit.

Mount Mansfield and the Green Mountains are part of the homeland of the Abenaki people. The mountain became a destination in the 1800s, with a hotel and the toll road built to its shoulder, and Stowe grew into one of the East’s premier ski towns in the 20th century. The Long Trail, begun in 1910 and the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail, crosses the summit. The University of Vermont and conservation groups protect the rare alpine zone. Mount Mansfield preserves the highest point in Vermont, its alpine tundra and its trails, a treasured icon of the state.

Mount Mansfield is built of ancient metamorphic rock — schist formed from seafloor sediments, folded and uplifted during the building of the Appalachian Mountains hundreds of millions of years ago, and later deeply eroded into the long Green Mountain ridge. Ice Age glaciers scoured and rounded the summit and left the alpine landscape. The mountain’s resistant rock left it standing as the state’s high point. The ancient uplifted schist, the long erosion and the glacial sculpting created Mansfield’s distinctive face-like ridge and its alpine crest.

Mount Mansfield’s slopes range from northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest, home to moose, black bears, deer, and boreal birds (like Bicknell’s thrush, which nests in the high spruce-fir), up to the alpine summit with its specialized life, while ravens and raptors ride the winds. The fragile alpine tundra harbors rare arctic-alpine plants. The range from forest to alpine supports varied wildlife. Mansfield offers wildlife watching and birding across its life zones, with the rare alpine zone and the high-elevation birds of particular interest.

Mount Mansfield protects Vermont’s largest expanse of rare arctic-alpine tundra — a fragile relic of the Ice Age on the exposed summit, where hardy arctic plants survive the harsh weather, found on only a few Vermont peaks — above spruce-fir and northern hardwood forests. The alpine zone is extremely sensitive to trampling and climate change, and is carefully protected and monitored. Protecting the fragile alpine tundra, the high spruce-fir forest and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the grandeur of the rooftop of Vermont.

Mount Mansfield holds a treasured place among the icons of Vermont — the highest peak in the state, its distinctive face-like ridge rising above Stowe, crossed by the historic Long Trail, crowned by rare alpine tundra, and a beloved destination for hiking and skiing. On the homeland of the Abenaki people, the mountain embodies the Green Mountains that give Vermont its name (‘les verts monts’). Mount Mansfield is a cherished natural icon of Vermont.

Mount Mansfield is in northern Vermont above the town of Stowe, within Mount Mansfield State Forest. It is reached by hiking trails (from Underhill State Park on the west and the Stowe side on the east), by the Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road (seasonal, fee) to the Nose area, and by the gondola at Stowe Mountain Resort (fee). A recreation/parking fee may apply at trailheads. The Long Trail crosses the summit ridge. There are no services on the summit. Check Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation, the toll road and Stowe Resort for access, fees and conditions before going.

Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation, the University of Vermont and conservation groups protect Mount Mansfield’s rare alpine zone. Visitors help by staying on trails and stepping only on rock (never on the fragile alpine plants) on the summit, heeding the volunteer summit caretakers, packing out everything, respecting wildlife (including nesting high-elevation birds), and following all rules. The rare alpine tundra is extremely fragile and slow to recover. Protecting the alpine plants, the forests and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the grandeur of Mount Mansfield.

Mount Mansfield’s exposed alpine summit sees fast-changing, severe weather — high wind, cold, fog and storms even in summer — so check the forecast, carry layers, water and the essentials, and be ready to turn back. The ridge trails are rocky, steep and exposed; watch footing and keep track of trail markers in fog. In winter, this is serious mountain terrain (and avalanche-prone in places). Stay on rock to protect the alpine plants. Respect the mountain weather, the exposed ridge, the rocky terrain and the fragile summit.

The auto toll road and gondola charge fees and run seasonally; trailhead parking may have fees. Stay on trails and on rock above treeline to protect the fragile alpine plants. Camp only at designated sites/shelters (Long Trail rules). Dogs must be leashed/controlled and kept off the alpine plants. Drones are restricted. Pack out all trash; follow Leave No Trace. Heed the summit caretakers and weather warnings. Check Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation, the toll road and Stowe Resort for fees, rules and conditions before going.

The resort town of Stowe (a premier ski and four-season town), Smugglers’ Notch just to the north, the Green Mountains and the Long Trail, the city of Burlington and Lake Champlain to the west, and the Vermont countryside lie near the mountain. The Green Mountains and Stowe define the region. Mount Mansfield crowns the Green Mountains above Stowe, a centerpiece of a Vermont adventure, easily combined with Stowe, Smugglers’ Notch, the Long Trail and Burlington/Lake Champlain.

Choose your way up — hike the trails (the Long Trail along the ridge is classic), drive the seasonal auto toll road to the Nose, or ride the Stowe gondola — then walk the open alpine ridge between the Nose and the Chin for sweeping views (toward Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks). Come in summer or fall (for world-famous foliage), check the summit forecast and carry layers (the weather changes fast), and step only on rock to protect the rare alpine plants. In winter, ski Stowe, and combine your visit with Smugglers’ Notch.