The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Mount Mansfield State Forest

Madonna Peak stands at 3,664 feet above sea level and is along the Long Trail, a famous thru-hike in Vermont. This beautiful mountain is part of Smuggler's Notch Ski Resort and there is a chairlift that takes skiers all the way to the summit in winter. During the summer you will encounter hikers rather than skiers, but far fewer than the amount you might have passed headed up to Sterling Lake if you took the Sterling Lake Trail to get here. At the summit of Madonna you get fantastic, panoramic views of surrounding Green Mountains and on clear days, you might be able to see Mount Washington in New Hampshire!

Preston Pond can be easily accessed by hiking the Preston Pond Loop trail. This beautiful area remains relatively untouched, so it's a great place to visit if you're looking for some alone time in nature.

Great view from the road of the surrounding area. Smugglers' Notch is between Vermont's highest peak (Mount Mansfield), Spruce Peak and Sterling Ridge.

Amazing views all around!

The Waterbury Reservoir offers many recreational opportunities from fishing, canoeing, kayaking, motor-boating, and swimming to hiking and camping. In the warmer months (late spring to early fall), the reservoir is kept at about 850 acres and at a max depth of ~100 feet. In the winter, the surface area is reduced to between 415 - 610 acres to prepare for spring snowmelt and rains. This scenic beach is a great place to relax and dip your feet in the water after a hike in the Little River State Park.

Sterling Pond is Vermont’s highest-elevation Trout Pond and an extremely popular destination in Smuggler's Notch. You can swim and fish (with a permit) and relax by its waters. It's also a great spot for observing wildlife and photography all year round; there are sometimes volunteers at the pond who are there to talk about the local plants and animals, and to answer questions. There is a shelter on the east side of the pond for Long Trail thru-hikers.

Mansfield's Adam's Apple, or just the "Adam's Apple" is the northernmost named sub peak of Mt. Mansfield, whose long ridge line is comprised of bumps and peaks that are said to resemble an elongated face when looking at the mountain from the east or west. The Adam's Apple is a small but prominent knoll surrounded by stubby pine trees that offers fantastic views of the Chin, which towers over the Adam's Apple. This is a good landmark as you traverse the Mansfield ridge line and a great place to pause, sip some water, and take in the views of this amazing area. From the "Adam's Apple" to the "Forehead," is just little over two miles to the north, the trail is almost entirely above treeline, so please check conditions before deciding to hike the exposed ridge line.

Mt. Mansfield looms over the small ski town of Stowe, Vermont, at 4,393 feet. As the tallest mountain in Vermont, Mansfield is a very popular and rewarding summit for any New Englander. Because of its popularity (there are almost 40,000 visitors every year), the delicate ecosystem has been severely affected. Mt. Mansfield is one of two places in Vermont where Arctic Tundra exists, so please try to stick on designated trails when visiting this summit. When relaxing on the summit, you get fantastic panoramic views across Vermont, and on clear days you can even see to the Presidentials in New Hampshire!