Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, just a short drive from Manchester, offers summit hikes where the mountains meet the sky with raw, commanding presence. Each trail is a journey into terrain that is both approachable and demands respect—woods thick with pine and hardwood that seem to watch your progress, streams that murmur with energy, daring you onward. These hikes are a prime option for adventurers ready to balance effort and reward: challenging enough to feel like a true ascent yet thoroughly manageable for most hikers prepared with the right gear.

Start your adventure on the Presumscot Trail, a 4.8-mile round trip with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. It moves steadily through forest undergrowth, the path firm but busy with roots and rocks. Passing mixed maple and hemlock, the forest whispers the season’s change, and near the summit, the trees open to a clearing where wind pushes against your stride and stretches an expansive view—rolling peaks layered in blue and green. It’s the kind of vista that makes every uphill step count.

For a bit more distance, the Stratton Mountain Trail clocks in at roughly 6 miles round trip with a 1,200-foot climb. The terrain shifts from dense woods to rocky outcrops, demanding steady footing and occasional use of hands on steeper sections. Here, the summit stakes its claim with a fire tower still standing, where you can climb for 360-degree views—Green Mountains spilling toward the Champlain Valley, a sea of whispering leaves stirred by the winds’ indifference to your presence.

Weather-wise, spring hikes bring an awakening forest with trickling streams swelling as snow melts. Summer trails present shaded relief but come prepared for sudden rain showers that soak the earth and amplify the scent of pine and damp stone. Fall transforms the landscape with fiery leaf colors that redefine the viewshed—bring extra layers for crisp, shifting temperatures. Winter transfigures the entire forest into a quiet force, icy and disciplined; only consider these hikes with snowshoes or skis and a high respect for winter’s grip.

Hydration is vital throughout—stream crossings here are frequent, but water should be treated or filtered. Sturdy, broken-in footwear with solid ankle support will help you tackle roots and rocks without incident. Start early to avoid afternoon storms particularly in summer, and keep your pace steady, letting the forest’s rhythm guide your effort.

These summit hikes are encounters with a mountain that is fiercely itself, inviting adventurers to approach with preparation and curiosity. When you reach the ridge and take in the vast horizons, the mountain doesn’t bow or yield—it simply stands, immense and open, asking you to stand with it a moment before the downward path calls you back.