Mendon: Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing and Hiking Trails

Mendon offers guidance for travelers who want to combine time outdoors with specific hiking destinations and winter activities. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are possible in Aitken State Forest. The hiking trails also vary in length, route type and elevation gain. This information can help you take the kind of outing you’re looking for into account when planning, without treating different trails as the same.

Forest and Winter Activities

Aitken State Forest can be reached via Notch Road in Mendon, east of the intersection with Wheelerville Road. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are possible in the forest. If you’re looking for accommodations in Mendon, you can include these activities in your overview of the area; no specific trails, route lengths or other offerings in the forest are described here.

Side roads in Mendon provide access to Coolidge State Forest. For outdoor recreation outside the forest areas, Mendon Recreation Area also has a maintained playground, a baseball field and a half basketball court with pickleball markings. These are different options for planning your day: forest activities sit alongside sports and play areas, but do not form a single route.

Hiking Trails by Route Type and Length

Bald Mountain Trail has four viewpoints with panoramic views of the Green Mountain Range, the valleys of Otter Creek and Cold River, and Rutland City. If you value scenic views on a hike, you’ll find several viewpoints along this trail. Another option is Deer Leap Overlook Trail: this 1.2-mile out-and-back trail ends at a rocky ledge with a view.

Deer Leap Mountain Trail, by contrast, is a 3.1-mile loop. The difference in route type can help with your choice: Overlook Trail goes out and back, while Mountain Trail is a loop.

Other named trails are available for longer outings. Bucklin Trail is a 7-mile out-and-back hike; walking time is 4 to 6 hours. Canty Trail is 2.4 miles out and back, with more than 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The trail can be muddy. The listed walking time for the one-way route is 3 to 5 hours—a detail to keep in mind when planning your day.

Pico Peak Trail is a 5.4-mile out-and-back hike with blue blazes, an approximate walking time of 3.5 hours and 1,800 feet of elevation gain. The trail can be heavily trafficked. The Long Trail is a long-distance trail of more than 270 miles through Vermont and Massachusetts that can also be used for out-and-back day hikes. Its blazes are white; side trails are marked in blue. These long distances and day-hiking options represent different scales of hiking plans.

Historic Traces and Local Destinations

The area’s history is also reflected in specific trail and road connections. The historic Rutland, Woodstock, and Stockbridge Turnpike ran along present-day Woodstock Avenue to Mendon and split at what are now Old Turnpike and Elbow Road. Tamarack Notch Trail follows an old loop road that once led to a Civilian Conservation Corps camp and later to Tamarack Notch Girl Scout Camp. If you enjoy adding historical context to your stays, you can consider these names and connections alongside the trails.

A stone behind the restaurant at the intersection of Route 4 and Meadowlake Drive marks the grave of Old John, Ripley’s cavalry horse. To compare with another place, you can also view Killington.

For the broader travel overview: Rutland County.