Mt. Pisgah – Willoughby State Forest, Vermont
Located in Westmore, Vermont, in the Northeast Kingdom, Mt. Pisgah is truly a magical spot in New England. This post isn’t about how stunning the NEK is (because trust me, it’s gorgeous), but instead about one of its most beautiful hikes.
We hikes the South Trail off VT Route 5A. Parking is free, but fair warning there’s no bathroom. So plan accordingly before your coffee kicks in. The trail is part of Willoughby State Forest, and on the day we went, there were people actually working on the trail. I’ve always wondered how hiking paths magically stay so nice, so it was pretty cool to watch the behind-the-scenes action. Spoiler: it’s not actual hiking elves, but these folks work just as hard.
The hike begins with a steady incline, and about a mile in you reach your first beautiful viewpoint. This is just a teaser for what’s to come. From here, you can spot the southern beach on Lake Willoughby. The actual summit is 1.9 miles in, but there’s no real view from the peak—so don’t stop here. Keep going!
One of my favorite hiking tips is to always look behind you. Partway up, after climbing over some rocks, the trees opened up and behind us we could see Burke Mountain Ski Resort. I loved how this hike gave us such a variety of views.
A little farther along, at the 2.3-mile mark, you’ll arrive at the North Overlook—the jaw-dropping finale. While it’s not a huge area, there’s a bit more room here than at the West Overlook, and I felt safer standing close to the edge. The views are spectacular, stretching out over Lake Willoughby and beyond.
This is a great family hike, though I’d call it a moderate hike rather than one for beginners.
After your adventure, reward yourself with a Vermont classic: a maple creemee. We stopped at the Willoughby Lake Store, and maybe it was because we had just finished hiking, but it was one of the best maple creemees of our trip. If you’ve never had one, check out Mike’s blog post all about them—then plan your trip to Vermont.
