So, you’re looking for the tallest peak in vermont. Most people can point it out on a map, or at least they know it’s somewhere near Stowe. It’s Mount Mansfield. But honestly, there is a lot of weirdness about this mountain that locals know and tourists usually miss. It isn't just a big pile of rock; it's a 4,393-foot-high "sleeping giant" with a personality that changes depending on which side of the ridge you're standing on.
If you’ve ever looked at it from the east, specifically from the town of Stowe, you might notice something kind of spooky. The ridgeline looks like a human face looking up at the sky. It’s not even a subtle thing. Geologists and hikers have actually named the different high points after facial features. You’ve got the Forehead at the south end, the Nose, the Lips, and then the "big one"—the Chin.
Here is the kicker: in a weird twist of biological irony, the Nose is not the highest part of the face. The tallest peak in vermont is actually the Chin.
Why the Tallest Peak in Vermont Isn't Just for Hikers
Most people assume that to stand on the roof of the Green Mountain State, you need to spend six hours sweating through expensive wool socks. Not necessarily. Mount Mansfield is actually surprisingly accessible if you’ve got a car or a lift ticket.
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You can literally drive a car up the historic Auto Toll Road. It’s a 4.5-mile zig-zagging gravel road that ends at the "Nose." From there, it’s a relatively easy (though still rocky) walk along the ridge to the summit at the Chin. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, the Stowe Mountain Resort Gondola SkyRide whisks you up to about 3,600 feet. You still have to hike the rest of the way to the top, but you’ve basically skipped the hardest 2,000 vertical feet of the climb.
But for the purists? The hikers who want to earn every inch of that 4,393-foot elevation? You’re heading to Underhill State Park.
The Sunset Ridge Trail is the gold standard here. It’s about 6.5 miles round trip and is widely considered one of the best hikes in New England. Why? Because you break through the treeline way earlier than on other mountains. You get these massive, sweeping views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks for almost half the hike.
Surviving the Tundra (Yes, in Vermont)
One thing that genuinely surprises people is that the top of Mount Mansfield is basically the Arctic. I’m not exaggerating. The summit ridge is home to about 200 acres of alpine tundra.
This is a fragile ecosystem that survived the last Ice Age. We’re talking about plants like Bigelow’s sedge and mountain sandwort—stuff that usually lives in northern Canada or Greenland. Because of this, the University of Vermont (which actually owns the summit ridge, weirdly enough) and the Green Mountain Club are super strict about where you step.
- Stay on the rocks. If you step on the "grass," you’re likely killing a plant that took ten years to grow an inch.
- Leash the dogs. Even a well-behaved pup can tear up a centuries-old moss bed in seconds.
- Watch the wind. It gets wild up there. It’s common for it to be 70°F in the valley and a freezing, 40-mph wind tunnel at the Chin.
Finding the Best Way Up
There isn’t one "right" way to experience the tallest peak in vermont. It depends on your knees and how much time you have.
If you want the "stairmaster" experience, take the Laura Cowles Trail. It’s shorter than Sunset Ridge but basically follows a steep, rocky stream bed. It’s a brutal vertical climb. Most people go up Laura Cowles to get the suffering over with, then descend via Sunset Ridge to enjoy the views on the way down.
Then there’s the Long Trail. This is the "Granddaddy" of American hiking trails—older than the Appalachian Trail—and it runs right across the summit of Mansfield. If you hike the section between the Forehead and the Chin, you’re walking along a narrow, rocky spine that feels more like the Swiss Alps than the rolling hills people associate with Vermont.
The Mystery of the Name
Where did "Mansfield" even come from? It’s kind of a mess of history. Some say it was named after a town that doesn't even exist anymore. Back in the day, there was a Town of Mansfield, but it was so rugged and sparsely populated that the state basically dissolved it in 1839 and split the land between Underhill and Stowe.
Others think it was named after Lord Mansfield, an English Chief Justice. Then there’s the Abenaki name: Mozodepowadso, which translates to "Moosehead Mountain." Looking at the profile of the mountain today, you can kind of see why the "human face" interpretation won out over the moose, but the history is still buried in the rocks.
Smugglers' Notch and the Dark Side of the Peak
Just to the north of the summit is a massive gap called Smugglers' Notch. If you’re visiting the tallest peak in vermont, you have to drive through this pass. It’s a narrow, winding road (Route 108) that is so tight in places that semi-trucks famously get stuck there every single year despite about a dozen warning signs.
The "Smugglers" part isn't just a marketing name. During the Embargo Act of 1807 and later during Prohibition, locals used the caves and dense woods of the Notch to move goods and booze to and from Canada. Standing at the Chin and looking down into that deep, rocky gorge, you get a sense of why it was so easy to hide things there.
Practical Insights for Your Trip
Don't just show up in flip-flops. Even if you’re taking the Gondola, the weather at 4,000 feet is a different beast.
- Check the Mountain Forecast. Not the Stowe town forecast. Use sites like Mountain-Forecast.com to check the specific wind chill and cloud cover for the summit.
- Bring a layer. Even in July, the summit can be chilly. A light windbreaker or fleece is a lifesaver.
- Water is scarce. Once you’re on the ridge, there aren't many places to pump water that isn't contaminated by runoff. Carry more than you think you need.
- Parking fills up. If you’re hitting Underhill State Park on a Saturday in October, you better be in that parking lot by 8:00 AM or you’re going to be walking a mile just to get to the trailhead.
The view from the top is genuinely life-changing on a clear day. You can see the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the east and the skyscrapers of Montreal to the north if the air is crisp enough. It’s the highest point in a state defined by its mountains, and standing there makes you feel every bit of that height.
To get started on your own trip, download the Avenza Maps app and grab the Mount Mansfield State Forest map. It uses your phone's GPS to show you exactly where you are on the trail, even when you lose cell service in the deep woods of the Notch.