Hiking in Manchester & the Taconic Range

The Taconics rise west of Manchester on their own geology, older and more abrupt than the Greens across the valley. Antone Mountain, Baker Peak, and the Merck Forest trail network sit at the center of it.

28Mapped trails

112 miTotal distance

985 ftAverage gain

Waterfall Hikes (13)Lake & Pond Hikes (26)Summit Hikes (331)Hikes to Shelters (35)Loop Hikes (88)Easy Hikes (186)Hardest Hikes (60)Long Day Hikes (67)Short Hikes (213)Fire Tower Hikes (13)

All 28 trails in Manchester & the Taconic Range

Sorted by popularity. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the trail-snapped route geometry, not estimated from a map.

Trail	Distance	Gain	Difficulty
Antone Mountain Loop via Wildlife Trail	6.4 mi	1,596 ft	Hard
Lookout Rock via Summit Trail (Blue)	5.7 mi	2,669 ft	Strenuous
Little Haystack Mountain Loop via Masters Mtn Trail	10 mi	2,437 ft	Strenuous
Antone Mountain via Wildlife Trail	6.1 mi	1,240 ft	Hard
The Gallop Loop via Barton Trail	3.3 mi	782 ft	Moderate
Antone Mountain via McCormick Trail	7.6 mi	1,753 ft	Strenuous
The Gallop via Barton Trail	6.3 mi	1,514 ft	Hard
Antone Mountain via Masters Mtn Trail	5.6 mi	1,588 ft	Hard
Owls Head via Gilberts Lookout (Blue)	2.8 mi	1,170 ft	Moderate
Deer Knoll via Summit Trail (Blue)	6.1 mi	461 ft	Moderate
Deer Knoll via Trout Lily Trail (White Purple)	2.4 mi	558 ft	Moderate
Deer Knoll Loop via Mount Bluff Traili (White)	2.1 mi	491 ft	Easy
Haystack mountain trail (2.3 mi)	2.3 mi	831 ft	Moderate
Lookout Rock via Beartown Road	6.5 mi	1,947 ft	Strenuous
Austin Hill via Connector Trail	1.6 mi	232 ft	Easy
Deer Knoll via Mount Bluff Traili (White)	1.4 mi	372 ft	Easy
Masters Mtn Trail Loop	5.2 mi	1,518 ft	Hard
green trail and Lewis Deane Original Trail Loop	1.8 mi	554 ft	Easy
Porcupine	5 mi	904 ft	Moderate
Discovery Trail	2.6 mi	647 ft	Moderate
Hunker Down and Shale Shifter Loop and Porcupine	2.5 mi	574 ft	Moderate
Hunker Down and Shale Shifter Loop	2.3 mi	560 ft	Moderate
Viewpt Trail Loop	2 mi	509 ft	Easy
Back Nine	5.9 mi	672 ft	Moderate
Hunker Down	2.1 mi	560 ft	Easy
Farm Trail	2 mi	505 ft	Easy
Shale Shifter	2.4 mi	415 ft	Easy
Lewis Deane Original Trail	1.6 mi	509 ft	Easy

Frequently asked questions

How many hiking trails are there in Manchester & the Taconic Range?

RidgeSync maps 28 hiking routes in Manchester & the Taconic Range, totalling about 112 miles with an average of 985 ft of elevation gain per hike.

What is the hardest hike in Manchester & the Taconic Range?

Lookout Rock via Summit Trail (Blue) climbs the most, at 2,669 ft of gain over 5.7 miles.

What is the longest hike in Manchester & the Taconic Range?

Little Haystack Mountain Loop via Masters Mtn Trail is the longest mapped route at 10 miles.

When is the best time to hike in Manchester & the Taconic Range?

Late June through mid-October is the reliable window, and late September through mid-October is usually the best of it. Green Mountain Club and Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation ask hikers to stay off trails above 2,500 ft during mud season, roughly mid-April through Memorial Day.

Nearby hiking areas

Peru, Bromley & Stratton32 trails Bennington & the Southwest Corner11 trails Killington & the Coolidge Range55 trails Glastenbury & the Southern Greens13 trails

All Vermont hiking areas