Referred to as the granite backbone of the state, the forest includes ski areas and 900 mi (1,400 km) of trails for hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and bicycling

General Information

Hours:

Open daily, 24 hours
Some roads, campgrounds, and facilities are seasonal and may close during winter or mud season

Fees:

Free to enter most areas
Fees apply at select campgrounds, day‑use areas, and pavilions

Pet Policy:

Pets are allowed but must be leashed at all times and under owner control

Closest cities with hotels:

Rutland, VT (approximately 15 mi)

Seasons:

Open year-round; best visited summer and fall for hiking and foliage, winter for snow sports

Location:

Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont

Website:

fs.usda.gov/gmfl

How to Get There

From Rutland, VT (15 mi): Take US‑7 North briefly, then follow VT‑4 East and local forest access roads to reach multiple trailheads and recreation areas within Green Mountain National Forest.

Overview

Green Mountain National Forest is a national forest located in Vermont, a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest typical of the New England/Acadian forests ecoregion. The forest supports a variety of wildlife, including beaver, moose, coyote, black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse. The forest, being situated in Vermont's Green Mountains, has been referred to as the granite backbone of the state.

In descending order of land area, GMNF is located in parts of Bennington, Addison, Rutland, Windham, Windsor, and Washington counties. The forest headquarters are in Rutland, Vermont, alongside those of Finger Lakes National Forest though that forest is in New York state.

The forest contains three nationally designated trails, including parts of the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail, as well as the Robert Frost National Recreation Trail. The forest also includes three alpine ski areas, seven Nordic ski areas, and approximately 900 mi (1,400 km) of multiple-use trails for hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and bicycling.

There are two officially designated recreation areas in the Green Mountain National Forest, Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, and White Rocks National Recreation Area. The latter includes both the Big Branch Wilderness and Peru Peak Wilderness within its boundaries.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Green Mountain National Forest", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0