Mount Ascutney via Weathersfield Trail

The trail was harder than we expected. Lots of steep climbing all the way to the top

Great moderate hike. Easy to do in a morning.

Beautiful trail great views. Lots of rocks and roots

A challenging ascent pretty much the entire way up, which we appreciated. The terrain was varied and steep but I never felt unsafe. We saw a couple hikers who said that the falls are dramatic in the spring, but were dry by late August. We took the falls bypass trail and went to the lookout points. Definitely worth the climb! We had a picnic and decided to push through and finish the final .4 miles up to the peak...but it was kind of lame. There’s a creaky lookout tower with 360 degree views interrupted by nearby cell towers. Overall, it took us about four hours including a half hour picnic and a few water breaks and was a great workout.

Such a great hike! Watch for the white rectangles painted on trees and rocks to mark the trail. It is not always very obvious. This is a good workout and took me 4 1/2 hours total and I'm in pretty good shape. The summit isn't super exciting except that you know you got there and the observation tower is great. Have fun!

This was my first time hiking on Ascutney and I will definitely be coming back! There are several beautiful vistas on your way to the summit, though the view from the West Peak and 360 degree Overview Tower are the best. Weekdays seem to be very quiet and the trail is well marked and cleared with the exception of only one or two spots. Make sure to bring bug spray because the mosquitos are out and hungry! Overall, a great morning/half day hike for most and a solid 3-4hr hike for the more hardcore hikers out there.

Beautiful, fun hike. Hung out and had lunch at the hang glider overlook. Was wonderful.

We hiked this trail with our dog and absolutely loved it! It was steep and shaded and pretty quiet. It is definitely not a beginner's hike, with lots of rocks, roots, and slippery gravel. Our ascent took roughly 2.5 hours, with the descent taking about half that time. We recommend going to both the West Peak summit (for the stunning sight of the valley) and the summit, which has a great observation deck for 360 degree views. Trails were well marked. Bring extra water!

This is a wonderful, challenging hike! It's perfect if you're looking for a half-day hike that will be a great work out. I agree with what other reviews have said below... this is definitely on the more challenging-end of "moderate"... perhaps could even be labelled as "difficult" because of the steady, steep inclines. I would not recommend this for a beginner or someone who is looking for a leisurely hike. I'd recommend two spots at the top for a great view. One is the hang-glider ledge near the West Peak. We stopped here for lunch and it was perfect. The other is the observation tower near the actual summit. Amazing 360 views with labelled maps so you can identify other nearby peaks (Killington, Okemo, etc.). I will definitely do this hike again!

Great hike! I loved this hike - it is very well marked and there are multiple places from which to get great views! Lots of climbing, lots of rocks. Felt like I got a great workout! I made the mistake of thinking the West Peak was the summit - it's not! There's still about .2 mile to get to the top where there is a great observation tower with 360 degree views. So glad I turned back to get there! Highly recommended!

Took my kids on a 6 mile hike up Ascutney Mountain today. For those of you who have done this before, kudos, but also- why haven’t you warned the rest of us??? Seriously! As for the rest of you! Here is the review I wrote walking down the mountain, at hour 4+: Acustney Mountain- known to some as “Ass scratch bla bla hell space.” This mountain lacks all decency. It begins with bliss and hope and then throws you up a steep terrain in such a way you feel as though you missed a memo about needing a breathing mask and fifteen more bottles of water. With an able ten year old and in shape 15 year old, I frequently had to mutter the words under my heavy breaths and through gritted teeth-Go AHEAD!! as I clung for dear life on the weight of many a tiny pine. We hiked... oh did we hike. In an early attempt to use my new camera and capture a small waterfall in the first mile (when my soul still contained joy for the wilderness) our family dog almost died....to my absolute horror and perhaps overlooked warning, I looked up as myChildren screamed and watched as she flew above me through the air. She’s fine. She’s a mutt. We dusted her off and she was “luckily” able to accompany us the rest of the way. There were points during the 2/3 mark that I wondered for the first time hiking in 30+ years, CAN you just turn around?? Is that a thing people do? The top... well, we barely waited long enough to see the view. There is no view btw- unless you climb an additional 25 feet up a tower made of birch bark and 4x4 plank- and by that point I was so intoxicatingly overwhelmed by the idea of sitting somewhere long enough to eat an apple that I declined my son’s offer to climb further. Five minutes passed and after being nearly eaten alive by the world’s hungriest and largest black fly family-like the dying corpse I was- I relented. (I mean... I had been salivating for some meaning to all of this for LITERALLY HOURS by now. ) And ohhhh my... what a treat. 360 degrees of mountains and valleys and swirling mountains and valleys, circling around and around until i nearly contemplated throwing myself off the thing like a glorious top from a string. I digress. In a peaceful surrender, I decided to sit at the bottom and finish my Apple. Just as my breath slowed to normal and I felt the slight tinge of a breeze, the flies came back to remind me I was in “Ass-scratch bla bla hell space” hungry, exhausted and knowing we had the same length to travers to get home, i abruptly packed my bag and told my kids “sorry for your feelings- keep your eyes on the white dots on the trees. I’ll see you at the bottom of this nightmare hellstorm.” (Of course two seconds later they were flying at top speed ahead of me as I clung to the trees and hobbled down the mountain at almost the same pace I’d walked up.) I realized halfway down- 5 hours later, btw, that the best views are within the first 2 miles. Anyway- here’s the only proof I have. If you go... just... well, don’t.

In my opinion I would call this hike hard. It’s very steep with a lot of rocks and tree roots. We got stuck in rain which made rocks very slippery and hard to tell if they were wet. If you want to get a big workout in do this hike. If you just want a leisurely stroll do not do this hike. Summit 3100. Very gorgeous views at the top but certainly a physical challenge. Mt ascutney is not for beginners.

Great hike with several waterfalls! Lots of photo opportunities!

The trail was dry for the most part despite all of the rain we have had recently. The only wet spots were the ones that are always wet throughout the season. Maintenance has been done recently on the trail and there was only 1 or 2 blowdowns. The weather was warm and sunny and the views were almost perfect. Just a little bit of haziness.

Not the best weather, but the trail was not crowded at all. The waterfall exceeded expectations. The trail was well marked.

A very demanding trail for someone not in the best shape, especially during this time of the year. The snow reached more than 2 feet in depth towards the summit, but the view from the watch tower makes the exhausting trek up all the more worth it.

beautiful day for a hike, and always a fun trail. the peak was coated in like 2 feet of snow so it was somewhat of a trudge up top

Started out with just leaves on the trail but surprised me with lots of snow the last 1.5 miles.

An amazing tour with a lot of up-hills. It’s a chalenge for yourself. We loved the Gus Lookout, you have to walk to it even if the wheather wasn’t so good we really appreciate this lookout! Good indications and safe trail! We also appreciate the cascades on our road. A great trail to do when you are a little sporty.

I've lived within a 30 min drive of Mt. Ascutney for years, and I wish I had tried hiking it sooner. Even in the sub-par weather today, it was a beautiful climb. Although there was a lot of fog, there were a few breaks for views at the summit. As of today, a lot of the snow and ice from the storm last weekend has melted, and the hike is doable without microspikes.