Summer 2009
Nature’s Turn
Glastenbury area, once clear-cut, now flourishes as a wilderness refuge
Story and photographs by Brian Mohr
Vermont has green spaces and recreation paths, state parks and national forests, but only 2 percent of its land can be called truly wild. These 101,000 acres comprise eight tracts of land, including the sprawling Glastenbury Wilderness Area — the biggest addition to this exclusive club in more than 20 years.
Dominating the Green Mountain Divide just north and east of Bennington, the 22,425-acre Glastenbury Wilderness Area came into being in 2006 with the passage of the New England Wilderness Act. Land use debates in Vermont are often bruising affairs, and the one that created Glastenbury was no exception. After numerous public hearings and debate, 42,000 additional acres of land in Vermont won the wilderness designation, including the Glastenbury and Joseph Battell wilderness areas.
In essence, Vermont’s federally designated wilderness areas are sanctuaries where nature is left to run its course, and humans are merely gentle visitors. Activities such as logging, mining and road building are prohibited, while “primitive” nonmotorized activities like camping, fishing, hiking, hunting and cross-country skiing are welcome.
Still relatively undiscovered, Glastenbury Wilderness Area offers rugged natural beauty, stirring mountain vistas and a wealth of hiking adventures. It’s also a monument to the ability of forest land to rebound from assault. The area that makes up the Glastenbury wilderness was nearly 100 percent clear-cut a century ago to supply nearby Shaftsbury, Vt., and Troy, N.Y.’s bustling iron industry with charcoal, but today it survives as one of the largest road-free and recovering wild zones in Vermont.
The Glastenbury Wilderness Area is open to explore any time of year, and visitors are encouraged to practice “leave no trace” ethics, including carrying out what is carried in. This will help keep the wilderness truly wild.Hikes in Glastenbury
Jeff Pelton with the Green Mountain National Forest shared these hikes. Whether you’re looking to spend a few hours or a few days on the trail, these suggestions should cover it. You can find more information through the Forest Service by visiting www.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/. We recommend taking a map and more detailed information, available through the Forest Service, and of course, plenty of supplies including extra clothing and lots of water.
Quick
Bald Mountain Trail from Woodford
Distance: 4 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,580 feet
Time: 3 hours
The hike: The trail uses an old woods road, which occasionally crosses some other old roads, so pay close attention to the blue blazes. At .3 miles, turn left onto the footpath at the Forest Service boundary, which is marked with red paint. At 1.6 miles, the trail meets a spur trail, which leads to a seasonal spring at Bear Wallow (water is not tested for drinking). Continuing on the main trail, reach the West Ridge Trail at 1.9 miles. Reach the summit in one-tenth of a mile.
Getting there: From Bennington, travel east on Route 9 for 4 miles and turn north on Harbor Road. At .8 miles, at a concrete water tank, turn left off the road into an open area. The trailhead is at the edge of the woods. From the east, take Route 9 west for 1.2 miles past the Appalachian/Long Trail crossing to Harbor Road. Follow directions from Harbor Road above.
Full Day
Bald Mountain Trail from Bennington
Distance: 7.2 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 2,142 feet
Time: 6 hours
The hike: The trail begins where a power line crosses North Branch Street Extension. Follow the blue blazes along an old woods road for almost a mile, crossing and following brooks, ascending switchbacks and traversing old rockslides. The trail reaches White Rocks at 2.6 miles. Continue on to the junction with West Ridge Trail (3.5 miles). The summit is just ahead.
Getting there: From Route 7, take Kocher Drive, just north of downtown Bennington, which turns into North Branch Street Extension. Follow to the power line crossing, where there is limited parking. From Route 9, turn north on North Branch Street, then turn right over a bridge onto North Branch Street Extension and follow the directions above.
Backpacking
Glastenbury/West Ridge Loop
Distance: 21.8-mile loop
Elevation gain: 2,450 feet
Time: 13—15 hours
The hike: Follow the Appalachian/Long Trail, which is marked with white blazes. At 1.7 miles, a spur trail leads to the Melville Nauheim Shelter. Continue on the main trail, passing a wet area, and cross a bridge across Hell Hollow Brook (3.1 miles). Reach a lookout at 4.3 miles and the summit of Little Pond Mountain at 5.5 miles. Follow the trail along the ridgeline to Glastenbury Mountain at 7.4 miles, followed by a descent and then a steep climb to Goddard Shelter at 9.8 miles. You can set up camp here for the night in this lean-to. A short hike of .3 miles leads to the fire tower on Glastenbury summit, affording a 360-degree view of the Green, Taconic and Berkshire mountains. The next morning, take the West Ridge Trail, marked with blue blazes (begins just west of the shelter). At 12.3 miles, the trail reaches a woods road. Continue to Bald Mountain summit at 17.5 miles. Follow West Ridge Trail down to the junction of Bald Mountain Trail. Bear left over the steep, rocky descent, passing a trail sign and a spur that leads to the Bear Wallow spring (reminder: water is not tested for drinking). Continue on, following woods roads. At the National Forest boundary (blazed red), go right on the roadway. At the Bald Mountain trailhead parking area, go right to reach route 9 (20.3 miles). Turn left and follow Route 9 for a mile to the Appalachian/Long Trail parking lot.
Getting there: From Route 7 in Bennington, the trailhead is 5.2 miles east on Route 9. From Route 9 in Wilmington, the trailhead is 15.8 miles west on Route 9.
Source: Green Mountain National Forest Wilderness Club
Only eight tracts in Vermont have been federally designated as wilderness areas:
- Breadloaf: 25,237 acres
- Glastenbury: 22,425 acres
- Lye Brook: 17,841 acres
- Joseph Battell: 12,333 acres
- Peru Peak: 7,672 acres
- Big Branch: 6,767 acres
- George D. Aiken: 5,060 acres
- Bristol Cliffs: 3,738 acres
