Water Tower / Widow’s Clearing / Wilkinson Trails
These trails are a system of interconnected, ungroomed cross-country skiing loops of varying length and difficulty, that can be used as hiking trails in the summer.
Activity | Hiking |
Nearest Town | Ripton |
Length | Various. See below |
Elevation Gain | Various |
Trail Type | Out-and-back and Loops |
Skill Level | Easy to Difficult |
Water Tower / Chatfield Loop
Trailhead: Enter from the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, Chatfield parking area, Forest road 32 or Widow’s Clearing parking area.
Trail distances are:
- Connector .07 mi., easiest
- Crosswalk .3 mi., easiest
- Sundown .4 mi., more difficult
- Afternoon Delight .5 mi., more difficult
- North Star 1 mi., more difficult
- Trepidation .3 mi., most difficult
Widow’s Clearing
Trailhead: Widow’s Clearing Trail from Chatfield (65) trailhead to the Widow’s Clearing trailhead is almost 3 miles. The section from Chatfield west to Water Tower trail jct. at #8 is a long uphill, but the return is nice. The terrain from #1 to Widow’s Clearing trailhead is easy. The Catamount Trail coincides with this trail.
Download the map, courtesy of Green Mountain National Forest Services.
Wilkinson Trails
Trailhead: Across the road from the Widow’s Clearing parking area on Forest Road 32.
Trail distances are:
- Beaver Pond Crossing .1 mi., easiest
- Shannie’s Loop .4 mi., easiest
- Blue Heron Run .4 mi., easiest
- Willow Run .6 mi., easiest
- Zip .1 mi., more difficult
- A.O.A Trail .4 mi., more difficult
- Goshen Brook Trail .4 mi., more difficult
- Blackberry Run .6 mi., more difficult
- Moose Loop 2.2 mi., more difficult
Download the map, courtesy of Green Mountain National Forest Services.