Virgil Mt. Loop
- 1.9 mi
- one way
- 536 ft
- climb
- 2,065 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Aug–Sep
- best months
Virgil Mt. Loop is a 1.9-mile hike in James Kennedy State Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. It's a short, easy outing with a total climb of 536 feet, and it works well as a quick addition to a day spent exploring the forest's network of trails. The route is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch coming at about 0.4 miles in, where the grade reaches 14%. The high point is 2,065 feet, and the trail ends at a lower elevation of about 1,669 feet. That makes it a point-to-point route rather than a loop, so plan on a return trip or pair it with another nearby trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Ithaca show July highs around 79°F with lows near 56°F, and the station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. Kuzia Cut-Off is about 0.7 miles away, and Dabes Diversion Loop is about a mile off. Lithuanian Loop Trail and Irish Loop Trail are both within about 1.6 miles.
Best time to go · Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Virgil Mt. Loop
Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
30° / 13°
19 wet
Feb
32° / 14°
17 wet
Mar
41° / 22°
17 wet
Apr
54° / 33°
15 wet
May
67° / 43°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 52°
13 wet
Jul
79° / 56°
13 wet
Aug
77° / 54°
12 wet
Sep
70° / 48°
12 wet
Oct
58° / 38°
15 wet
Nov
46° / 29°
15 wet
Dec
35° / 21°
19 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ithaca 13 E, NY, 5.2 mi away at 1,228 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors