Vermont · Hiking · Near Randolph

Rattlesnake Cliff

4.1 mi
round trip
1,728 ft
climb
1,962 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Aug–Oct
best months

Is Rattlesnake Cliff open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. It doesn't name Rattlesnake Cliff, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Rattlesnake Cliff is a moderate out-and-back hike in Vermont's Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, within the Middlebury Ranger District. The trail is about 4 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,728 feet, and it reaches a high point of 1,962 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 1.8 miles in, where the grade reaches 29 percent. The route starts at an elevation of about 910 feet and ends at the same level, so the 1,728-foot gain is for the whole trip. Bikes are allowed on the trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Salisbury run to highs around 84°F in July, and the station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the climb run cooler. The trail is open from May 1 to November 1, and the trip takes about 2 hours. Main Crag and Lake Dunmore/Falls of Lana are climbing areas about 0.1 mile away, and Silver Lake Campground is under a mile off. Paddlers can reach the Leicester River about 1.7 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Falls of Lana picnic area

    Campground

    Campground · < 0.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Paddlers Pub

    Pub

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rains

    Randolph Historical Society Museum

    Museum

    In town

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