West Ridge
- 16.1 mi
- round trip
- 2,648 ft
- climb
- 3,550 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is West Ridge open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. It doesn't name West Ridge, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Klondike Fire Incident Report
Agency closure covering Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests · USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests
Heavily damaged or closed trails
Agency closure covering Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests · USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests
Glastenbury fire tower is closed to public use
Agency closure covering Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests · USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests
Moosalamoo Campground Water System
Agency alert covering Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests · USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
West Ridge is a 16-mile out-and-back hike in Vermont's Glastenbury Wilderness, within the Manchester Ranger District of the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. The nearest town is South Shaftsbury, about 4 miles away. The Forest Service manages the land. The trail is rated hard, with a total climb of about 2,650 feet and a steepest grade of 23% around mile 5.1. It starts at roughly 2,780 feet and reaches a high point of about 3,550 feet. The route is natural-surfaced and does not allow bikes. The Bald Mountain Trail lies just 0.2 miles away, and Bald Mountain is about 2 miles off. For overnight stays, Melville Nauheim Shelter is about 3 miles away and Goddard Shelter about 5 miles.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Appalachian Trail - Massachusetts
~6 min drive
5.60-mile point-to-point trail in Vermont with 1,869 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Robert Frost Trail
~6 min drive
2.3-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 583 ft gain and 812 ft max elevation.
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Little Pond
~8 min drive
11.49-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 879 ft gain.
HIKE
Appalachian Trail; Long Trail
~12 min drive
17.58-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail in Vermont with 3,523 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Bald Mountain
~3 min drive
A 4.87-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont that connects to Telegraph Trail, Mad Brook Trail, and Long Pond Trail.
HIKE
Little Pond Access Spur At/lt
~7 min drive
0.92-mile out-and-back trail to Little Pond in Vermont.
HIKE
Castle Brook
~16 min drive
15.66-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 702 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Appalachian Trail/long Trail
~16 min drive
29.09-mile point-to-point hike on the Appalachian Trail/Long Trail in Vermont with 6,939 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Bald Mountain Trail
Next door
4.12-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 1,635 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Little Pond Access
~7 min drive
Little Pond Access is a 0.66-mile out-and-back trail in Vermont with 111 ft of elevation gain.
Also worth it near here
Route details
- Distance
- 16.1 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 2,648 ft
- Summit
- 2,853 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 6 hours
Other routes up Bald Mountain
Questions about this route
How long is the West Ridge on Bald Mountain?
About 16.1 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the West Ridge?
About 2,648 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the West Ridge?
It is rated hard.
How long does the West Ridge take?
About 6 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Bald Mountain?
3: Bald Mountain Trail, Bald Mountain and West Ridge.
Conditions and forecast on Bald Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
