animal tracks

All trails are open for pedestrian use. The Equinox Preservation Trust may close some trails temporarily for repairs or to protect them from damage during muddy conditions. 

An enlarged trail map is on display along with copies of the handy pocket guide & trail map, updated program information and special notices.

Informational kiosks greet visitors at both entrances to the Preserve. A third kiosk is located near the trail connector at the rear of the Equinox Hotel parking area.

Naturalists have long held Mt. Equinox in high esteem for its beauty and natural diversity, a valued source of study by botanists and ecologists since the late 1800s.

A variety of mammals populate the slopes of Mt. Equinox, protected by the thick natural cover and food sources that the forest provides.

The Equinox Preserve consists of over 914 acres on the slopes of Mt Equinox in Manchester, VT. In 1996, owners of the Equinox Resort donated conservation easements to the Vermont Land  Trust to permanently protect this land. The Equinox Resort owns the Preserve, which is managed by the non-profit Equinox Preservation Trust and the Equinox Preservation Trust Forest and Trails Steward. 

Maidenhair Trail​

The Preserve, extending over a large elevation range, encompasses varied forest types:

• Young hardwood and pines at the lowest elevations once cleared for agriculture.

• Spruce & fir, stunted by harsh climate, at the highest points of land.

• Mid-elevation forests of yellow birch and red spruce, with a lush understory of ferns and mosses (between 2600 and 3000 ft. elevation).

• Rich northern hardwood forests (below 2600 ft elevation)

animal tracks