United States
Vermont (VT)
Green Mountains
Arlington
Things to Do in Arlington
Mount Equinox
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Mount Equinox

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See all things to do
Mount Equinox
4.5
About
Drive this scenic mountain which is also used as a outdoor classroom for the study of various species of plants and animals. At 5.2 miles, the Mount Equinox Skyline Drive is the longest privately owned paved toll road in the U.S. Those who prefer to hike can pick up a trail map at the Toll House. At the top of the mountain is our new Saint Bruno Scenic Viewing Center packed with info about Equinox Mountain and the Carthusian Monks. The private property which is 7,000 acres is owned by the Carthusain monks. A cloistered order of Catholic monks. There is the Catholic gift shop at the bottom of the mountain and also souvenirs from your trip.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
249 reviews
Excellent
135
Very good
75
Average
22
Poor
10
Terrible
7
russianwulfgar
Milwaukee, WI1,605 contributions
Skip It
Sep 2021
While the trail is very pretty, it's also very uneven and dangerous in some places, muddy in others, be prepared to climb over fallen trees that they don't move out of the way. We saw a three foot garter snake and its babies on the trail. That was kind of scary since we didn't know what kind of snake it was on first sight and had to look it up later. Once at the top, there are trees blocking the view in almost every direction. There is a bench you can stand on, but I used it to pray to St. Barney or whoever they're using up there, to pray for better trails. Only go on a clear day, otherwise clouds can obscure your vision of the farther vistas. The lady in the ticket building did tell us to rest our brakes on the way down and we thought we were doing that, but they overheated anyway and we had to sit for 30 minutes at one rest stop alone. Which, by the way, you don't want to just turn off your car because your brakes will warp (depending on the type of brakes you have). It's actually advised to drive your car slowly around in circles for a while, they'll still cool off and you'll be preventing them from warping. So all in all, it's not worth the price. Probably a good $5 or maybe $8 admission.
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jswick
Saratoga Springs, NY1 contribution
great hike
May 2011
3 of us started our climb@ 9:30a.m. not knowing what to expect or how long it might take.
We took the blue summit trail from behind Burr & Burton Academy. The trail starts getting pretty steep on the upper 3rd of the trail but we made the summit in 2 hours. Really no views along the way until you reach the summit. A short hike over to lookout point has great views of Manchester and points east. Our trip back down the mountain took 1 hour 20 minutes. Trails are well marked and easy to hike, the blue trail gets rockier and steeper the higher you, suggest shoes/boots with excellent traction.
Written May 22, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Galaxy775
New York City, NY138 contributions
A gem in hiding
This attraction is vastly unadvertised. The road is challenging offering many experiences for all the senses. Once you get to the top, the views are just breathtaking. We've drove plenty of mountains and have seen views from many summits and Equinox is beautiful. Yes, you pay an entrance fee of $10 per car plus $2 for every passenger, but it's worth it. Definetely go up there if you are in the area.
Written June 3, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
E W
20 contributions
Burr & Burton Trail (Blue Summit Trail)
Oct 2014 • Friends
The trail system is well marked and well maintained. Although realatively short in distance, it climbs almost 3,000 vertical feet to the summit from the parking area where a kiosk provides trail maps. Be prepared for a relentlously steep hike. The trail narrows and steepens after the junction to the Upper Spring where there is a bench to accomdate the baby boomer generation. Once on top, a side trip to Lookout Rock is recommended although the view is similar to that of the summit. When we hiked to the top on October 30th, the auto road was still open, but the Saint Bruno Viewing Center was closed for the season. I'm not sure that the Skyline Drive route was worth the tarrif on this cloudy fall day, but the hike was.
Written November 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nomad_rover
Princeton, NJ403 contributions
Less than advertised
Jul 2015 • Couples
I have passed this attraction many times, but this weekend actually checked it out. If you want great views without much of an idea of what you are seeing, drive up Ascutney or Okemo for no cost or take the elevator up the Battle Monument for a buck or so. For me and my pal, this ride cost $20. The gift shop is full of religious knickknacks. And the signage, such as it is, provides very little information about what you are seeing. I did not take the ride to learn about St. Bruno or to support the Carthesians .
Written July 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bmorsa
New York8 contributions
Beware - construction equals no view from top
Aug 2012 • Family
There is currently no view from the top due to gated, no entry, reconstruction of the mountain top store/restaurant. Views on the way up are quite limited in angle. I can not understand why some of these recent reviews fail to mention that. Construction looks like it is behind schedule and the only thing there is to see at the peak is a couple of porta-potties. The only way to get a halfway decent view from the peak is to walk down a rough trail for about 20 minutes and there is no signage indicating the way. The $25 fee for three people was not discounted for the construction and we were not warned about it. Save your money. Avoid this drive until it is finished. Road was in very good condition for a mountain road in northeast US
Written August 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randy
Cross Junction, VA179 contributions
Beautiful View!
We went up on Mount Equinox mainly for the view and not so much for hiking. One word of warning before starting up the mountain....make sure you have a reliable car and check the brakes...the climb is very steep and coming back down you pretty much brake the entire time. There were a few walking trails if you're interested but we didn't take advantage of them. While we enjoyed ourselves on the mountain the price is a lil steep if you are just going up to look around. It cost $12 for car and driver, then $2 for each additional passenger but it's all privately owned so I guess this is to maintain the mountain. There are restrooms at the top of the mountain along with a drink machine but that was about it. Make sure you pick a nice clear day to go up because you can see for miles and miles.
Written September 11, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy Z
Lebanon, PA2 contributions
Not open
Nov 2018 • Couples
Came one day (11/8/18) at 2 in the afternoon. Sign said closed and will open at 9am. Arrived at 9:30. Still closed. Called the local chamber of commerce and no answer. Called our hotel to find out it's closed for the season. Would be nice to have some simple signage stating that. There were other people here yesterday hoping for the same experience. Not impressed.
Written November 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
seanclarke
Sandbach, UK279 contributions
Overall a nice little drive with a lovely view
Oct 2016 • Couples
We chose to drive the Equinox Skyline to see the views from the top of the mountain.

The road is naturally steep and windy as to be expected, and there are a couple of stopping places for an interim view on the way up. Some with larger car parks and some just a pull in. At the top of a viewing centre with some history of the site and details of what you are looking down on.

Naturally your view will all depend on the weather on the day. The drive took us about 20 minutes to the top and about 15 minutes down. Do head the signs about how to drive downhill as it can get quite steep in places and your brakes could overheat.

Overall a nice little drive with a lovely view.
Written October 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark S
Dover, VT4 contributions
Toll Road
Jul 2012 • Family
Spent $23 to take a gas burning ride up to see a construction site and a brake burning ride down. Don't know how this is without the construction going on, but wait until they are finished- don't waste your car, time and money.
Written July 26, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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