The 1.8 mile (one-way) Arthur Gibb Trail begins with a gentle ascent through the Wilmarth Woods Preserve and then steepens on a carriage road protected by a public access easement until it reaches the Snake Mountain summit with views west over the Champlain Valley to the Adirondack Mountains.
Snake Mountain was once known as Grand View Mountain. There was a hotel near the summit, built in 1870, that eventually burned down. The Arthur Gibb Trail follows the old carriage road, once plied by stagecoaches to bring vacationers to the top.
Snake Mountain reaches an elevation of 1,287 feet and stands as an island of upland forest in the agricultural heart of Vermont. Most of the WMA is covered in northern hardwoods, but other forest communities create a great diversity of plants and wildlife.
Informational signs were installed along the Arthur Gibb Trail in 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Please be respectful of private landowners who allow use of their property.
Wilmarth Woods - This Nature Conservancy preserve is one of the largest low-elevation, mature forest stands in the Champlain Valley. The soils here are deep and rich, and the mesic red oak-northern hardwood forest is one of the finest in western Vermont. Wilmarth Woods flanks the 1,215-acre Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area.
Snake Mountain WMA - The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department began acquiring land for Snake Mountain WMA in 1959 from the A. Johnson Lumber Company. Funding was largely generated from the sale of hunting licenses, with recent acquisitions supported by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. Arthur Gibb donated 112 acres to the WMA as well. Today the WMA is 1,215 acres and protects eight rare plants and two known uncommon species, in addition to the views of the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks from the 1,287-foot Snake Mountain summit.
Please note that the spur trail to the west is closed March 15 - August 15 to protect nesting peregrine falcons.
Wilmarth Woods and Snake Mountain WMA are managed in partnership between the Nature Conservancy in Vermont and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.
To learn more, visit The Nature Conservancy in Vermont or Vermont Fish and Wildlife online or contact:
Travel south from Vergennes on Route 22A past the town of Addison. Turn left onto Wilmarth Road and follow to the end, then turn left again onto Mountain Road. There is a parking lot ¼ mile up on the left. The trail is across from Wilmarth Road.
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