Horseback/Trail Riding

DON'T HAVE YOUR OWN HORSE

Mountain Top Inn & Resort
195 Mountain Top Road
Chittenden, VT  05737
P: 802-483-6089
E: stay@mountaintopinn.com
Website

Pond Hill Ranch
1683 Pond Hill Ranch Road
Castleton, VT  05735
P: 802-468-2449
E: horses@pondhillranch.com
Website

HAVE YOUR OWN HORSE

In the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF), horses may be ridden on Forest Service roads open to vehicular traffic. The Forest Plan also allows horseback riding on designated trails, which you will see marked with horse symbols. The North Zone of the GMNF has limited opportunities for horseback riding on trails and many of the parking areas may be tricky for horse trailers.
 
Horse Trails in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area include:

• Silver Lake Trail (Forest Trail (FT) 127) which runs concurrently with Forest Road 27 (a gated road open only to maintenance vehicles)
• Nettles (FT 141)
• Widow’s Clearing (FT 142)
• Horseshoe (FT 143.08)--The trail is managed for horses from Forest Road (FR) 32 (across from FR24) to junction with Goshen Dam Trail
• Moosalamoo Area Ski (FT 143.12)--The trail is managed for horses from FR 32 to FT 141 (0.1 miles)
• Minnie Baker (FT 253)
• Goshen Dam (FT 257)
• Water Tower Connector (FT 278.01)
• Water Tower Sundown (FT 278.02)

Here is a suggested 7 mile route: 

1. Park at Chatfield Trailhead (just off Route 125 in Ripton)
2. Ride Widow’s Clearing Trail west from Chatfield (not down FR 67)
3. When you come to a junction with the Sundown Trail, you can stay left to stay on Widow’s Clearing Trail (reducing ride down road later) or you can go right onto Sundown Trail to extend your ride with a longer road ride). Either way, you will intersect Forest Road (FR) 32 (a dirt road). 
4. Take left onto FR 32 and ride south to FR 103. 
5. Take left onto 103 (where you will see horse symbol) which is known as Horseshoe Trail. There is a gate at the start of 103 but vegetation has been cleared to the left of it to allow for horse passage. 
6. Ride east towards Sugar Hill Reservoir. When you come to a trail junction, stay left (following horse symbols) to intersect to FR 67. Do not ride over the dam-it is private property of a power company.
7. Take FR 67 north back to Chatfield parking lot