Start by walking downtown and crossing the steel bridge into New Hampshire.  Make the first left and follow that dirt road to the end.  You’ll see a small parking area, where you can head off in several directions.

When we want to take a leisurely stroll with the dog we head to the left and take the nearly flat walk along the Connecticut River.

When we are looking to build some endurance we will head up the hill to the right, and take the winding  switchback style jeep trail to the top of the mountain. This trail is pretty gradual, but a steady climb.  We would label it as a moderate hike, and it takes about three hours from our front door to the top and back.

Finally, if we are short on time, we will take the short cut straight up the mountain which is much steeper, but shorter.  We would label that path moderately difficult, this trail only take about two hours from our door step and back.

Both the switchback and the short cut will take you to a clearing at the top where you will see panoramic views of Brattleboro and the river valley.  Even on a hazy day you can see our slate roof peaking out over the trees and our huge Japanese Maple with its bright red leaves, in the back yard.

If you are really looking for a longer adventure, venture over the top of the mountain and hike the backside down all the way to the old “Castle” (see our haunted hike).  Be warned though, that is a long trek.

When you come off of the mountain, you walk back to the Inn through downtown, where you can stop to enjoy a well deserved lunch.  This certainly makes  Mount Wantastiquet a great local hike and one of the many reasons we love living in Brattleboro.

For more great Brattleboro area activities, be sure to keep an eye on our blog at InnBrattleboro.com!

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• Hogle Wildlife Sanctuary
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I have asked some folks around and haven’t had much luck with that either. So far all of the details that we have are that the area east of the water behind us, the “Retreat Meadows” is some type of bird and wildlife sanctuary. We have walked the path many times (its quite a beautiful walk) and have seen plenty of birds and even saw a bald eagle circling overhead last week.

Even in our own yard there are always abundant birds. Some birders who have stayed with us have said that they spotted some unique birds, but for the non-birder like myself, all I can say is that we always have plenty of goldfinches, cardinals, larks, sparrows, bluejays and hummingbirds. As a matter of fact, our giant Japanese Maple is home to about a dozen birds right now.

Anyhow, if you have any information about the who the Hogles are (or were), and / or what specific wildlife is being preserved on this sanctuary, we would love the details to be able to share with our guests.

In the interim, be sure to take the stroll along this path, its a beautiful piece of Brattleboro.

For our guests, the path starts in the back of the yard, to the right.

For non-guests, our parking is limited to guests only, so you can park at the Brattleboro Retreat and pick up this trail along the baseball field. Follow it toward the cliff and you will see the trail there.

Related Posts:

• Hiking Mt. Wantastiquet in Hinsdale, NH
• The Retreat Trails
• Brattleboro Farmers Market
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• Chesterfield Gorge – Chesterfield, NH