The Big Branch Wilderness Loop is a mellow weekend backpacking trip along a section of the AT / LT in Vermont.
Region: New England (Big Branch Wilderness, Green Mountain National Forest, Central Vermont)
Length: 11-18 miles (2-3 days)*
*Lowest mileage is only for the loop of the Big Branch Wilderness. Higher mileage varies depending on which trail you use to access the loop, and whether you extend your hike to Little Rock Pond. We’ve mapped a mid-distance option, and written out a few different itineraries.
Physical Difficulty: Easy
- Moderate elevation change
- Short rock scramble up Baker Peak
- Plenty of water
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Loop hike so only one car needed
- Four maintained campsites
- Trails maintained and easy to follow
Season: Year-round
Elevation (average): 1,900 feet
Total Elevation Gain: 2,100 feet
How to Get to the Big Branch Wilderness
Nearest Cities: Danby, Vermont; Weston, Vermont
Access trails to the wilderness:
*Forest roads have limited access in the winter.*
Old Job Trail: Trailhead at Forest Road 30 in Landgrove. 3.5 miles south to Griffith Lake campsite, or about 1 mile north to Old Job Shelter.
Lake Trail: Trailhead on South End Road in Danby. 3.3 miles to Griffith Lake.
Griffith Lake Trail: Trailhead on Forest Road 58 in Peru. Two miles to Griffith Lake.
Appalachian Trail / Long Trail: Trailhead on Danby-Landgrove Road (Forest Road 10) in Danby. 1.3 miles to Big Branch Shelter.
Route 7 parallels the wilderness north-south on the western side, and Route 100 does the same on the eastern side, providing easy access for vehicles.
Public transportation also is available on the Route 7 corridor. Vermont Translines buses run up and down Route 7 from Bennington in the south to Burlington in the north.
Vermont Translines* has buses to Bennington from Albany International Airport in New York and the city’s Albany Bus Terminal. In Burlington, the bus stops at Burlington International Airport and the Downtown Transit Center.
There is an east-west connector line from Hanover, New Hampshire, to Rutland, Vermont.
The Green Mountain Club has a list of shuttle providers that can pick you up from a bus stop and drive you to a wilderness trailhead.
Hiking the Big Branch Wilderness
The Old Job Trail / AT / LT loop through and just outside Big Branch Wilderness is 11 miles, very doable as a day hike or easy traveling as a two-day trip. It’s also a great trip for beginner backpackers and backpackers of any age.
My adult son and daughter and I extended the loop to Little Rock Pond north of Big Branch Wilderness for a three-day total of 18 miles. That’s the hike I’ll describe.
We started our trip at the Old Job Trail parking area on Forest Route 30 in Peru and hiked the easy-to-follow trail—a snowmobile route in winter—on a gradual climb to Griffith Lake. It’s a chill 3.5-mile trail and runs alongside Lake Brook for most of the hike. Because snowmobiles are not allowed in wilderness areas, the trail threads a gap between Big Branch Wilderness to the west and Peru Peak Wilderness to the east.
The southern end of the Old Job Trail joins the AT / LT about .1 miles north of Griffith Lake, and we followed the AT / LT over planks through a wet area to the campsite.
We set up our tents on the platforms and paid the caretaker, who is also in charge of Peru Peak Shelter .7 miles south on the AT / LT. The campsite has a communal fire pit about 20 feet from the lake, and we started a fire and soon began drawing some of the other hikers staying at the campsite. Hikers filtered in and out, and it was a good night of conversations.
Day two started with breakfast at the fire pit by the lake, because it’s hard to pass up a view like that while drinking morning coffee.
Shortly after hiking north on the AT / LT the trail begins climbing rock ledges to the summit of Baker Peak (2,850 feet). The climb is not difficult, but does have a bad-weather bypass, and from the tree-lined summit there’s a good view west to Dorset Mountain and the Otter River Valley below.
The trail runs along a ridge, passing Lost Pond Shelter before dropping slightly and crossing a suspension bridge over Big Branch Stream at the site of an old lumber mill. Big Branch Shelter, which overlooks fast-moving Big Branch, is shortly after the bridge. The river has plenty of spots for cooling off in hot weather.
The trail continues north over flat terrain to Forest Road 10, which goes east to Route 7 and west to Forest Road 30 and Landgrove. Parking on Forest Road 10 fills with day hikers to Little Rock Pond in good weather.
The hike to Little Rock Pond from the road is a mostly flat 2.2 miles. The shelter has bunks and a front porch with a picnic table, and there are also tentsites. A caretaker stays at the area from May to October.
On day three we reversed direction and hiked south on the AT / LT. After crossing the suspension bridge over Big Branch just south of the shelter, we turned left on the north section of the Old Job Trail.
The trail mostly followed the river, and crossed through an abandoned village and logging settlement. Signs on trees advised that it is a historical area and should not be disturbed. And then, on the side of a clearing, was an iconic feature of the trail: a sawdust pile about two stories high, reportedly left over from the logging days.
We crossed a bridge over Lake Brook and passed through a primitive tenting area before arriving at the Old Job Shelter. The area was clean, but showed signs of heavy use. The trail left the river after the shelter and wound up and down back to our car.
When to Hike the Big Branch Wilderness Loop
Spring: Cabin fever may be setting in, but spring isn’t the best time for hiking in Vermont. The Green Mountain Club asks hikers to stay off trails during mud season—typically from April to Memorial Day—and after that black flies make being outdoors extremely uncomfortable. There’s sometimes a black fly window in early June, when spring wildflowers brighten up the hike.
Summer: Bugs persist, and the heat and humidity comes and goes. But two ponds and multiple streams provide opportunities to cool off.
Fall: Typically cool, dry days. The foliage draws scores of people to the trails.
Winter: The slight elevation gain makes this a great area for exploring on snowshoes or skis. But the forest roads are not plowed in the winter, making for a longer access to the wilderness.
One-Day Itinerary: Starting at Forest Road 30 in Landgrove, a loop of the wilderness is 11 miles. The trails are the Old Job Trail, the AT/ LT, and the Old Job Trail back to your car. Going counterclockwise leaves the gradual downhill from Griffith Lake for the last leg of the hike, but no matter which way you go, there isn’t much elevation gain. 11 miles.
Two-Day Itinerary: Starting on Forest Road 58 (Mad Tom Notch Road) in Peru, the Griffith Lake Trail to the AT / LT to the Old Job Trail and the Old Job Shelter. Day two, the Old Job Trail to the AT / LT and the Griffith Lake Trail. 15 miles
Three-Day Itinerary: The Old Job Trail parking area on Forest Route 30 to the Griffith Lake campsite; day two, AT / LT north to the Little Rock Pond Shelter; day three, AT /LT south to the Old Job Trail and car. 18 miles
Big Branch Wilderness Terrain
This is rolling terrain through the Green Tunnel, with roaring streams and quiet ponds. Griffith Lake, just outside the wilderness boundary, is at about 2,600 feet of elevation. The trails leading to it climb moderately on old forest roads and a snowmobile trail. The only major climb is to Baker Peak (2,850 fee), which provides good views Dorset Mountain and the Otter River Valley.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: No permits required to hike. The Green Mountain Club has caretakers at Little Rock Pond and Griffith Lake, where there are fees to camp.
Camping:
Griffith Lake Tenting Area: Tent platforms, privy, water, bear box, caretaker, fee
Lost Pond Shelter: Shelter, tent areas, privy, water
Big Branch Shelter: Shelter, tent areas, privy, water
Old Job Shelter: Shelter, tent areas, water
Little Rock Pond Shelter: Shelter, tent areas, privy, water, caretaker, fee, bear box. This shelter is outside the Big Branch Wilderness, but makes for a great extension of the loop.
Water: Water is abundant in the wilderness. All the camping areas have reliable water sources, and the trails frequently cross streams.
Know Before You Go
Bears: The Green Mountain Forest requires overnight hikers to hang their food 12 feet above the ground and six feet from a tree or branch, or use a bear canister or Ursack. Only the Griffith Lake Tenting Area has a bear box.
A Piece of History: The Old Job Trail between Big Branch and Old Job shelters passes through an abandoned village and logging camp, with a huge sawdust pile off the trail. Signs on trees note that it is a historical site that should not be disturbed. Lumber baron Silas L. Griffith, who owned the village and logging camp, built a summer house on Griffith Lake.
Wilderness Areas: The Big Branch Wilderness (6,767 acres) and adjacent Peru Peak Wilderness (7,672 acres) are managed by the US Forest Service. Together, they are part of the larger Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Fishing: Fishing is allowed in Griffith Lake and Little Rock Pond. We met some people at the Griffith Lake campsite who were fishing in ponds off the Old Job Trail.