Mount Equinox's Skyline Drive - New England Fall Foliage

So many people really enjoy the scenic vistas during the New England autumn. You don’t want to just see tree trunks, you want to see all the colors blending together in a tapestry of Vermont fall colors.

This is why we look for those places that are generally on top of hills or mountains to get the really BIG views. Or in this case, on top of a mountain and from a drone 300′ above that.

Drone view from Mount Equinox on Vermont's skyline drive — Drone view from Mount Equinox on Vermont’s skyline drive. View in my gallery.

Driving Mount Equinox’s Skyline Drive in an Vermont autumn
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During our 2nd Vermont trip on the road last year we started our trip on 10 Oct and Lisa had put on our list of places to visit, one of the highest scenic views in southwestern Vermont. Mount Equinox is on the western side of Route 7 which is also west of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

Locating Mount Equinox’s Skyline Drive

https://jeff-foliage.com/2016/04/vermont-scenic-drive-to-hildene/You will find Mount Equinox just above Hildene and Manchester Vermont (read about Hildene, Todd Lincoln’s home here). Mount Equinox and its wonderful skyline drive are just off (above) Route 7&7A.

Now, many of you, like myself may assume that if you are in Vermont AND on a mountain, you are in the Green Mountains. Actually, Mount Equinox is in the Taconic Range that reaches up from New York into Connecticut, Massachusetts, and north along the shared western border of Vermont and New York.

Today we are taking a scenic drive up to the peak of Mount Equinox (check the Google map for the location).

Driving the Ridgeline to the Top

As you pull off Route 7A, you will park the car and go into the visitor center to buy a ticket (Check the website for prices and open dates). While you’re in there spend a few minutes browsing the little gift shop with items handmade by the monks who live in the monastery on the mountain (it’s not a part of the tour)

A consideration to keep in mind is that Mount Equinox is the highest peak of the Taconic Range. So as you pass through the gate and start up this paved road. You will also have to come back down it and just like on the Mount Washington Auto Road, this will be a test of your brakes.

As seen in the first image up top Once you get to that first hill in the distance it seems to flatten out. But in reality that is a pretty good climb from where you see the cars to the far hill. There are several pull-outs for pictures on the way up from big parking lots to just wide areas which only allow a few cars on each side to stop.

Arriving at the Summit of Mount Equinox

At the summit, you will find ample parking at the Saint Bruno Scenic Viewing Center. The visitor center is a gift from the Order of Carthusians to the people of Vermont and all visitors. Inside there are dioramas explaining the purpose of the center and what it took to build it. The Charterhouse of the Transfiguration is the only Carthusian monastery in North America. (it can be seen from the pull-out on the way up or down.

More importantly, there are bathrooms for visitors inside. The visitors center is powered by green energy with a local hydropower plant providing power and heat to the building. Both ends of the building have lookout vantage points and on a clear day, you can see over into New York, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and perhaps the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

View from the mount equinox Visitors center — View from the mount equinox Visitors Center

There are no dedicated kids’ play areas but there is a trail that can take 4 or so hours and you should be dressed for it and be used to rough climbs. There are a few picnic tables if you brought a picnic lunch but first come, first serve.

As you can see in the pic up top, you travel from the colorful deciduous trees, into the subalpine zone during this journey.

Driving Back Down the mountain

I did a video on the way down but it didn’t really capture the side down the mountain to my satisfaction. The ride is not near as harrowing as the ride down on Mount Washington but don’t write off this as a thrilling ride. I would plan on stopping in each of the pull-outs or parking lots (5 by my count)

This may be a bit of a thrill ride but a fun one and using 2nd gear and your breaks will work well for getting you back down to ground level. I hope you have a great fall foliage day and may your trip be eventful!

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

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