Stowe Pinnacle, Stowe VT

• 5-star hike
• 3 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 1,060 to 1,560 feet
• Stowe, VT | Northwest Region
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A hiker carrying a backpack stands atop a rocky mountain summit, holding up a smartphone to photograph a panoramic view of dense green forests, rolling valleys, and distant blue mountain ridges under a bright, clear sky scattered with light clouds.

Stunning views from the summit of Stowe Pinnacle.

Stowe Pinnacle tops out on open granite caps, with peaks and valleys of northwestern Vermont visible in nearly every direction. Mount Mansfield's ridgeline runs along one stretch of the horizon, and Camel's Hump rises above the Worcester Range along another. Below, the Lamoille Valley spreads out in a patchwork of farm fields and forest, with the town of Stowe at its center.

Stowe Pinnacle can be reached by either of two trails of similar length, starting from different trailheads. We're fans of the Pinnacle Meadow Trail for its variety of terrain and views: it opens into a meadow early on before returning to the woods, giving hikers a break from the tree cover part way up. The route known as the Pinnacle Trail, by contrast, remains under forest canopy throughout and has an additional 500 feet of elevation gain to reach the same summit.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 5★ Stowe Pinnacle Meadow Trail 3.4 mi out & back, moderate, gain 1060 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

⬤ Stowe Pinnacle Trail [Y] 3.3 mi out & back, gain 1560 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

P Free parking Y Yet to review

Both trails merge about a mile below the summit, and from that point the remaining climb is the same regardless of which trailhead you started from. This stretch includes a couple of short, steep, rocky sections where hikers work over and around boulders. Footwear with good traction is an advantage here, and it's worth taking even greater care when conditions are anything other than dry, since the rock can be slick even with a light rain or morning dew.

Near the top, a sign points toward a side path marked as a vista point. We found it to be mostly overgrown, with the view largely blocked by vegetation, so it's not much of a loss to skip it and continue straight to the spectacular summit instead.

Two hikers walk away from the viewer along a smooth, light grey gravel path that curves gently forward through a dense green forest. The hiker on the left wears a white short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, while the person on the right wears a bright orange tank top, dark pants, and a small hip pack. Lush, knee-high green grasses and leafy foliage line both sides of the trail, backed by towering deciduous trees and birch trunks on the right, all illuminated by soft daylight filtering through the canopy overhead.

The easier Meadow route offers more trail variety.

Two hikers make their way down a steep, rugged woodland trail strewn with large grey boulders and moss-covered rocks. On the left, a prominent tree trunk is marked with a bright blue rectangular trail blaze, surrounded by lush green ferns and vibrant foliage. Sunlight filters through the dense tree canopy, illuminating the rocky path as a hiker in a light-colored polo and blue jeans leads another in a bright orange tank top down the incline.

Short, steeper rocky sections on both routes.

A side-by-side composite image shows two hikers ascending a steep, forested mountain trail on the left, with one stepping up a short set of wooden stairs built over exposed rock while surrounded by evergreen trees. On the right, a detailed close-up shot highlights a dark brown and blue dragonfly with delicate, translucent wings resting against a moss-covered rock face.

Steps near the summit. | Resting dragonfly.

Trailspotting nearby:
5★ Mount Mansfield (5-8 mi)

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