Equinox Mountain rises to 3,850 feet as the highest point in the Taconic Range and in Bennington County, commanding a prominence of more than 3,000 feet that makes it one of the most topographically distinct summits in Vermont. The mountain stands apart from the main Green Mountain chain, its isolated mass visible from much of southern Vermont.
The Blue Summit Trail, maintained by the Equinox Preservation Trust, is the only foot-trail to the summit. Starting from a trailhead on West Union Street in Manchester, the route begins on the Red Gate Trail before joining the Blue Summit for a climb of roughly 3.1 miles and nearly 2,900 feet of elevation gain. The terrain is demanding throughout, with long sections of loose rock underfoot and only brief respites. A natural spring appears roughly halfway up, and a side path to Lookout Rock, about half a mile from the summit, provides a direct view over the valley town of Manchester. As the trail rises above 2,800 feet the hardwood forest gives way to boreal conifers, a noticeable shift in character.
The summit hosts the Saint Bruno Viewing Center, operated in connection with the Carthusian monastery on the mountain's lower flanks, and affords sweeping views west to the New York border and, on clear days, north to Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Skyline Drive, a seasonal toll road, also reaches the summit, so the area can be busy on fair-weather weekends. Snow lingers on upper slopes well into spring.
