The Wildway Overlook Trail is one of the best ways to get a view of the Split Rock Wildway, a wildlife corridor connecting Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. Maintained by CATS, the trail has interpretive signage along the way.

Key takeaways

• Distance: 1.8 miles, round trip
• Elevation gain: 520 feet
• Hike includes trail junctions

Hiking to Wildway Overlook

After hiking about a half mile, you'll come to a junction. Turn right, and continue a bit more steeply up until the overlook comes into view at just under 1 mile. Enjoy the views of Lake Champlain, farmfields, and the Green Mountains of Vermont in the distance.

Wildway Overlook in the winter

This trail is accessible in the winter, and is better snowshoed than skied. Although it is a smaller hike, be prepared for all winter conditions.

Split Rock Wildway

The view from this overlook is just a small portion of the Split Rock Wildway. This effort, spearheaded by the Northeast Wilderness Trust, aims to better connect the mountains and the lake through land acquisitions and conservation intiatives. This creates a more cohesive habitat corridor for wildlife to move in. While there are many hikes in this habitat corridor, another with the wildway namesake is the Wildway Passage Loop.

Find more legendary trails in the Lake Champlain Region

Want to find more hikes in the Lake Champlain Region’s open spaces? With the Lake Champlain Region’s extensive trail network, there are endless options to choose from!

How to get there

The trailhead is on Brookfield Road in Essex, NY - just a quarter mile south of Reynolds Road.