Requests for Pinnacle Trail Hikers
As Pinnacle lands—the Holden Trail in particular—become a more popular destination for schools and other large groups, we ask hikers to follow the guidelines below. By controlling the number of people on the trail at the same time, we hope to enable all visitors to experience the beauty and serenity of our natural world.
- Groups of 15 or more are asked to contact Tony Coven at 802-387‐6650.
- Large groups are encouraged to break into groups of 4‐8 while hiking to allow hikers to experience the many wonders that Pinnacle has to offer.
- Please observe a strict low‐impact, carry‐in/carry out, leave‐no‐trace policy.
- An outdoor fire is permitted upon request only at the Pinnacle summit, with prior authorization from Westminster Town Fire Warden Cole Streeter, 802‐722‐3178. Please carry in your own firewood.
Visit Trails & Maps to learn about the Pinnacle’s 26-mile trails system.
Please remember that trail conditions may be slippery. Avoid staying out too long or relying on cell phones, which may not always work.
Our free maps and programs are a great way to introduce Pinnacle lands to friends, relatives, or neighbors. Your personal touch can make all the difference in opening up a new world of wonder and delight to nature lovers from near and far.
This website is the best place to check for news, upcoming events, and other information. Please send your trail photos, hiking tidbits, or trail challenges to [email protected] so we can know what’s happening on Pinnacle lands and where we need to make improvements.
May you enjoy every lovely moment on our trails!
Accessibility Day
The Bridge on the Radford-Smith Trail
Upcoming Events
Follow WHPA on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our emails to hear about upcoming events. Click here for a map showing WHPA Access Points.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 4 p.m.: WHPA Annual Meeting.
All WHPA members and supporters are invited to attend our annual meeting on Saturday, April 22 at 4 p.m., held in person at the Congregational Church of Westminster West (44 Church Street). Board president Jennifer Latham will share news and updates on our conservation work and announce the Volunteer of the Year award. Our featured speaker will be Daron Tansley, presenting his photos of wildlife and scenery from Pinnacle land and elsewhere in northern New England. We will also screen a short documentary about the late Libby Mills.
Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 11 a.m.: Spring Wildflower Walk.
Sarah Waldo and Lisa Chase will lead a spring wildflower walk, which is limited to 12 people. To RSVP, please email Sarah Waldo at [email protected] or call her at 802-387-6036. The event will be held rain or shine. Please wear sturdy footwear and meet outside the Congregational Church of Westminster West, 44 Church Street, Westminster West, VT. No prior knowledge is needed, but if you’d like to learn about Vermont wildflowers before or after the walk, check out our online spring wildflower guide.
Past Events
Tracks and Trees with Lynn Levine. Saturday, March 11, 2023, 1-3:30 p.m.
Participants will learn to think like the animals they are tracking and connect with the forested landscape. Also, Lynn will give tips on identifying trees in the winter. Meet outside the Congregational Church of Westminster West, 44 Church St. Participants should dress warmly for the outdoors and bring snowshoes. Snowshoes are available to borrow at the Westminster West Public Library. For decades, Lynn has been an environmental educator, a tracker, and a consulting forester. She has written six books about the forest. Lynn has taken thousands of people into the woods. All workshop participants will be provided with their own copy of Lynn's book, Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Pocket Guide.
Sat., Nov. 5, 2022: Athens Dome Soapstone Quarry Hike. 12:30-4 p.m.
Board member Camilla Roberts will lead a fall hike on Athens Dome to explore the historic soapstone quarries complex, including several quarries, cellar holes for the workers and draft animals, the infamous “yellow boarding house,” and the pitsaw to prep slabs for transport to Cambridgeport. Meet at the parking lot of the Nature Museum in Grafton, VT, at 12:30 p.m. to carpool to the starting point (where parking is limited). Bring water, snacks, and good hiking footwear. Weather dependent. Email Camilla Roberts to register, or call her at 802-869-1388.
Sun., Oct. 23, 2022: Bald Hill Hike. 1-3 p.m.
Vanessa Stern, a former WHPA board member, will lead an autumn walk on Bald Hill along the gorgeous Saxtons River. The 55-acre Bald Hill Reserve (conserved by WHPA) and the adjacent Bellows Falls Union High School Forest and Basin Farm trails total over 300 acres. RSVP to Vanessa Stern by email or call 802-463-4948. Please wear good hiking footwear and bring water. We'll meet at the 232 Covered Bridge Road kiosk in Westminster, VT.
Sat., May 7, 2022: WHPA Annual Meeting. 4 p.m.
If you missed our annual meeting, you can watch the video below:
All WHPA members and supporters are invited to attend our annual meeting on Saturday, May 7 at 4 p.m., held online via Zoom. Board president Silos Roberts will share news and updates on our conservation work and present the Volunteer of the Year award. Our featured speaker will be Robert Zaino, State Lands Ecologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Bob Zaino has been working with the department since 2008. He holds a master’s degree from the Field Naturalist Program at the University of Vermont. As the department’s state lands ecologist, Bob is responsible for the inventory, assessment, and monitoring of natural communities and important ecological features. Bob also works statewide on lands owned and managed by the agency of natural resources, including wildlife management areas (WMAs), State Forests, and State Parks. Bob is also charged with collaborating with other state lands managers to protect and enhance significant ecological features and work on the development of the state lands long-range management plan. During his time off, Bob enjoys fly-fishing, rock climbing, canoeing, and backcountry skiing.