Merck Forest
Nature preserve
3,021 acres32.2 mi of trail
Masters Mtn TrailWade Lot RdHatch TrailWildlife Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Linkracer at English Wikipedia · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Rupert
Few parks or trails are on the map in Rupert
The biggest trail networks: Merck Forest (32.2 mi), Green Mountain National Forest (0.5 mi). 30% of Rupert’s land is conserved, about 8,607 acres. 239 acres are parks and preserves, 353 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
30%
8,607 acres · of 44.7 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
239 ac
353 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,802 ft
Spruce Peak
Lakes & rivers
1
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Merck Forest, with 32.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Green Mountain National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
182 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
8,607 conserved acres
30% of Rupert’s land. Who manages Rupert’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits12,537 ac
U.S. Forest Service182 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)124 ac
Not recorded797 ac
Conservation Easement · 7,622 acAgricultural Easement · 3,738 acUnknown Easement · 1,226 acPrivate Conservation · 370 acState Resource Management Area · 338 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7,629 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 67 of 190 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rupert State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 338 | Open |
| Vermont Land Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 220 | Closed |
| Green Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 182 | Open |
| Rupert Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 163 | Unknown |
| Equinox Highlands Natural Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 75 | Open |
| Mount Equinox Highlands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 68 | Closed |
| Equinox Matrix Block Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 7 | Closed |
| Mettawee River Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Open |
Things to do
25 places to go in Rupert
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Rupert
3 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Rupert
Spruce Peak2,802 ft elevation
DirectionsAntone Mountain2,592 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Gallop2,585 ft elevation · In Merck Forest
DirectionsBurnt Hill2,487 ft elevation
DirectionsShatterack Mountain2,395 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Ox Bow2,096 ft elevation
DirectionsMasters Mountain1,890 ft elevation
DirectionsHaystack Mountain1,870 ft elevation · In Merck Forest
Directions6 more peaks
Rupert Mountain1,870 ft elevation
DirectionsBass Hill1,647 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill1,473 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Haystack Mountain1,414 ft elevation
DirectionsFlat Hill1,339 ft elevation
DirectionsMeetinghouse Hill1,138 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 8 peaks without a name on the map.
Trails & water
17 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.3 miHorses · 19.7 miUnpaved · 39.5 mi
Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail6.0 mi
Masters Mtn Trail2.7 mi
Wade Lot Rd1.7 mi
Hatch Trail1.2 mi
Wildlife Trail1.0 mi
Kouwenhoven Rd0.9 mi
McCormick Trail0.9 mi
Ike Wright Road Trail0.9 mi
Beebe Pond Trail0.8 mi
Lourie Trail0.7 mi
7 more trails
Barton Trail
0.6 miDiscovery Trail
0.6 miSiviculture Trail
0.5 miFarm Trail
0.5 miViewpt Trail
0.4 miSki Trail
0.4 miDelaware and Hudson Railway Washington Branch
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Delaware & Hudson Rail TrailBike route
6 miCourts & fields
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Rupert: May, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 69 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rupert →
Next door
Rupert and its neighbors
Rupert has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rupert | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pawlet | 22% | 0.8 | 957 | 12% | A− |
| Sandgate | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dorset | 32% | 1.6 | 1,006 | 24% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rupert
Where can I hike in Rupert?
The longest trail networks: Merck Forest, 32.2 miles; Green Mountain National Forest, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Rupert’s trails?
Merck Forest and Green Mountain National Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Rupert?
30,488 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rupert or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 762 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rupert neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →